Shawn McDonald Piping

Shawn did an amazing job! He performed right on que and played wonderfully. Everyone loved the music! It made our wedding so magical!

Shawn was very friendly on phone and easy to come to an agreement with. The families were all very pleased with his playing and a lot of tears all the way around. My brother-in-law was a Colonel in the Army so Shawn played what we knew we wanted "Amazing Grace" and he suggested "Caissons Keep Rolling Along" and an Irish or Scott song which he described as a celebration of life. I wasn't able to attend but this large family and friends service were very happy.
Thanks, Shawn!

Shawn was very personable and friendly. My group really enjoyed listening to him play. Shawn also integrated stories about his history of bagpiping and the history of the bagpipes themselves. My only suggestion would be to shorten the stories and play a few more songs. Otherwise, he was great!

We reached out to Shawn to see if he was available to surprise our wedding guests with a song to conclude our wedding ceremony, and it was hands down the best addition to our day! Shawn was INCREDIBLY responsive, he offered us great suggestions in terms of music, and when my husband wanted to know if we could possibly add a drummer to the mix, Shawn was able to have his son join! I would highly recommend looking no further than Shawn if you are even considering hiring a bagpiper!

Shawn was great!

Shawn played and read poetry for Robert Burns birthday at my bookstore and he impressed and charmed the crowd. Top notch!

We booked Shawn to play for the benediction at my father's funeral. Very glad we chose Shawn to do this accompaniment for us. He was very responsive during the booking process and responded to many questions which aided the planning process immensely. Great communication. He showed up exactly as planned and followed the program and intended performance details precisely. It is clear he takes his job seriously and puts his heart into his work. He showed respect and sincere interest in my father's background and which made the overall experience even more meaningful. Top notch overall.

Shawn played ahead of us leaving the church after our wedding then came to the reception a few hours later to walk us in and played during cake cutting! He was awesome and super easy to work with!!

The guests for my son's wedding were greeted as they arrived with tremendous piping by Shawn. We received many lovely comments from the guests. It was a fabulous way to acknowledge both the Bride and Grooms' heritage. Loch Lomand was the Bride's favorite. Amazing Grace is my sons.
Shawn is extremely professional and communicated promptly from our first discussion while he was in Scotland competing through the actual wedding day.
Thank you for adding flair to my son's wedding.
All my best,
Barbara Bain

Shawn was great with communication for what we needed and coordinated with the military honors for my Dad. He was very helpful with song choices and even played a partial of a song request with sheet music. Very accommodating and professional.

Shawn recently played at my brother’s funeral. The music was beautiful and Shawn was kind, respectful and very professional. He was quick to respond to my request, contacted me directly to discuss details, arrived early and continued to play even as we left the Cemetery. Highly recommend!

My father was a USMC Vietnam Veteran and happened to have his funeral fall on Veteran's Day. He was buried with full military honors. But, in addition to the Marine Corps service was Shawn's beautiful playing and being able to coordinate his playing around the rest of the services. He really and truly made our whole family proud with his ability to play exactly what was needed and on que perfectly. I cannot thank him enough for the amazing job he did in honoring my Irish USMC father at the funeral. If I could give Shawn a rating higher than 5 stars I would. He was so dignified and unobtrusive. Could not have been more professional and perfect for our services. I'm forever grateful.

Walked us into our wedding reception. Then played and entertained our guests. Wonderful! Guests raved about his book that was.

Shawn exceeded our expectations, & our guest LOVED it!! Shawn on the bagpipe & his son on the snarr drum played the entrance to our wedding. I was nervous about so many things & Shawn was the perfect vendor to work with. He was punctual, quick to respond & very respectful! I HIGHLY recommend this for any event, it set the tone for "let's celebrate" & I got everyone excited! Thank you Shawn!!

We were looking for a bagpiper for our wedding this summer, and came across Shawn's page. From first getting in contact to the day of, Shawn was professional and accommodating. His playing on the day of the wedding (both at the ceremony and reception venues) blew away our guests and was a real talking point for everyone! Growing up in Scotland I am very familiar with the pipes, and Shawn's playing was some of the best I've ever heard. He joined us at the cocktail hour and was a pleasure to talk to, and he even arranged to meet some of my groomsmen for a tour of the local pubs when he travels to Edinburgh later this year! I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him to anyone, and will definitely be using him again for future events.

They were fabulous! They played at our wedding for our introductions and throughout our cake cutting. Shawn called to get details the week before and everything was perfect! We couldn't have asked for anything more!!! His daughters dancing were amazing!! Definitely hire the entire clan!!

