Competition Season Begins for NYC Bagpipes

February is generally the first month for EUSPBA sanctioned bagpipe competitions in the Northeast. This month there are 2 competitions. The first is Rose & Shamrock Festival in Lancaster, PA on February 8th. The second is Capital District Indoor competition in Colonie, NY (near Albany), two weeks later.

Both competitions are popular with entrants because it allows them to get a head start in the season. Competitors will often use the opportunity to experiment or try out new competition tunes before the bulk of competitions that take place in late Spring and Summer. Although both competitions feature standard events for soloist bagpipers, Capital District also features a “mini-band” event, where a group consisting of bagpipers, snare drummers, and a bass drummer can form a “mini-band” to compete against other bands. This is a unique event, not often found in competitions, allowing bands to also compete, although on a smaller scale.

As part of the routine of NYC Bagpipes, Cristopher Rodriguez remains actively engaged in the competition realm, and will attend both competitions in February. Cristopher just returned from Kanas City in January, where he won 1st place in the piobaireachd event in Grade 2.

NYC Bagpipes also hosted its quarterly bagpipe club in New York City. One of the features of the club is to allow participants the ability to play new material and tunes in front of a public crowd.

NYC Bagpipes is a local NYC company that allows people to hire a bagpiper or take bagpipe lessons online or in person. Its website is https://www.nycbagpipes.com.

Published: February 4th, 2025

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