About Aaron
Piper, teacher, and founder of Etive Pipers.
My Story
I picked up my first chanter at seven years old and never really put it down.
Growing up in Oban, I was lucky to learn from some exceptional pipers. Iain Hurst, Angus MacLennan, and more than ten years of private lessons with Angus MacColl shaped not just how I play, but how I think about piping. The music of Argyll has something special about it: a rawness and drive rooted in feel and musicality as much as technique, and that’s always stayed with me.
Along the way I won the Duke’s Medal twice, reached the finals of the MacGregor Memorial, and was named Oban Rotary Musician of the Year. I served as Pipe Sergeant with Oban High School Pipe Band, and I continue to play with the Oban Pipe Band today. I’ve performed at Highland Games, recitals, weddings, and spent several years as piper to the Scotland China Education Network.
I love performing. But my favourite part of piping has never been the stage. It’s always been the teaching.
Why I Teach
There’s something irreplaceable about watching a young person go from “I can’t do it” to performing confidently in front of an audience. Seeing confidence build. Watching a love of music take hold. Noticing friendships forming along the way. That’s why I do this.
I started Etive Pipers because I wanted to create the kind of environment I wished I’d had growing up, where the tuition is excellent but the community around it is just as strong. A group of enthusiastic young people learning together, encouraging each other, and genuinely enjoying it.
My background in psychology and primary education shaped how I think about all of this. I’m drawn to child-led approaches, where a pupil’s curiosity directs the learning and my job is to ask good questions and open doors rather than just hand down answers. That’s what creates learners who stick with it for life.
How I Teach
Traditional piping instruction tends to be fairly rigid: listen, copy, repeat. It works for building the basics, and I use it where it makes sense. But I find that pupils really start to flourish when they begin making the music their own — finding their own feel, their own voice, their own reasons for playing.
For some, that means competition, and it suits them well. It gives them something to aim for, sharpens their focus, and teaches them how to perform under pressure. Several of my pupils are now placing at the top of junior competitions, competing against top players from across Scotland and beyond.
For others, the highlights are performing at events, playing in a group, or discovering the creative side of the instrument: writing their own tunes, experimenting with harmony, playing alongside other musicians. There’s a whole world in piping, and I want every pupil to feel free to find their corner of it.
What that looks like is different for everyone, and that’s exactly as it should be. What matters, at the end of the day, is that they enjoy the music.
What I Believe
My job is to give pupils the skills, knowledge, and confidence to go wherever their interest takes them, and the foundation to do it well.
Whatever direction that turns out to be, every child progresses at their own pace and with their own goals. I give individual feedback and support throughout, and I make a point of celebrating the small wins. Those moments of progress, however modest they seem, are what build the kind of confidence that lasts.
Thursday Evening Classes for young people in Oban
Open to ages 7–16, from complete beginners to confident pipers. If that sounds like the right fit for your child, I’d love to hear from you.
- ✓ Ages 7–16
- ✓ All levels welcome
- ✓ £5–7 per session