Memorial Celebration for my Dad. Shawn was unobtrusive, played on and off which was perfect for conversation, and answered questions politely! He and his son made the afternoon.

Shawn and his son joined us for a celebration of our Father's life on June 3. They gave him a proper send-off, and I think Shawn's hallowed piping of Anazing Grace helped my Dad"s soul find its way back to Ireland.

Shawn McDonald, his son and twin red-headed daughters entertained as a surprise retirement gift to my brother, Bill, at Columbia College on Michigan Ave. in Chicago. My shy brother's initial reaction was "go away" but with Shawn's gentle persuasion, he quickly began smiling and photographing his surprise. Bill was so taken by the talented Irish dancing young ladies that he offered to professionally photograph them as part of his continuing award-winning efforts to document the dance community of Chicago. The group not only played music on the bagpipes accompanied by a spectacular snare drummer (Shawn's son), but the young ladies sang a sweet ballad and danced.

Bill thanked me for sending such a talented group of performers for his surprise. I would highly recommend the Shawn McDonald Piping and Dancing group!

Shawn Play the pipes his son play the snare drum and his two daughters dance and also played instruments It was wonderful they played for a group of 100 senior citizens and what a great time everyone had !!

Shawn and his two lovely daughters entertained at the Presence Resurrection Retirement Home on St. Patrick's Day and the crowd was thrilled. The bagpipes kept everyone alert and taping their feet. Speaking of feet, the Irish dancing feet of Shawn's two daughters flew in the air. The finale, a duet performed by the girls, "PARTING GLASS," brought tears to my eyes. My husband and I, and friends, ended our late night dates with a rendition of this song, sung back in the 60's by the Clancy Brothers. Thanks for the memories, Shawn.

As a surprise to my husband and all of our guests I hired Shawn to play a few songs at our wedding reception last month. Shawn was a delight to work with from start to finish. He was always responsive over emails or available for a quick phone call. He worked with me to pick the song selection and wanted to make sure he truly understood my vision for his performance. Shawn did not disappoint on our wedding day! Everyone loved the surprise and it was a total hit! Thank you Shawn!!

Shawn was alot of fun. Talked with guests in between songs.

My only complaint would be that Gig Salad charges $15.00 to book an event. The entertainer does not put that deposit toward the final balance. Was misleading when booking on this website, since Gig Salad states that the entertainer would deduct the amount from final balance. Gigmasters is free.

Just wanted to Thank Shawn McDonald Piping for Helping Us Surprise Our Daughter Katie at Her Wedding Reception ! You and Your Beautiful Family went Above and Beyond Our Expectations, Playing For So Long! It was an Outstanding Experience, One that will be remembered for A Lifetime!

Shawn was outstanding and I look forward to working with him in the future!

Shawn McDonald played the bagpipes at my father's funeral. He played as the casket was being moved from the church to the hearse. He did a beautiful job. He was playing at the cemetery as we arrived. He stayed in the background, so that we could hear him in the distance. His music was beautiful as we said good bye to my father. My father was born in Ireland and always loved the sound of the bagpipes.

Shawn McDonald was fabulous. He played all the tunes we asked to hear, and did so magnificently. At our request, he explained how bagpipes work, and what each of the elements of his outfit were called and what they represented. He showed up on time, fully kilted up and looking grand. Our guests were in awe. I'd hire him again in a heartbeat.

Shawn was absolutely fantastic!! Everyone at our wedding loved the bagpipes and we were even able to hear him over the motorcycles which was great! Our only regret was that we weren't able to talk with him a little more after the ceremony!

Mr. McDonald did an outstanding job performing for my father-in-law's party today. Not only was his professionalism, skill level and attire commendable but his personality was great as well :). It was a truly pleasurable and unique experience for my whole family having him play today and I highly recommend Mr. McDonald!

Shawn did a great job !!! My family, friends, and Sailors were really blown away and surprised, great job ! I will always recommend him for any event !!!

V/r
Leon

My mother's lives in a small Assisted Living facility and for her birthday on St. Patrick's day, we were able to have Shawn entertain us on the pipes. My mother was born and raised in Glasgow Scotland by two Irish parents. Shawn's ability to play the highland bagpipes and the smaller Irish pipes was a double treat for Mom and the other residents that joined in. A great time was had by all and I am very appreciative that Shawn squeezed us into his very busy St. Patrick's Day performance schedule.

Mr. McDonald provided a wonderful performance, was very flexible, communicative, professional, was dressed marvelously, and of the highest skill level. His appearance made a wonderful memory.