Music

I began my piping journey in college. I’ve always enjoyed bagpipes. But it wasn’t until I saw St. Patrick’s Day in Savannah, GA that I knew I had to learn this mysterious instrument. If you’ve never seen Paddy’s Day in Savannah… you should go.

My first instructor once said to me, “Be good to your pipes and your pipes will be good to you.” And he was right. By dedicating myself to music and instrument an amazing world of opportunity has been set before me. Since 2008 I’ve been traveling to incredible places, meeting incredible people, and having incredible experiences. All thanks to this fascinating instrument.

Have a look at some of the projects I’ve worked on to bring trad music to the world.

Events

Whether it's your wedding, a memorial or funeral, or just a special occasion, the bagpipe can bring a special and unique touch to your event. With a large repertoire of slow airs, marches, jigs, reels, and many other tune styles, I can customize your events soundtrack to match your desires.

Instruction

  • You've probably heard about how difficult it is to play the bagpipes. But I'm here to tell you with the right approach bagpipes are no more difficult than any other instrument.

    For over a decade, I've not only been playing bagpipes, but I've been actively learning. I've learned from the worlds greatest pipers in both Irish and Scottish tradition. Through their tutelage I've learned what does and does not lead to success in piping.

    As such I'm well equipped to develop customized curriculum to meet your goals. Whether it’s playing a few tunes at parties for friends, or if you dream of someday being the next Paddy Keenan. It all starts with the right foundation. Lessons with me will cover a wide range of topics including:

    How to get started. Where do you even find bagpipes?

    Fundamentals of the pipes including how they work

    Maintenance and tuning

    Basic music theory as it pertains to the pipes

    How to read sheet music

    How to learn by ear

    Technique from simple to complex

    Practice techniques to get better faster

    How to transition from tin whistle to pipes

  • Lessons are available for anyone age 5+.

    Consultation - FREE!

    30min session - $40

    45min session - $65

    I’d recommend a 30 minute session for beginners and young children. Feel free to reach out for a free consultation!

Community

  • The Trad Network is a discord community I created in the early days of the COVID pandemic. My goal was to keep in touch with all of my new musician friends I had recently made in Seattle. However when I decided to open the community to the public, membership exploded. Now the Trad Network is an international community of Irish and Scottish Trad musicians learning from each other and sharing their love of music.

    If you’re a fellow trad musician, come join us! www.tradnetwork.com

  • The Irish Pipers Club was founded in the late 1970s by an Irish bagpiper named Denis Brooks. Over the years the club cemented itself as a cultural institution, not only in Seattle, but around the world. It’s most famous contribution was the Piper’s Review, a quarterly publication with contributions from the worlds greatest pipers and musicians.

    My involvement with the club began in late 2019, about a year after I made the switch from Scottish pipes to Irish. The ensuing pandemic nearly ended the club altogether, but I took hold of the reigns and have been working to re-establish the club as a cultural force. After designing a new website and developing a new method of communication the club is once again ready to bring Irish music to the Pacific Northwest.

    In addition, I’ve been working to digitize and preserve the famous Pipers Review, making it more accessible for generations to come.

    For moreinormation about the IPC, contact us at hello@irishpipersclub.com or visit our site at www.irishpipersclub.com

  • After playing in Irish sessions for several years I had met several new musicians who expressed a desire for a slower, less intimidating way to learn Irish music.

    So, during the summer of ‘23 I approached a local music store, Dusty Strings, about starting a new beginner Irish music class. The goal would be to provide a relaxed and welcoming environment for musicians of all ages and backgrounds to come learn how to play Irish folk music in a traditional session environment.

    After only a few months, the session had grown in popularity and is still going strong. For more information about joining, just give me a shout! thatguy@davidprkins.art

Testimonials

“We brought David down through his parents who attend our church in Las Vegas. We had several issues with our production including an injured sound tech and stolen equipment, but through all of the chaos, David was there, always on time, always ready to go. His mastery over his instrument is truly impressive and made for quick and easy rehearsals. A true professional musician if ever I saw one!”
— K.N.
“David was recommend to me by a friend for our baby shower. We wanted to make the event memorable so we had him playing at the door to great people as they arrived. He was the talk of the event. His music created an awesome and unique vibe that everyone still remembers and talks about. 10/10!”
— S.O.
“We reached out to David to play for my father-in-law’s retirement party. He was quick to respond and was very communicative throughout the process. He played beautifully during the tribute presentation, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house! My father-in-law loved how he played the pipes so much that he still talks about it to this day. Highly recommend David to make your event extra special!”
— J.G.
“A friend of the family got us in touch with David for my fathers funeral service. It was very last minute and David was very quick to respond. The day was rather hectic, but David was there early and communicated through out the day to ensure things went as planned. His music was simply beautiful! Thank you so much!”
— T.H.

Have a listen!