6
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009
MUSIC
Student makes an income from playing the bagpipes
BY STEPH SCHNEIDER
sschneider@kansan.com
With bagpipe in tow and kilt swinging around his knees, Chris Hannemann goes to work. He has played the bagpipe since his freshman year of college, and playing at public events is his main source of summer income.
Hannemann, Wichita junior, said his interest in learning to play bagpipes was sparked because he grew up next to a neighbor who would play the bagpipes with windows open.
"I would just sit in my house and listen to him play from across the yard in his house," Hannemann said. "And I could, because the pipes are so loud."
After deciding he wanted to
learn, Hannemann said, the perfect opportunity came along when his friend started a bagpipe band. He began taking lessons from William McCollum, a professional bagpipe player from Wichita.
McCollum said Hannemann told him he was already a musician, and that playing the jazz guitar was his first love.
"I told him he would probably give up the guitar," McCollum said. "When you start doing bagpipes it gets into your blood."
After working with Hannemann for about a year, McCollum said, he asked him how his jazz guitar playing was going. Hannemann said he had not picked up the guitar in months.
"Nine months later I was in a bagpipe marching band," Hannemann
said. "The hardest part is the road to getting there, it takes a lot of practice. It's like you have four little brains doing four different things at once."
McColllum said the more musicians get to know the bagpipes, the better players and entertainers they become.
"Chris has the ability to be entertaining and a great musician," McCollum said. "He is a dynamic man who looks to go far."
Hannemann said he had learned from McCollum that he could make a good amount of money playing if he was good enough at it.
"He is a professional bagpiper and makes ridiculous money doing it," Hannemann said. "No one does it — how many people do you know who play the bagpipe?"
SEE BAGPIPE ON PAGE 7
Chance Dibben/KANSAN
Bagpiper Chris Hannemann, Wichita junior, plays the bagpipes as a main source of summer income.
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