About Us
The Gathering offers participants an opportunity to enjoy meeting some of the leading players and teachers in four areas of bellows-blown piping: Uilleann pipes, Northumbrian small pipes, Scottish small pipes and English pipes. Each year, an effort is made to introduce an extra element of piping to participants and recent events have hosted exponents of Border pipes and French pipes.
A Short History of the Pipers' Gathering
The Pipers’ Gathering first saw the light of day in 1985 when Alan Jones started the North American Northumbrian Pipers’ Convention. Despite its name, the weekend event held in North Hero, VT was a celebration of all types of bellows-blown bagpipes and traditional music.
Old Town Hall, North Hero
By 1998, the convention had grown into a major piping event that was eagerly awaited by long-time supporters and newcomers alike. A committee was formed to ensure the continuity of this activity and 1999 saw the first Pipers’ Gathering held in the old town hall in North Hero.
Shore Acres Motel, North Hero
When the town hall was closed down, the Gathering was held under canvas in the grounds of the Shore Acres Motel in North Hero and this continued to be the venue until a thunderstorm during the 2004 event convinced the committee that there were certain drawbacks to tents – a change of location was required.
Killington, VT
Early in 2005, the committee announced that the Pipers’ Gathering would be held for the first time in Killington VT, and held its collective breath to see how participants would react to this change of venue. It need not have worried; the 2005 Pipers’ Gathering was one of the most successful in recent years.
Champlain College
The Gathering was hosted by Champlain College in Burlington, VT from 2011 – 2013. While the venue had exceptional facilities, it did not lend itself to the casual playing, jam sessions and off hours “gatherings” that attendees held dear from previous venues.
Wisdom House, Litchfield, CT
The 2014 shift to Wisdom House in CT was an attempt to reclaim that part of the event that seemed so central to past years. Attendee feedback suggests that the goal was achieved. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the staff at Wisdom House for making us feel so very welcome!
Our Board Members
These people work tirelessly to organize these wonderful events!
John Donohue began his bagpipe adventure when his wife gave him a joke “Teach Yourself the Bagpipes” kit in the 80’s. Unfortunately the joke was on her. In addition to the highland pipes, John harbored an ambition to play the uilleann pipes in the worst way. He is now living that dream. An anthropologist by training, John has worked in higher education since 1987. He is also a novelist who has parlayed his lifelong interest the martial arts into several award-winning thrillers (check out his website link below). He brings experience in planning and organizational operations to the Gathering's Board.
Rebecca Connor learned to play the Highland pipes in college, met her husband in the pipe band and married into sets of Scottish and Northumbrian pipes. After carting those bagpipes all over the country for 17 years, Rebecca decided to learn to play the Northumbrian smallpipes, catalyzing a renewed interest in piping. Drawing on her past experience of Highland piping, Rebecca also plays the Scottish smallpipes and sometimes forces her husband to play duets with her. She has recently joined the Ceol Neamh pipe band to relearn Highland piping and in hopes that her son will join her in the band. Rebecca teaches chemistry at a small liberal arts college in central Pennsylvania and also enjoys fiber arts, gardening, and reading lots of books.
Rebecca Connor
Board Member
Having grown up in the swirl of the 60’s-70’s folk music scene, KC Burton's instrument journey
has included forays into mountain dulcimer, bowed psaltry, autoharp, guitar, banjo,
penny whistle, bodhran and bagpipes, the latter being a life-long, heart-centered
aspiration. She acquired her first pipes- a 2 drone, mouth blown polypenco set of SSP’s
with wretched intonation- when already well into her 50’s. From this gateway, she has
been graced with proper sets of Scottish Small Pipes, Great Highland Pipes and lastly,
Uilleann Pipes.
KC’s world of work has largely been centered in teaching, facilitating and counseling
with particular focus on human dynamic, healing, growth and creativity. She has a
Master of Arts in Rehabilitation Counseling, a Doctor of Ministry in Applied Pastoral
Care, and has held a variety of professional teaching and counseling licenses. Along with
great enthusiasm, shot through with much gratitude, KC brings a lifetime of collaboration
experiences to her participation as Board member.
A sewist, shepherdess, knitter and hand spinner, when not attempting to play
temperamental pipes KC can oft’ be found mucking about with wool, offering radical
hospitality, and communing with nature companioned by her husband and dog. She
continues to aspire to play the pipes, and thanks to Piper’s Gathering, no longer sets the
dog to barking when she fires them up.
KC Burton
Board Member
John Nelson is a retired Professional Geologist who spent the last 24+ years of his career as the Environmental Manager for the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, the water and sewer utility for the Boston Metro. area. He developed an interest in Celtic folk and traditional music in college. In 2005 or so he “discovered” and highland bagpipes at a local highland games and was enraptured. After a couple years of lessons with a retired Scot’s Guards piper and playing in a local pipe band made the transition to the Scottish Smallpipes. At a piping weekend he attended in Melrose, Scotland in 2008 he encountered and fell in love with the traditional music of Northumberland and in time took up the Northumbrian Smallpipes. Along the way he also took up guitar and the Swedish bagpipes, the säckpipa. John lives in the Mountain Washington Valley of northern New Hampshire and when not hiking in the local mountains he plays his tunes and works on a family genealogy project.
