General Introduction
Ethnopiper has been a musician and researcher of traditional music since the 1980s, playing
semi-professionally in the UK and mainland Europe. His musical career includes TV, radio and
performances in various countries. He concentrates on the Bellows Blown Bagpipes from Northumbria and the Scottish/English Borders, an instrument he knew about from childhood. He utilized this information into his workshops, lectures and music events. In 1991 he started an academic program that ended in a Masters in Ethnomusicology from the University of Limerick (Irish World Music Center).
semi-professionally in the UK and mainland Europe. His musical career includes TV, radio and
performances in various countries. He concentrates on the Bellows Blown Bagpipes from Northumbria and the Scottish/English Borders, an instrument he knew about from childhood. He utilized this information into his workshops, lectures and music events. In 1991 he started an academic program that ended in a Masters in Ethnomusicology from the University of Limerick (Irish World Music Center).
Musical Journeys
Ethnopiper started playing Northumbrian Small Pipes in 1987 around
the Borders of Scotland/England, playing on the streets, in
clubs, solo and with various folk bands; later he got a set of Border Pipes in the early 90s.
In 1992 he moved over to the Baltic States and played
Northumbrian Pipes at various festivals and got to know the
traditional music around Lithuania and Belorussia. This led to concerts in Eastern Europe (Lithuania,
Belorussia, Czech Republic and Latvia). He learned to make the
Labanora Duda while living in Kaunas, Lithuania and
appeared in the 2nd Minsk "Dudaski" Bagpipe Festival in
Belorussia in 1993. His research into the music of the Baltic States after the fall of Communism is the subject of a book which he is in the process of writing.
Musical Education
Ethnopiper has been researching and playing a variety of the Open-Ended Flutes of Turkey, Central Asia, North Africa and the Middle East. He interest in these flutes began as he researched various origins of "drone" music, as well as wanting to explore the makam musical system that is found in the Middle East and beyond. With a B.A. in Contemporary Music and his interest in improvisation techniques (and after a field research trip to India and Pakistan to research Religious music, Qawwali) he wanted to go deeper into non-European music and chose the makam system as it is geographically close to to Europe and could be used as a bridge to understanding cultures that are too often misunderstood.
His research also included construction methods of instruments and he is currently experimenting with making and trying out different tunings of wind instruments. The countries he has researched this flute are Turkmenistan, Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco. He did research in Istanbul, Turkey, at the Conservatoire (I.T.U.) for 2 years and explored other Turkish music such as the Kaval (folk open-ended flute), Tulum (Bagpipe), Mey (reed flute) and the Mevlevi Ayin and the Alevi Cem Ceremony.
This research enabled him to complete his M.A in
Ethnomusicology at Limerick University, Ireland in 2001. His
thesis entitled "A Step towards the Ney" is a methodology
exploring the history, symbolism, Mevlevi Sufis, Ilahi, and
technique of the Turkish Ney.
He also fitted in a field research trip to Bali, Indonesia; to take lessons in
the Suling Gambu, the long Balinese flute.
Ethnomusicology
His research projects in Ethnomusicology resulted in interactive lectures and workshops of various music systems. Using his research data
from: S.E. Asia, Asia, Middle East, North Africa, Russia and Central
Asia, the Baltic States, USA and the ex-Eastern Socialist Block and not for
getting... Western Europe, he has made genral introduction lectures to introduce the student to first hand experience of these music/s.
He has also spent several months in Egypt and Jordan researching
the Arabic Nai (open-ended flute); and Qasida's (songs) of the
Shadhili Tariq. As well as lesser field trips to Morocco (2005) and
Tunisia (1994) where he took lessons on the Arabic Nai.
He has given presentations in Ireland (Donegal),
University of Florida (USA), and Aveiro University, Portugal.
At the moment he is living in Spain, where he has been researching the bagpipe (Gaita) of the Iberian Peninsular (Sac de Gemecs, Asturian Gaita, Galician Gaita, Gaita Sanabresa, Gaita de Foles.... He is also making wind instruments: (ney and Small pipes); and teaching the Turkish Ney. Occasionally he gives didactic concerts and seminars, and workshops and private lessons.
Today
At the moment he is living in Spain, where he has been researching the bagpipe (Gaita) of the Iberian Peninsular (Sac de Gemecs, Asturian Gaita, Galician Gaita, Gaita Sanabresa, Gaita de Foles.... He is also making wind instruments: (ney and Small pipes); and teaching the Turkish Ney. Occasionally he gives didactic concerts and seminars, and workshops and private lessons.
