If you are very lucky, you can hear foreign voices at Suhelstam in Melhstedt. Just like this moment: As a listener, you are immediately touched, a low keynote moving continuously, with high notes inscribed on it. Melts everything together into a mast weaving clay that captures the listener. The melody is delightful, making you feel like you are in the Scottish Highlands.
Feroze Reinhart, who currently lives in Melrichstadt, is the originator of these beautiful sounds. She eclipses almost imaginary tunes from her bagpipe, a “Great Highland Bagpipe”. In addition, their traditional uniform with a kilt ensures that there is a genuine Scottish feel. For them, bagpipe music is an elixir of life. The 29-year-old business administrator says, “Music expresses what cannot be said and whether it is impossible to remain silent.”
Immediately blew
She can still remember the first time she heard bagpipe music when she walked. “I was instantly blown away. The sound is indescribable, it goes through and through,” the musician is still enthusiastic today. For her 18th birthday, friends gave her as a so-called “practice changer”. “It’s a tool used to learn bagpipes,” the 29-year-old says. The changer looks almost like a flute and is very important for practice. Because just blowing the bagpipe is not like that.
It is nothing that there is a Scottish proverb: “If you have played a bagpipe for ten years, you will be in the mood for seven years.” A bagpiper from Rohirath performed near Coburg in celebration of his 18th birthday. It was almost a frightening encounter: he is still her bagpiper. “The practical thing is that you can still get lessons through Skype, despite the great distance,” Reinhart says. With a “practice chanter” in my luggage, I went to a training camp at Brabarge Castle in Odenwald. The Bagpipe Association of the Summer School of Germany is here every year. Feroze received this gift from her parents when she came of age – it was the first step that brought Feroze closer to her bagpipe.
“Initially, it’s best to just play a practice changer for two years,” the 29-year-old explains. Although she has been playing the alto saxophone for over 20 years, starting with the Musikvein Nordheim and now in the Musikvein year, the bagpipe has become a real challenge. Reinhart from experience says, “There is a great demand in breathing, bagpipe, and finger technique at the same time.”
Practice Makes Perfect
Practicing with a practice changer over the years has been a bit boring at times. “But it was ideal for the apartment,” says Bagpiper. When he later played his Great Highland bagpipe, he practiced at home or outside. “Of course, that wouldn’t be possible in an apartment building,” she says with a smile. No surprise: The average volume of 122 decibels, which corresponds to a jackhammer, is clearly too loud for an apartment. He had ear protection specially adapted for this. “Especially impressive when you play in churches,” Reinhart says. During the epidemic, she participated in the “Music from the Window” campaign. “It was touching when you could give people strength with your instrument so that they don’t lose courage,” says the musician.
Even if he is already playing very well, he will have to keep practicing. This is why she attends Brabarge Castle almost every year. “That’s where all the bagpipe-crazy people meet from near and far,” she says with a smile. According to Reinhart, some of the best bagpipe teachers in Germany and Scotland give it there day and night. The light here is the last evening, on which a “ceilidh” (k-li) is celebrated. It is the English word for “gathering”. “It’s just pure goose bumps when Piper (bagpiper, actually ‘pheffer’, editor’s note) and drummer (drummer, editor’s note) play together,” the 29-year-old said. Countless friendships must have developed here.
People around them often fall into tears
He did not regret for a second that he started playing back the bagpipe. “The joy of the instrument increases and never ends,” she says. There is something special to make people shed tears of joy in music. “I am infinitely grateful that I can give this gift to my fellow human beings”.
One of the many highlights of her career was when she saw the seaside ruins of Dunotar Castle in Scotland. In addition, she once went on a trip to the Mercers adventure mine with Renclub Noordime. “I then played in the former rough bunker at a depth of 500 meters. The acoustics were breathtaking, and the echo completely separated the musical sound,” said Bagpiper. When the laser show was switched to underground, the experience was perfect.
Feroze also appeared in Lichternutch in Mlerchurchdot for many years. Reinhart happily says, “The audience response is always amazing. A lot of people tell me how touchy they are with the music. It encourages them to always keep going.” To this day she has no regrets that she started “piping” (pronounced: Peiben), as the bagpipe is said to be in professional circles. And when you hear the amazing music that Feroze Reinhart connects with the bagpipe, you can only confirm it.