The photo of John was taken in Northumberland in 2017 during his walk across northern England on the Hadrian’s Wall Path.
John Nelson
Board Member
With a background in composition and 10 years of experience running the contemporary classical music magazine, I CARE IF YOU LISTEN, music continues to be a central part of Thomas' life in Freeville, NY. He is actively learning the uilleann pipes and Northumbrian smallpipes, although most of his spare time is spent in his shop learning how to make pipes and reeds. Outside of music, Thomas is a strategist for brands that run WordPress for their sites.
Thomas Deneuville
Board Member
Ciro La Pinto is a retired Soil Conservationist who has been employed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) – Natural Resources Conservation Service for 31 years in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Through the USDA he has also served as Tribal Liaison for conservation programs directly related to Federally Recognized Indian Tribes at the local and national level. He brings experience from several local and national boards.
Musically, Ciro is self-taught on banjo, guitar, button accordion and several forms of bagpipes. He has played in bluegrass bands for more than 20 years. He currently marches in the Great Highlands Bagpipe band “The Ladies from Hell – Penn/York Highlanders”. Learn more about Ciro’s music and art at the link below
Justin Crawford is a neurosurgical physician assistant in a rural setting at Guthrie-Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, Pennsylvania. Throughout his academic career, he has held officer positions for biological and honor societies, as well as his current leadership role as part of a surgical team performing brain and spine operations. He brings to the board a pair of very large shoulders and a “get-it-done” attitude as well as his sense of humor.
A recent convert to smallpipes, Justin started as a great highland piper when he was ten years old. His father tutored him and they both have enjoyed being a part of the Penn York Highlanders – Ladies from Hell Pipe band in Athens, PA. He now is a Scottish small pipe, border pipe, and Uilleann pipe enthusiast and hopes to help the Pipers’ Gathering continue on strong.
Justin Crawford
Board Member
Teddy Latta came into Celtic music by listening to her husband Greg’s radio show “Just Plain Folks” on WFWM 91.9 FM, the local NPR radio station at Frostburg State University. She also attended the Davis and Elkins College Irish week summer programs, where she learned set dancing. She enjoys listening to all types of music, but has a special fondness for the lively songs of the bagpipes, penny whistle, and hurdy-gurdy. She first attended the Piper's Gathering at Burlington, VT and has been a regular attendee since.
Teddy's previous talents include managing hardware, paints, plumbing, electrical, and building materials in a department store, earning a BS in Biology, teaching Physics labs at Frostburg State University, serving as a volunteer docent at the local Thrasher Carriage Museum, and leading tours on the Cumberland, MD Canal Boat. A talented potter, she teaches hand thrown pottery classes and makes hand thrown pottery that she sells at summer festivals. Now retired, she continues teaching and making pottery, working on gardening, and has recently added sewing and quilting.
As a new Board member, Teddy’s varied background will help the Gathering continue to provide a place for alternative bagpipes and other related instruments.
Teddy Latta
Board Member
Roderick Nevin is a music teacher in Reading, Pennsylvania. Trombone was his first instrument in elementary school, followed by joining the choir, and ultimately settling on the bagpipes (later in life!) as his favorite music instrument. Rod has a Master’s Degree in Music Education from West Chester University and has taught music in K-12 public schools in New York and Pennsylvania for 22 years. He now teaches in a more peaceful setting at home, where he has his private music studio for singers and bagpipers of all ages.
In addition to teaching, Rod enjoys being an active singer in the Reading Choral Society, where he is also on the artistic staff as Bass Section Leader.
In 2013 Rod found a local pipe band and began learning to play the Highland Pipes with the Hamilton Celtic Pipe Band. He is currently the Pipe Major of the band. Soon after getting started on the pipes, Rod discovered the Scottish smallpipes, which led him to an ever-deepening rabbit hole of that musical world. In 2017 he attended his first Pipers' Gathering, and in 2018 received his custom-made 5-drone complex Scottish smallpipes, made by Nate Banton.
In 2021 Rod became the newest member of the musical trio known as Fire in the Glen, a band specializing in mug-thumping Celtic tunes, lively songs and sea shanties. Scottish smallpipes, Irish whistle, Ukulele, Mandolin, Vocals and Stompbox are his contributions to the mix. More info at www.fireintheglen.com
Rod enjoys the camaraderie of fellow pipers at every Gathering, along with the excellent instruction and performances of the instructors and is eager to be part of keeping the joy of piping alive for everyone.
Roderick Nevin
Board Member