I played highland pipes at a pretty high level - I was in a top band when I was 14, and by 22, I was already getting sick of it. I must admit that a big part of my discontent had to do with ‘the politics’ in that world. It’s a story I know I don’t have to go into here - I’ve read numerous entries on this board where people have assailed the highland piping community for just the kinds of things that bothered me. Catty comments, and constant criticism of great players seemed to get in the way, or take the place of, peoples enjoyment of the music, and I was guilty of perpetuating that myself. I made fun of players I was better than, and hammered people who deviated in their adherence to orthodox musical practices and conventions. To be honest, though, I was a kid through most of it, and then I grew up.
One of the reasons I’ve recently attempted to make the transition to playing Irish trad. is that people are always saying how inclusive it is - how it is really about appreciating the music, etc. I’ve enjoyed the music as a listener since I was young, and I missed playing hornpipes and jigs, so it seemed just the thing. When I explained this all to a highland piper friend, he scoffed at me, and told me that he didn’t think the Irish music scene was much different.
What I found surprising in the “trad vs. modern playing” thread, and in the thread I started on Ennis, was that he seemed to be right, and that so many of the posts sounded like the kinds of things people say in highland piping circles. Having had the opportunity to visit some of the posters websites, I was even more surprised to find that some of the most outspoken posters were people I’m already more profficient then (and that, is NOT saying very much at all!).
The thing is, I shouldn’t be surprised. I’m not a relativist. I don’t think that “it’s all a matter of perspective”. Some people know more than others. Some players are better than others, and there are ways of distinguishing these people (I’m certainly better than I was 3 months ago, and that is not a subjective evaluation). So inevitably, there will be good, knowledgeable players who are going to get frustrated with relatively poor, uninformed players, and want to set them straight. And that’s a good thing, if it’s done in the right way, and for the right reasons. There are also going to be hacks who hide behind message boards where nobody can evaluate their playing, and attack proffessional players and students alike. I’m not so fine with that, but it is inevitable. The truth is, this happens in all circles. I’ve always known that it happens in classical music (I just always found it more petty in trad circles), and it probably even serves some function.
I, for one, found a lot of the posts on those threads helpful (even some of the harsh ones), and there were certainly people who made patient, and sober observations. But not as many as I had expected.
One constant piece of advice on this forum I do agree with is that playing is more important than posting, and it’s a piece of advice I have followed constantly. In defence of highland pipers, though, I felt the need to say something in light of the past few days posts, and given that people who don’t know anything about me felt confident enough to attack my musical tastes and competence, I thought I was entitled as well.
I think I’ve posted enough for a while. I’m off for some much needed practice!
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