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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 1980)
A&Mstudent bagpipes his cares away THE BATTALION THURSDAY, MAY 1, 1980 Page 3 by CAROLYN TILLER Battalion Reporter Sun-bathers on Keathley “beach” are getting a taste of a classy side of musical entertainment. Along with the usual quadraphonic sounds of Ronnie Milsap and Styx streaming out of nearby dorms, classical bag- jipe music flows from behind the rackstop of softball field No. 9. That’s where Mike Bearrow, a sophomore mechanical engineering student at Texas A&M University, is frequently seen (and heard) being melodious. “I’ve always really loved to per form,” Bearrow said. T am really a big ham. It probably has something to do with the bagpipes, because if someone appreciates it. I’ll play all day long.” The northside intramural fields are trafficked by lots of people — a perfect opportunity for Bearrow to perform for an audience or, on a quieter day, to enjoy his music by himself. During their Parents’ Day picnic, Fowler residents had no trouble get- Scotland? Not quite, but Mike Bearrow, a sophomore mecha nical engineering major from Houston, brings the sounds of Scotland to Texas A&M University when he plays his bagpipes on the field next to Keathley Hall. Bearrow took bagpipe lessons from a Scotsman in Houston and now plays lor relaxa tion and competition. Photo by Sharon Renfrow ting Bearrow to do an impromptu act. Bearrow has been playing the pipes since he was 11. He began when one of his father’s business associates, who is from Scotland, de cided to start a bagpipe band in Houston. Bearrow and three others were trained for the band. Bearrow explained bagpipers do not begin learning on the complete instrument. They start with a chan ter, which is somewhat similar to an instrument called a recorder. He said it takes about six months before the piper actually learns a tune. “It was very difficult because it was kind of boring at the first, ” Bear row said. “I guess it was actually two and a half years before I got my bagpipes,” he said. “I sent for them and got them from Scotland because that’s the only place that they make them.” Bearrow now plays marches, jigs, reels, horn-pipes, waltzes, dirges, slow marches and piobiareachd (clas sical bagpipe music). He said he began competing on the chanter, but the first couple of years were disappointing. “The first two or three years of competition, I didn’t ever win any thing,” he said. “I really felt like crying after the competitions, some times because I really felt that I was as good as the winners and maybe better.” But Bearrow never became dis couraged enough to quit. After about three years, he won his first prize. “Since then, I’ve never gone to competition without winning some thing,” he said. Bagpipers compete under the categories chanter, novice, interme diate, amateur and open. Bearrow is now in the amateur and open cate gories. HAPPY COTTAGE Gift Shoppe has moved to 809 E. 29th Bryan He goes to about five or six com petitions a year. On May 15, he will compete in the Houston Highland Games. “I get on to myself if I’m doing anything just mediocre,” he said. “Either I like to play my pipes a lot or I don’t want to play them. I hate to go out and not play well.” Besides individual competition in bagpiping, Bearrow is a member of one of the three bagpipe bands in Houston. His band, the Houston Scottish Pipes and Drums, plays at yacht clubs, private parties, benefits and other engagements. Bearrow has been to Canada, Hol land, Germany, Sweden and all over the United States with the bagpipes. His band is the only bagpipe band hired for the Texas Renaissance Fes tival each year. “I’ve gone to lots of neat places with the bagpipes that I would have never been able to go to if I hadn’t been playing,” he said. The band members wear kilts, feather bonnets, tartan hose and wing-tip shoes with spats. “It does take a lot of getting used to, especially when you’re younger, because everyone thinks you’re a fruit,” Bearrow said. Show Mom how sweet she is on MAY U by gluing our SOUD CHOCOLATE “MOTHER’S DAY” CARDS Scrumptous white chocolate cards with “Mother” written on them come in shades of pink, yellow or white. Made with love and care in the 693-9405 Culpepper Plaza Se/tendiptf ^BROOKS tiUMtoi fmke QconVERSE Men's & women’s tennis apparel T-Shirts & custom-design transfers Complete selection of athletic clothing ^4 800 VILLA MARIA RD I ~7h, l ocker Room "SPORTSHOES UNLIMITED' ACROSS FKOM MANOR EAST MALL 779 9484 \ £ Re-elect B. H. 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