GLENN MACKIE
From a young age, New Jersey native Glenn Mackie knew heritage was an important aspect of his life. A television show he would watch with his father provided insight into a musical genre that would later become his success story.
“One rainy Saturday afternoon, I was sitting around with my dad watching Shirley Temple in Wee Willie Winkie, a show about this girl whose dad is in the Scottish Regimen,” says Mackie. “There were bagpipes and kilts, and once I expressed my interest, my dad informed me this was our heritage."
Mackie didn’t pursue this interest until the age of 32 when he moved to Columbus, now a Westerville resident, and encountered a pipe band at an Irish celebration known as the Celtic New Year. Afterwards, Mackie reached out to one of the members, who helped turn his interest into opportunity.
After 35 years, Mackie has forged quite a name for himself in the Columbus community and beyond. However, he is a firm believer that your skill set always has room for improvement.
“When speaking in terms of learning how to play the bagpipes, it’s just like a professional golfer-they all get to the point where they’re very good, but they’re always trying to learn how to do better,” says Mackie. “Therefore, I’m always learning, rehearsing or practicing.”
Experiences Galore
GLENN MACKIE
Mackie educates those who have a passion for bagpipes.
“I went to the College of Piping, which, at the time, was the only piping school in Scotland,” says Mackie. “This was the experience of a lifetime and, even though I was only there for one intense week, I came back playing better and wanted to keep going.”
In the states, Mackie has attended numerous seminars at organizations such as the Ohio Scottish Arts School, The Balmoral School of Piping and Drumming and The North American Academy of Piping and Drumming where he learned different disciplines within the Scottish bagpipe genre.
With this education in hand, Mackie has traveled the world participating in multiple pipe band competitions, with different organizations such as Capital City Pipes and Drums, and currently, the Cyril Scott Pipe Band.
"I’ve participated in both regional and international competitions where there are different grades for either solo or band piping,” says Mackie. “You always know what grade you’re in before competing and the goal is to always try and move up.”
With multiple victories both as a solo performer and band member, Mackie finds comradery as his favorite aspect when performing in piping competitions.
“I could be the best piper in my given grade but the only people who know me are those that I beat,” says Mackie. “However, if I’m in a winning band, they look at my uniform or my kilt and know I’m with ‘that’ band, so there is a little more notoriety.”
Marching On
Whether he is performing solo or with his beloved band members, Mackie has an immense passion for sharing the sounds of the bagpipes with community members. This passion has led him to perform at numerous events, both large and small.
“Weddings and funerals are typically solo performances while the whole band performs at St. Patrick Day events, large golf outings and the Dublin Irish Festival,” says Mackie.
With four to five alternating arrangements in his playbook, Mackie is always prepared with a song no matter what event. As some events are more serious than others, he is always grateful for the opportunity to incorporate his Scottish heritage.
“With the younger ones, I love watching them become excited and go from uncertainty to instantly wanting more music." - Glenn Mackie
“When performing at funerals, I always tell the family I’m honored to be there, and to me, the tunes are helping to bring closure,” says Mackie. “The same goes for weddings-it’s never about me, as I want the event to be about the folks hosting it and what they want.”
Aside from the more intimate performances, Mackie and his band also have the pleasure of sharing Scottish heritage with large crowds, playing with both The Chieftains and The Ohio State University Marching Band at the 2004 Fiesta Bowl. For these larger events, he finds excitement in nailing the perfect performance.
“Playing in front of a large group of people without making a mistake is thrilling,” says Mackie. “When you walk away knowing you killed it, you’re on cloud nine.”
The Future is in the Kilt
When Mackie isn’t practicing for his next performance or pipe band competition, he educates those who hold a similar passion for the bagpipes. From children to adults, he believes that pursuing a musical passion can be done at any age.
“With the younger ones, I love watching them become excited and go from uncertainty to instantly wanting more music,” says Mackie. “For adults, it tends to be a lifelong dream they have more time for, and I love seeing people accomplish that dream.”
Regardless of the setting, Mackie hopes his passion for the bagpipes will spark the interests of many generations to come while also opening their eyes to a unique music style.
“I enjoy the heck out of it,” says Mackie. “I used to play guitar and if I played the guitar ten times better than I play the bagpipes, I wouldn’t have been able to do half the things I’ve done with the bagpipes because it’s such a unique instrument.”
Laura Baird is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
