Incorporated in 2011, Alternative Pipers of North America, Inc. ceased to exist as a non-profit organization in November 2017. The founders hope that this website, or at least the more important information contained in it, will continue to be available to the piping community. To that end, APNA has transferred its remaining assets to the Pipers’ Gathering, Inc. a sister organization that continues to promote alternative forms of bagpiping.
Glenn Dreyer, President
(note: these pages are now maintained through The Pipers’ Gathering website)
Alternative means avant-garde, innovative, social as opposed to competitive, creative, playing for pleasure rather than sport, performance as a gift rather than a feat, thoughtful, open minded, emphasis on the commonwealth as opposed to the hierarchy.
Mission
APNA serves as a clearinghouse and source of information for and about bagpipers and bagpipes in North America. We are particularly focused on reaching those pipers playing other than Great Highland Bagpipes, both bellows and mouth blown, AND pipers who are interested in using the GHB in ways that do not necessarily conform to current solo and band playing standards.
Goal
Publish, in electronic form, a variety of articles pertaining to bagpipe music, instruments and playing techniques with an emphasis on alternative piping and pipes in North America.
Objectives for the Publication
- articles/reviews on types of music and musical technique
- calendar of bagpipe performances and workshops in NA
- reviews of live bagpipe performances in NA
- notification/reviews of recorded bagpipe music
- notification/reviews of newly published bagpipe music
- articles on/interviews with bagpipe makers in NA
- notification/reviews of books and articles pertaining to alternative piping
- interviews with interesting bagpipers
- Links to related makers, players and organizations
APNA, Inc.
APNA became a non-profit corporation based in Connecticut, USA in June 2011. In August of 2013 the US IRS granted APNA’s request to be designated as a 501-C-3 non-profit charitable organization. The organization ceased to exist in 2017.
Heartfelt thanks to the following for their leadership of and contributions to APNA over the years: Glenn Dreyer, John Dally, Michael Simone, Barry Shears, Bill Wakefield, and Nate Banton.
May 2013, updated February 2018
This looks great. Thanks for putting this together Nate and Glenn.
This is great. We’ve needed something like this on this side of the Atlantic.
Looking forward to more.
I’m glad to have found you. I’ve just started playing around with a small set of practice pipes and am interested in what I refer to as folk piping from the borderlands, Lithuania, Sweden, etc.