Nicholas Hudson - Houston Bagpiper
Houston, TX
77006
About
Nicholas Hudson is a professional, conservatory-trained bagpipe musician and instructor based in the Houston area. He is the third ever graduate of the Bagpipe Performance degree at Carnegie-Mellon University. An experienced performer, Nick is well versed in both traditional and contemporary piping and, as a Professional grade bagpiper, has won many prizes in solo competition. He also holds the Graduate Certificate from the Institute of Piping, the highest certification possible for bagpipe performance. Performances have taken him to Scotland, France, Canada and across the US. In addition to highland piping, Nick is an active performer of border/smallpipes and whistles. Whilst pursuing his performance degree, Nick was also in the Music Education Certification program at Carnegie-Mellon and is currently Instructor of Bagpipes at St Thomas Episcopal School in Houston and also maintains a private bagpipe lesson studio.
BIO__________________________________________
Nick Hudson teaches piping full-time at St. Thomas Episcopal School in Houston, TX. He received a BFA in Music Performance under Alasdair Gillies and Jimmy McIntosh from Carnegie-Mellon University. Performance highlights include winning the Braemar Gold Medal (2016), Piobaireachd Society Canadian Gold Medal (2015), Overall A Grade Winner at the SPSL Contest in London (2016), Overall EUSPBA Professional award (2015, 2016), The Livingstone Invitational winner (2016), the Silver Medal at the Argyllshire Gathering in Oban (2016), and the B MSR at the Northern Meeting in Inverness (2016), . He has played in multiple Grade 1 bands, most recently with the Toronto Police Pipe Band. Nick is a member of both the EUSPBA Judges Panel and the Music Board.
Prior to accepting his teaching position at St. Thomas, Nick was the Instructor of Bagpiping and Supervisor of the Bagpipe Band at The College of Wooster, in Ohio, one of the few universities in the world to offer a Bagpipe Performance music degree.
Other performance highlights include piping in concerts with such celebrated acts as the Grammy-winning Chieftains, award-winning Bonnie Rideout, Grammy-nominated John Doyle, and Jerry O’Sullivan. Nick has also piped for famous dignitaries such as in the White House for President Obama and Mrs. Obama, the Prime Minister of Ireland, and the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and has performed on field for three NFL games, many performances in in the World Pipe Band Championships in Scotland as well as at the prestigious MacCrimmon competition at France's Festival Interceltique de Lorient,the largest Celtic festival in the world.
Nick has been featured as a bagpiper on the front page of the Wall Street Journal and nationwide appearances on NBC (The Today Show) and CBS (Evening News).
WEDDINGS________________________________________
As a bagpiper for hire, I can pipe during any part of your wedding that you would like. I understand that I am being hired to add something special to a very important day in your life, so I will come to rehearsals to make sure that everything is to your liking. The price will vary depending on how much you want me to play. I have a large repertoire of appropriate music for the occasion and can also compose a piece of music for the occasion if you would like. Contact me and we can discuss the details and any requests or concerns you may have. In addition to playing highland bagpipes, I can also provide the quieter sounds of the Scottish smallpipes, border pipes, and Irish whistle. If the location is far from Houston, there will be a small travel fee.
FUNERALS_________________________________________
I am available to pipe during the ceremony/mass and/or at graveside. I can play many popular hymns, such as Amazing Grace, Be Still My Soul, and many other Scottish/Irish airs and laments. Because of the urgency of the situation, I can be lenient in regard to my prices. If it is a child who has died, I will play for no charge.
OTHER EVENTS______________________________________ I am available to play for any imaginable event. Bagpipers add a very special and memorable touch to any event. I have performed at all types of parties. From retirements, to birthday parties (I can play The Happy Birthday Song), to anniversaries, to holiday parties (for which I can play many Christmas songs), to sporting events, or any other imaginable event; I can do it all. I also put on concerts and recitals upon request. I will pipe for an hour and a half if necessary. Pricing varies according to the time involved.
As Featured By: The Wall Street Journal, CBS, The New York Times, NBC, Houston Post-Gazette Past Appearances: The White House, NFL Games, The World Pipe Band Championships, With The Chieftains, Piping Live, Festival Interceltique Lorient, College Magazine, La Telegramme, Steelers Games, WDVE.
INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP BAGPIPE LESSONS_________ In addition to performance, as a bagpipe tutor, I also teach extensively. I would love to teach you how to learn the bagpipes. I maintain a large private bagpipe lesson studio, with pipers ranging from practice chanter beginners to very advanced pipers, ages 8-73, so I am very confident with one-on-one bagpipe instruction across age and ability levels. Bagpipe lessons cover all aspects of music education (reading and notating music, theory, history) as well as bagpipe-related aspects (performance, technique, tuning, maintenance, repertoire). I have students across the all the grade-levels so am used to tailoring bagpipe lessons to suit your specific goals, pushing you to higher musical expertise and enjoyment, as well as passing down the tradition given to me. In addition to lessons on the highland bagpipe, I can also perform and teach the Scottish smallpipes, border pipes, and Irish whistle. Please contact me for rates.
ONLINE BAGPIPE LESSONS___________________________ For those not located in or aroundHouston, or who travel frequently, a convenient solution is bagpipe lessons over Skype. Audio, video, and sheet music files are sent through email or Dropbox, and payment is through PayPal. I have had many students who have used this easy and flexible option for learning the bagpipes, sometimes combined with an in-person lesson once a month.
WORKSHOPS________________________________________ In addition to regular bagpipe band instruction, I am an instructor with the Balmoral School of Piping & Drumming as well as the North American Academy of Piping & Drumming. I am available for weekend workshops of intensive bagpipe instruction in addition to regular, weekly bagpipe tuition. Cost is dependent on travel.
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