Name: Bagpipes for Beginners
Start: 2026-04-09T16:30:00-07:00
Location: 1124 Cleveland Ave, Mount Vernon, WA, United States, Washington 98273

Bagpipes For Beginners
Have you ever wanted to learn the Bagpipes? This ancient Scottish instrument evokes an incomparable emotional response among listeners and performers alike. In terms of traditional instruments, the Great Highland Bagpipe might stand alone due the duality that exists between the instrument itself and the music the instrument produces. The functionality of the instrument can seem mysterious and complex, yet the sound produced by the bagpipe is almost instantly recognizable. In this course you will experience first-hand the power and sonority of the instrument while gaining a fundamental understanding of this enigmatic Scottish art form. No prior musical experience is required, just a willingness to learn and have fun.
Beginners are provided with free use of an instrument for this course!
In this course you will:
-Develop a foundational understanding of the Great Highland Bagpipe
-Learn both traditional and contemporary music
-Learn to read bagpipe sheet music
-Learn practice techniques and strategies to further develop your musical skills
-Develop confidence as a performer
-Meet new like-minded people
Eight‑Week Spring Series starting April 7th and April 9th, 2026
Tuesday Levels – April 7th, April 14th, April 21st, April 28th, May 5th, (No Class May 12th), May 19th, May 26th, June 2nd, Bonus Class – June 9th
Thursday Levels – April 9th, April 16th, April 23rd, April 30th, May 7th, (No Class May 14th), May 21st, May 28th, June 4th, Bonus Class – June 11th
Tuesday Class Offerings
4:30–5:30 pm – Continuing Youth Chanter A (for youth students also enrolled in Youth Highland Pipes)
4:30–5:30 pm – Continuing Youth Chanter B (Intermediate)‍
6:00-7:00pm - Level 3 Adult Chanter
6:00–7:00 pm – Advanced Chanter (your instructor strongly recommends this class if attending Highland Pipes at 7:15)
7:15–8:15 pm – Level 4/5 Adult Chanter
7:15–8:15 pm – Highland Pipes (must have completed Level 5 chanter or a minimum of two years of outside experience on Highland Pipes, your instructor strongly recommends pairing this class with the Advanced Chanter class)
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Thursday Class Offerings
4:30–5:30 pm – Continuing Youth Highland Pipes
4:30–5:30 pm – Youth Level 1 (Completely new to piping? Youth start here!)
5:45–7:00 pm – Scottish Smallpipes Fundamentals (two instructors leading beginner and intermediate classes, bellows and mouth‑blown smallpipes welcome; mouthblown smallpipes provided if needed, students must have completed level 3 or have a minimum of 1-year of outside chanter/highland pipes experience)
6:00–7:00 pm – Adult Level 1 (Completely new to piping? Adults and teens start here!)
7:15–8:15 pm – Adult Level 2
7:15–8:30 pm – Smallpipes Drop‑in (click here for registration for drop-in classes)
7:15–8:30 pm – Highland Pipes Drop‑in (click here for registration for drop-in classes)
Notes
If you are registering for two or three bagpipe programs this fall (same student, multiple class series not including drop-in classes), the 2nd and 3rd courses will be 1/2 price.
Anyone enrolled in a chanter class, may attend any other chanter class for free!
Tuition includes spring quarter classes (April-June), printed materials to keep, and the use of a practice chanter to use during the series (and to take home for practice during the series).
If you or your student would like to register and need financial assistance, please email [email protected]
Your Instructors!
Instructor Zephan Knichel has been actively teaching the bagpipes for over 20 years. He is a veteran member of the world-renowned Simon Fraser University Pipe Band and competes with them every Summer at the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. The SFU Pipe Band is currently ranked 3rd in the world. Zephan also competes as a soloist all over North America and in Scotland. He has competed at the Argyllshire Gathering in Oban and the Northern Meeting in Inverness several times, winning prizes in both Light Music and Piobaireachd. Zephan works full-time teaching individuals, group classes, pipe bands, and at various piping schools all over North America.
Vienna Scheyer plays bagpipes with the grade 2 Cascadia Pipe Band in Seattle. Her first instrument is the fiddle, and she plays smallpipes too. She brings a unique perspective with one foot in the pipe band world and the other in traditional music and aims to give students a foundation to enjoy playing music in whatever settings they find fulfilling.
https://www.celticarts.org/series/bagpipes-for-beginners