Professional Pipers

[highlander_Daz]

you are maying for the pipers "time" a lot of time at weddings you are there for several hours but out of those few hours you might actually be playing for 30 -40 minutes spread over the few hours.

but youve got factors to take into account

cost of fuel
cost of a set of pipes
cost of uniform
preparation
cost of the pipers time
experience

when you book a piper dont go for price, try and get a few referrals, the piper doesnt have to be a gold meddalist, just a solid steady blower, nice tone and a good range of tunes, also a nice person a lot of guests like to "meet and greet" the piper, have photos and stuff
the piper is there to entertain, I have a friend who pipes very well, however he will play his pipes , then drink the bar dry, hit on all the women and invite them to check his "underwear status" monopolise the dance floor and snarl at small kids that get in his way!

[Mr. Woolery]

Caveat: I do not play gigs at present. All of the gigs in this town are booked through the local pipe band, with all proceeds going to the band, not to the individual piper. This is what the band pipers do instead of paying regular dues to the band and the money pays for band equipment, transportation, guest instructors, and so on.

When you book a pianist for an event, he will expect you to provide the piano and the appropriate space for it. Most people also have a fairly good idea of what a pianist should be doing as part of the event.

When you book a piper, most clients have no clue what they really want. The piper has to provide the instrument, spend the time tuning it (pianos only have to be tuned every so often, while pipes may have to be tuned several times within the same gig!), maintain the instrument, dress the part, pay for maintenance and upkeep of the uniform, schlep himself and his gear over, put up with the kids who keep looking up his kilt, and still find ways to be a positive part of the whole event.

Based on local weddings, a piper will be expected to play "filler" tunes while guests arrive, play a processional as the bride enters, play a recessional as the bride and groom leave, and often also play for the cake cutting at the reception. All told, this might only take an hour for the piper, but he's also got to put in an hour ahead of time getting dressed, tuning up, checking reeds (I once had a reed fall out while I was competing and ended up DQing for failure to complete the tune - I'll never let that happen at a paid performance if I ever do one!), consulting with whoever is coordinating the wedding so everyone is clear on the job of the piper, and then all of the stuff to do with packing up and going home. It is a lot more than an hour of stuff to do for someone who is being paid by the hour.

Funerals are different. There, it seems like most folks have a good idea of how they want the pipes involved. Usually Amazing Grace after the eulogy, or else as the casket is lowered into the grave. In Fairbanks, we don't see a lot of graveside funerals, because it is so freaking cold half the year! So, the piping happens in the church.

Other gigs are played according to instructions. Ultimately, you are talking about hiring a professional musician to play a rather involved instrument that is still not really part of the mainstream. And expecting him to know how to work it into the whole event. $250 for an hour of playing is actually not bad, if you actually get decent piping and someone who knows how to add to an event without overpowering it. And $300 is still quite fair. Much over $400, and I'd suspect something was a little padded, but I'm biased because I am a piper.

The local band actually undercharges quite a bit, I think in the effort to make the piping into a sort of community service.

-Patrick

[londonpiper]

I charge £350 plus expenses for a wedding, though I do wear full Dress kit, feather bonnet, plaid, cross belt etc and usually do my best to be there for the rehearsal.

[highlander_Daz]

Thats on the high side although the fact your in London might be a factor, on average £150-£250 is what youd expect to pay in the North of England/ Scotland