Local bagpipers for St. Patrick's Day | News, sports, jobs

When bagpipes on this St. Patrick's Day rings across the valley, some will pause and admire the haunting noise, while others only feel persecuted and hurry to cover their ears, which is pretty much the reaction, the Stacie Lyn Houser, a great Highland inpacker, begins when she starts playing.

Although budget pipes are often connected to the Irish holiday, the instrument was actually developed in Scotland and is likely to come in the Middle East.

“Those I play are the great Highland bagpipes from Scotland. They were created as a war instrument for the Scottish. You are probably the loudest bagpipes that exist “ Houser explained.

“I think bagpipes themselves came from the Middle East and there are actually hundreds of different types of bagpipes all over the world.” she said.

She pointed out that there are Irish bagpipes, but the bagpipes that most people saw in parades and at funerals are the big Highland inpleted bag from Scotland.

Music was part of Houser's family as music. Both she and her sister played instruments in their school years.

Houser's sister, who is now outside the music professor at several local colleges, was actually the first to be interested in playing the bagpipes.

“When I heard that she wanted to learn the bagpipes and I started to get into our Scottish descent, I said, well, I got one and we both started taking lessons from Dr. Arno Vosk.” Said Houser.

“When we found out that he was native to only 15 minutes from our time, we went every weekend and had a lesson up there in his house.” she said.

That was in 2014 when she was about 27 years old.

“He didn't think we were so serious to be two young girls, and he says: 'Well, that's a very hard instrument. You really have to want that “ Said Houser.

First of all, potential pipe begins with a exercise chanter, a double-wood-wind instrument for learning fingers for various melody notes of bagpipes.

“It is definitely one of the most difficult things I had to learn. You really have to want it to be able to continue in the pipes as soon as you are finished with the practice Chanter. “ Said Houser.

After a year, Houser said that she had moved to the bagpipes.

“As soon as you feel comfortable with the melodies, you can try the bagpipe. And I say try because they will be confident until they get these pipes going. You are like, oh my god, I don't know if I can. “ added it.

Houser informed how it was when she reached the point in her training at which she could start playing the bagpipes.

“The first time I had to go into the pipes. I remember that I was outside of his house in a large field and tried to get the whistles going. I couldn't, they sounded like a dying goose. It was terrible. They take a lot of air. “ she said.

“It is certainly an entire body experience … Every time you blow into the instrument, it is a force that it is almost like doing crunches or sit -ups, the amount of work that is needed”, “,” added it.

Her sister did not continue with the bagpipes, but Houser started a growing number of women who play.

“It is becoming increasingly popular. I am not sure whether the reasons for this are the reasons for this, but many of the great professional bagpipes in class 1 do not allow women, only because of the tradition. But more of the smaller bands, such as the Nittany Highland Pipe Band I play with, actually have a large number of women. “ she said.

The band currently has a total of around 15 pipers for most events, depending on who is available, they added.

Houser arrived for an interview in the full traditional Highland dress uniform, which was typical of bagpipes.

“This is more of the casual version of a pipe band uniform than those who have the big, huge hats and the peaks and the colors over the shoulder. This is more like a police uniform pipe band, although we are not connected to the police. “ She explained.

The hat she was wearing is called Glengarry; The shoes Ghillie Brogues; The high socks are kilted hose with a SGian Dubh (pronounced “Skian Doo”), a replica of the knives used by Scottish warriors were inserted into them. The rubber bands that are worn around the kilt hose are referred to as lightning. The bag worn above the kilt is called Sporran and acts as a place to set belongings. A tie is usually worn; And some pipes also wear belts, although Houser said she doesn't always do that. And of course there is the kilt, which is carried by men and women alike. Houser's is the old Forbes Tartan. The type of plaid usually means the clan identity or the legacy of the person who carries it.

The starting price for bagpipes is around 1,000 US dollars. More expensive models don't necessarily mean a better sound, your teacher told her, you only have more “Bells and whistles.”

Usually, since there are no other bands in the area, the pipe band, with which Houser plays, sometimes leads to Harrisburg. Although they are not Irish, this season is their busiest season.

“We always have to prepare our repertoire and make sure that we know our melodies for this season. I do a lot more private gigs on site. So this year I will not make parades because the parades fall on the same weekends as the gigs that I have on site. So I will play on the market at St. Patrick's Day in the bar. I also go to Valley View's nursing home earlier that day to play. And I have a private birthday party. So I really take events, everything someone interested in me. “ she said.

It also plays for funerals and has carried out memorial events for local fire brigades in the past.

Houser admitted that the reaction to bagpipes is mixed.

Some people – mainly children – connect their ears.

“But many different people enjoy it. It really depends on the area in which you are, and every city has a different reaction to it. I would say that the coal cities in which there are many Irish in the region love them absolutely. So we like to do the parades in this direction. But overall we are always asked back to the parade. “ she said.

“It is a very traditional Scottish cultural heritage. It is interesting because it is not out there like another instrument and it is very attentive that is driving. You know, I think it's one of the things you either love or you hate it. “ Houser added.