Regan Miller has been playing the bagpipes for over 25 years. The Carlyle resident began playing the pipes as an 11-year-old and since then, has played in pipe bands- and as an individual piper- in both Canada and New Zealand. And although he is not a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Miller was asked to join the RCMP Regina Pipes and Drums- where he has played during the RCMP's iconic Sunset Ceremony and at Regina's Brandt Centre in the presence of Saskatchewan Lieutenant Governor, Vaughn Schofield.
“I've been with them for about four years,” says Miller. “I was asked to play with them. I knew an RCMP member who also played the pipes and he suggested it to me.”
“I try to get in to the RCMP Depot when I can. We practice once a week and we do all kinds of events. For me, one of the neatest ones was piping at the Sunset Ceremony. Our uniform is the red serge and a kilt and the Sunset Ceremony is one of those events you remember.”
“But we play all kinds of things. Our next one is an event on St. Patrick's Day,” adds Miller.
Growing up in Harding, Manitoba, Miller's interest in the bagpipes began early.
“There were a couple of pipers in my family,” he says. “My brother and brother-in-law now play the pipes, too.”
“I started playing with the Rivers and District Pipe Band in Rivers, Manitoba,” he adds. “They were a very well-established pipe band and they've been around since the 1950s- probably since right after World War II.”
“We played a lot of fairs and parades throughout the years and I soon learned it takes a bit of air to play the bagpipes,” says Miller. “It also takes some coordination, but it's like anything else- it has a lot to with practice.”
“I bought my first set of bagpipes when I was 17-years-old, when I graduated from high school,” he says. “When I was 18, I took my pipes to New Zealand- where I went for a nine-month agricultural exchange- and I joined the McKenzie Highland Pipe Band there.”
“It was a lot of fun,” says Miller. “If you don't join pipe bands, you're kind of limiting yourself. It's hard to stay at home and only play solo. You might do the occasional funeral, ceremony or birthday, but it's better if you can play both in a group and as an individual.”
In addition to the RCMP Pipes and Drums and bands in Rivers, Manitoba and New Zealand, Miller has been a member of the Virden Army Cadet Pipe Band and the Royal Canadian Artillery Pipes and Drums, also in Manitoba.
Miller owns both a large and a small set of bagpipes. “The full set is what most people play,” he says. “Typically, you don't see a smaller set. But the smaller set has a softer sound and it's quieter, so it's good for practicing at home.”
“Basically, they require typical maintenance,” adds Miller. “The reeds need to be replaced and there's other basic upkeep. But really, the more you play a set of pipes, the better it is for the instrument.”
However, playing the pipes often holds its own set of challenges- especially weather-related ones. “There are definitely challenges,” he says. “I recently played at the Legion's Bonspiel here in Carlyle. If you're on the ice or outside on a cold day, that cold can freeze up the reeds. Rain isn't good, either. If you can, the best thing to do is have someone hold an umbrella over you if you have to play in the rain.”
“Humidity is a real challenge in general,” he adds. “If the humidity changes enough, over time it will change the tone of the pipes.”
“But as I said, the best thing you can do is play. The more you play, the better condition your pipes will be.”
To that end, Miller is also teaching a local teenager to play the pipes.
“I've taught a fair bit in Cadets,” he says. “I'm not a professional. There are five grades of piping. Grade one is a professional piper and grade five is a student. I'd say I'm midway in those rankings, but I'm happy to help someone who is interested in playing the bagpipes to get a start.”
“And for me, it's another opportunity to play.”
As a solo piper, Miller has played competitively and at events ranging from the celebratory to the somber. “I've played at Robbie Burns nights, at birthdays and anniversaries and I've also done Remembrance Day ceremonies and funerals,” he says. “Those happy events are a lot of fun and of course, funerals are kind of tough. But whatever the occasion is, there are a lot of people out there who get choked up by the sound of the bagpipes. It can be really emotional.”
“Anywhere I go to play, someone always says, 'Oh, I love the bagpipes.' And that's really rewarding for me.”
