At the same time I was reciting my times tables I began learning the pipes. My father was a piper, my brother played the tenor drums and my sister played the side drum. Being the youngest at the time, I felt I had lucked out when my dad said I was going to learn the bagpipes.
He told me that though I might be treated as a pariah in some social circles and it would not enhance my appeal to the opposite sex, playing the bagpipes was a noble tradition.
He was right. I learnt pretty quickly to drop 'I'm a bagpiper' from my list of pick-up lines (along with 'I'm a physicist'). But then again serenading my love with bagpipes counts as one of my most memorable moments. Or was it the the police arriving on the scene to investigate?
Most people say, 'Bagpipes? Aren't they those screeching things that sound like my cat when I step on it?' 'ONLY,' I reply, 'when they are played BADLY.' Here is an example of what I mean. . .
But, if they are played well - they can start your foot tapping, make you dance with glee, stir your soul or capture the deep lament of loss. What other instrument has that breadth?