One of the hardest things for a new piper to learn isn’t the music—it’s the “strike-in.” This is the moment when you squeeze the bag and all the drones start humming at once. If you do it wrong, you get a “dying duck” sound. For the North Shore Highlanders in Port Dover, Ontario, a clean, unison strike-in is the mark of a pro band.
We practice our starts relentlessly at our Port Dover rehearsal space. The goal is for all 30+ pipes to hit that first note at the exact same millisecond. It requires a lot of “lung-and-arm” coordination. You have to blow, squeeze, and steady the pressure all at once while watching the Pipe Major for the signal.
When it goes right, it’s a spine-tingling moment. That sudden wall of sound is what people in Norfolk County love most about the Highlanders. It’s our way of saying, “We’re here, and we’re ready to play.”
Want to see the North Shore Highlanders Pipe & Drum Band, Port Dover, Ontario in action? Catch our next performance in the heart of Norfolk County!
