While some youngsters’ musical goals amount to shredding on an electric guitar or showcasing DJ skills on the decks, one talented Secret Harbour teen is blowing the bagpipes.
Jack Banks, 15, is WA’s State junior bagpipe champion and last week took out the Highland Pipers Society of WA’s WA junior bagpiper of the year award.
The Comet Bay College student has been playing the bagpipes for most of his life after starting to learn from a neighbour when he was just eight.
“It was supposed to be my brother who learnt to play them, but he just wasn’t good enough,” Jack said.
Jack’s parents Stephen and Laura moved to Australia from Scotland more than 20 years ago.
His proud granddad, who still lives in Scotland, bought Jack his first set of pipes.
A set of handmade bagpipes such as Jack’s will set you back more than $2000.
Music is a family affair, with Laura and brother Ryan both playing drums with the Rockingham City Pipe Band.
The bagpipes are not hard to play but are hard to play well: the piper has to blow air in the pipes while squeezing air in the bag, keeping the pressure right, and mastering the complex fingering.
“The hardest part is probably getting the pressure right,” Jack said.
Stephen described Jack’s learning journey as “horrendous” but said that’s why there were not too many people proficient at playing bagpipes.
“Most of my neighbours are Scottish as well, so they don’t mind it,” Jack said.
“We haven’t had any complaints so far.”
Stephen and Laura said the music made them feel closer to home.
“If we were in Scotland I don’t think we’d have joined a pipe band,” Laura said.
Jack would like to play with the Edinburgh Tattoo one day but has to be 18 to join.
In the meantime, he plays with the Rockingham Pipe Band, most recently on Anzac Day, and has a part-time job playing solo at weddings, birthdays and sporting matches.
The family will travel to Penang next month and South Africa next year for competitions.