Janurary Newsletter
Meeting Recap
Welcome to the new year fellow pipers! We had a great meeting this month with some more new faces. Just a few announcements for this newsletter.
IPC Annual Membership
The Members Only section is a $20 annual subscription. The purpose of this subscription is to help support the club and allow us to bring in new pipers and musicians for workshops and concerts, as well as raise funds for our next tionol. And for your support you will get access to exclusive records of these musicians as well as discounts on workshops! You can sign up here:
Remember, we also have a donation option! You can donate here!
Pipers Review Archive
I’ve managed to get a few more articles digitized for the Pipers Review archive. All three are about reed making. Have a look!
Some Notes on Reedmaking parts 1 & 2 - Originally published in two parts in ‘95 and ‘96
Elementary Mechanics of Reeds - Originally published in ‘95
Making Flat Chanter & Regulator Reeds - Originally published in ‘94
Workshops & Concerts
West Coast Tionol - San Francisco
In case you haven't heard yet, the West Coast Tionol will be hosted by the San Francisco Pipers Club this year. Per tradition it will be held over Presidents day weekend (2/13-2/15) in February. The guest pipers will be Ivan Goff and Colm Broderick with a special concertina course held by Niamh Dalton. You can sign up using the google form on their club website.
Sean McKeon Private Lessons
Sean McKeon has announced he is now formally offer video lessons. If you know Sean, this has been something he has wanted to do for a while and is now able to do it. This could be a great option for those whose schedules don’t align with other instructors. You can see his full Facebook post about it here. And if you don't do Facebook, you can just send him a shout: seanmckeon86@gmail.com
Bandcamp, Bits & Bobs
ITMA Music and Conversations
The ITMA released a new video in their Music and Converstation series. This epieosde feature Dungarven piper Clair Fennell. She talks about how she got started with uilleann piping and went from a Willie Clancy School student to teacher. As well, she plays some rocking tunes.
Taylor Brothers Memorial Fund
The GoFundMe for the Taylor Brother memorial is still going and just shy of its goal. You can still dontate! The Irish Arts Foundation has started a fundraiser to put headstones on the graves of the Taylor Brothers. From the gofundme:
“We are raising funds to honor the memories of William and Charles Taylor, who changed the course of the design of the Uilleann Pipes (Irish Bagpipes). They emigrated to America from Drogheda, Ireland and spent much of their American lives working in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This is where they did their innovative work as pipe makers, and ultimately where they died. They are buried in a pauper's grave in the Old Cathedral Cemetery.”
The goal is by no means a lofty one, so I believe our community can easily make this happen. Head on over to the GoFundMe page and give what you can! And here’s a short video on how to locate their grave.
We’ll meet again on February 8th, 2026. See you then!
