Dear Bagpiping Man of McCarren Park,
Last July 30th is a night I will never forget-
It was a beautiful summer night and I rode my bike into Manhattan earlier in the evening. On my way back home, after crossing the Williamsburg Bridge and biking east on Bedford Ave to get back to my apartment, I heard the unmistakable sound of bagpipes, so I made a detour.
It was in the concrete softball park section of McCarren Park that I first encountered you -
As luck would have it, you were wandering around the park that night, playing your bagpipes. I have to admit, this caught me by surprise - and as a NYer very few things surprise me. But it filled me with happiness. For as long ago as I can remember, I always loved the sound of bagpipes, so I was thrilled to have caught this free performance. I biked into and around the park just to listen to you -
As I enjoyed that unexpected treat, I wondered what brought you here - I was guessing you live in the area, but came outside to play. I am guessing that practicing in your small apartment is not appreciated due to the intensity and volume of your instrument. Whatever it was that forced you into the night and the great outdoors, I was thankful for it.
I just rode home after that, knowing I would never forget that particular ride. But never expecting to see you again.
Cut to August 15th - another beautiful summer night and I was just doing some local riding around. Sure enough, I heard bagpipes again and I knew it had to be you. I biked towards the park again, expecting to find you there, but this time you were playing behind the Brooklyn Automotive High School.
This is the best, longest and most uninterrupted video footage I have of you:
But that was the last time I saw you.
What happened? Did you give up bagpiping? Were your lessons just a summer fling? Did you find someplace else to play? Or did you *sniff* move away?
I am hoping none of those are the case because I miss you and the droning, beautiful sound of that bagpipe of yours. Now that the weather is starting to get nicer I will be listening for you carefully as I bike through Greenpoint and Williamsburg. I sure do hope to run into you again.
Sincerely,
Your fan,
*Bitch Cakes*
12 comments:
Being Scottish and fiercely patriotic(!), the bagpipes always bring a little tear to my eye :)
It's amazing to me that you can have the pleasure of hearing them like this in Brooklyn!
Aw, that's so sweet. I don't know where my love of bagpipes comes from. I'm Italian from the Bronx, but growing up/being in NYC you hear bagpipes on a (fairly) regular basis, at least in the news. Anytime there is a public funeral for a firefighter, there are bagpipes. They have somehow become synonymous with NYFD so we get exposed to them more than you would expect. But running into this guy practicing was a real treat for me. (I also caught bagpipes this past Wednesday when I *accidentally* caught the tail end of the St Patrick's Day Parade on 5th Ave).
Bagpipes always make smile because to me, they are beautiful yet have a touch of sorrow in them.
Gorgeous in a wedding, yet respectful at a funeral.
Coming across something like this is a rare and special treasure (and I can imagine even more so in Brooklyn!)...I hope you find him again some day.
Bagpipes have a wonderful, emotional, and magical quality. They can make me cry!
Suzi- I bet I will see him again. At least I really hope so!
Rachel- Exactly. So beautiful, sad, and emotional. I love the way the notes sort of overlap - the way you can still hear one when the next one starts. I can listen to them all day.
OMG! I LOVE the bagpipes! Seriously! I would be beside myself if I stumbled upon this guy. I freaking love your life! :)
What a sweet note...
I love those videos--enjoyed hearing the bagpipes and it made me laugh when he disappears behind the dumpsters.
You're a pretty talented bike rider to video and ride at the same time.
This is a lovely post. Thank you for sharing those moments of unexpected exquisiteness.
My fiance is a bagpiper, I cannot tell you how much attention he gets when he plays in the park. Huge crowd pleaser, I'm a little jealous.
Why can I never view your videos?????? Am I just too late? Is it because I use Firefox? I wanted to hear the Bagpipes!
Someone else fancies this fellow!
http://melissalovelife.blogspot.com/2010/02/open-letter-to-person-who-plays.html
Shayna that's crazy! I can't believe you found another blog about him. He has more fans! Good for him. Maybe he'll see our blogs and come back out to play for us.
Post a Comment