St. Patrick’s Day is a celebration of Irish culture and music. There will be parades followed by music and dance in just about every pub around the world. 13 million pints of Guinness will be downed that day. Are you ready?

Check your bagpipe to make certain that it’s functioning properly. Bag is airtight. Joints are properly hemped. Reeds are adjusted to sound and behave as they should. Make certain your drone reeds are properly seated. If your reed seats are threaded, just make sure the reeds are secure. If they’re not threaded, it’s not a bad idea to use waxed hemp with a bit of cobbler’s wax to secure them. Also, when wrapping hemp around your drone reeds, leave a couple inches to clinch between the tenon and inside of the stock. If your reed comes loose, it won’t wind up in the bottom of the bag.

Always carry a spare chanter reed, broken-in and ready to go. Parades this time of the year are brutal on chanter reeds. You may find that a fresh reed after the parade is needed for the pub crawl.

Write down the tunes you intend to play on an index card and slip it into a pocket or sporran. It will help you to keep on track. Tunes are best played in groups of two or three. A five minute medley is simply too long for your average audience. Play. Talk. Have fun with your audience.

I’ll be going out with Sarajane this year to the local pubs. Here’s our list in no particular order. Our “stops” are one half hour in duration, which probably means four of five sets, with time in between to chat with the guests. It’s important to keep things simple and fun. We try to mix tunes with something everyone will know.

1. Minstrel Boy & Wearing of the Green
2. Molly Malone, Black Velvet Band, Irish Eyes, Molly Malone
3. Dawning of the Day, At Long Last
4. Danny Boy
5. Paddy’s Leather Breeches
6. Pikeman’s March
7. Let Erin Remember
8. Killaloe
9. Four Chieftain jigs
10. Tucson Medley (to the slow air)
11. Auld Lang Syne
12. Waly Waly, No Awa
13. Star of County Down, Rowan Tree
14. Jack Dunbar, Olivia
15. Marche du Petre, Frank Thompson
16. The Parting Glass
17. Kelly, the Boy from Kilane
18. St. Patrick’s Day in the Morning

Most of all, be prepared, drink responsibly, know when to stop playing, and have fun. Oh, and always protect your bagpipe!