TINTON FALLS – If you let him talk long enough, he’ll tell you about competing, or the World Pipe Band Championships, or judging piping. He’ll even keep you mesmerized with his stories of playing Piobaireachd, which is the ancient music they all love.
But it’s so much more fun simply to listen to this very talented bagpiper, Derek Midgley and fall in love with bagpipes, the music they make, the history they have, and the flair, pride and joy in which he offers his talent.
Derek almost had to be dragged into being introduced to the bagpipes, but it didn’t take more than a couple of learning sessions for him to realize it was the musical instrument for him. He was 12 when he started and continued lessons after graduating from the Tinton Falls elementary school, Oak Hill Academy in Lincroft, and Red Bank Catholic High School before college.
Today although armed with degrees in Political Science and history from Villanova and a master’s degree in International Politics from Glasgow University, he still prefers to make his living primarily teaching bagpipes, but also playing at every event from a funeral to a private party, judging contests, and serving as a piping adjudicator.
When he was 12 years old, after his parents had moved the family a few years before from Fords and settled in Tinton Falls, Derek’s sister wanted to learn to play the pipes. Derek’s mom agreed, and then thought it would be a better idea if both children learned. So Derek, too was signed up.
Today, he admits to being a bit surprised himself when he was almost immediately able to apply himself, learn the scale as well as the grace notes, the first few embellishments with this fascinating musical instrument. By the end of a month, he had memorized his first tune, something every bagpiper has to do with everything he plays, even though he could not read any music. At the same time, his sister wasn’t as enamored as she thought she’d be, ,tried the drums and then Highland dancing, and eventually turned to fencing. While Derek credits her with giving him the courage to try the pipes, he laughs saying that he’s the one wearing the kilt while she played with a sword.
There’s so much to love about this instrument that has a fascinating history dating back thousands of years, Derek explains. But he likes it best as the equalizer it is. People come from all ages, abilities, professions and backgrounds, he explains, perhaps because it is such a difficult instrument to learn. “People come together to share a journey of sorts,” he explains. Or maybe it’s because as musicians progress past the initial street band or St. Patrick’s Day level of bagpiper and reach the wider competition sphere, “people are even more supportive.” Of course at that level, there is also the added element of travel, meeting a world-wide supportive community, and “just having the good fortune to create a worldwide group of friends.”
Derek teaches more than two dozen people each week to play the pipes, the part of his work that takes most of his time. Among his students are six bagpipe bands he teaches evenings and easily admits to being a strict and demanding instructor. “ It’s always better to have a weekly thing built into a schedule for people to work towards. otherwise I think life can very easily slip into not practicing. And you have to keep yourself hones”: He’ll also tell you some people think the pipes aren’t as “real” a thing as piano or some other instrumental lessons, “but I think it’s in line with the norm.” His own students run the gamut from 8 years old to mid-70s, with many off them highschoolers or middle-aged adults who have found the time to learn and try something new and exciting.
While it is true there are many more men than women who take up bagpipes, there are a variety of reasons for that. For one, pipe bands are a military institution and started that way. In some areas, women simply weren’t allowed to play for that reason. But the idea of women having less upper body strength being an issue doesn’t fly with Derek. “I know a bunch of great female pipers. I’m more inclined to think it’s a holdover of chauvinism baked into the system even if unconsciously.“ To change that, he said, “you just need a couple more good visible role models. If you see more women playing then more women see it as a tangible goal. Hopefully we can get more women interested, though for now, it’s a byproduct of that British Military to perhaps a local Police/Fire Bagpipe Band just being disproportionately male.”
While it always looks difficult, and there are many things difficult about playing the pipes, Derek finds it easier primarily because of the rhythm. There are only nine notes and a few basic rhythms, so “you can sing, whistle, tap out any of our tunes relatively easily.” It’s the technique inside the rhythmical frame that makes it so difficult. “You have to maintain good tone on an instrument that doesn’t like to stay in tune, and that’s quite a challenge. Combine that with other pipers to play in a band, and it’s just an amazing challenge and puzzle.” One he loves and solves well.
For those wanting to play the pipes, it takes a lot of time and patience, Derek emphasizes. “You have to want to like the music. It usually takes about six months to even get from start to initial bagpipe experiences. So it’s necessary to work through the initial slog. Some people don’t see the connection right away from scales to tunes. Then there are people who might practice but don’t listen or immerse themselves into the culture. I liken it to trying to speak a language only one day a week or for 30 minutes to an hour a day. If you don’t go beyond that in different contexts it’s much harder to actually understand anything but the basics.”
As proof you don’t need to be Irish or Scottish to be an outstanding piper, Derek is mostly of German descent,, though with some English, Irish, Scottish and Cornish thrown in.
Derek has scores of pipers he admires and has learned from, beginning with the Atlantic Watch, a street band in Red Bank, George Bell, who he describes as “an old Scot, a man of a few crusty words,” who showed him the ropes and was his teacher from the time Derek was 14 until he left for college. “He was my first look into the wider world of piping and gave me context to understand where practicing a lot could take me.” .
After Mr. Bell, there were summer camps when Derek tried to emulate the late Pipe Major Alesdair Gillies, the professor of Bagpipes at Carnegie Mellon University, and a former piper with the Queen’s Own Highlanders. Then there was Roddy MacLeod, a member of the British Empire who helped me excel on the Scottish solo scene.
“But when I went over to Scotland and played for the Scottish Power Pipe Band, it was the P/M Chris Armstrong who took me under his wing,” he says fondly, adding “we became good friends as I was the lone American in his band. A fish out of water in so many contexts when I lived there, Chris really helped me acclimate in so many ways.”
Lately it’s been Callum Beaumont, one of the younger best pipers in the world. Just all these Scottish guys that take their time for an American who is trying to play at their level is such a boon.”
Empathy, communication, investment. It’s more than simply music to Derek. It’s more than playing a difficult instrument, and even more than getting over the nervousness of playing, or the long hours of practice. To Derk, his music is his life. And as a teacher, “I try to be all those things.”
He does it well.
For more information on Derek, contact him at derekmidgley@yahoo.com.
