SMTX Bagpiper

I can arrive from 45-minutes to 15-minutes early depending on the circumstances. My arrival can either be known to the general audience or a surprise. I can march in to the event playing and take center stage to play as long as desired. I can be incorporated into wedding and funeral services. I can also play while guests arrive to the event or as they depart. I am very flexible and will try to accommodate the wishes of the event coordinator.

I generally play by myself, without the aid of amplified sound, but if desired, I can pull from my band to add drum accompaniment or an ensemble up to 5 pipers and 5 drummers! Be advised, that adding more musicians will increase the hourly rate.

My name is Robert Eby. I started playing the Great Highland Bagpipes in Dallas, TX under the tutelage of PM Don Shannon around 2000. I attended Stephen F. Austin State University from (phone number hidden)5 and played mostly for medieval re-enactment groups. After moving to Austin in 2007, I joined the Capitol City Highlanders Pipe Band and greatly improved my playing and repertoire of tunes. I started playing as the SMTX Bagpiper in 2015 and have focused on providing bagpipe music to the greater San Marcos community since then.

My Highland Bagpipes do not need any sound amplification. They are ideal in a small to medium outdoor setting/venue. Medium to large venues are more conducive to a full pipe and drum band. The bagpipes can be very loud in small indoor settings, but larger rooms typically work well. Hard surfaces such as tile and concrete can reverberate the sound while carpet will dull the sound. I also play the Scottish smallpipes which are very appropriate for smaller indoor settings.

My tunes last anywhere between 30 seconds to 5 minutes. If you require continuous entertainment, I can play a series of tunes back-to-back, or I can stop between each tune to interact with the crowd. There are always many questions and I love talking to people about the outfit, how the bagpipes work, and Scottish history.