Jack Lee’s BagpipeMusic.com reaches 11,400 tunes . . . and there are 20,000 in the vault!

Could you imagine transcribing and recording an average of three pipe tunes every single day of your life? It seems like an impossible accomplishment, but that’s what the great piper Jack Lee does with his BagpipeMusic.com service, which has now grown to an astonishing 11,400 compositions.

We checked in with him only 18 months ago when he surpassed the 9,000 milestone. Amazingly, he has 20,000 tunes already recorded, waiting for minor sound editing, which will eventually be added to the resource.

To say that Jack Lee is busy would be a considerable understatement. He teaches tirelessly, is the pipe sergeant of Grade 1 Simon Fraser University (with which he recently celebrated his fiftieth anniversary), competes at the absolute apex of solo piping, judges all over the world, and owns and operates Lee & Sons Bagpipes, whose products are in demand worldwide.

We were pleased to get a few minutes of his time to talk about BagpipeMusic.com, shortly before he was to set out for the four-hour flight to Ontario to judge the Livingstone Invitational Solo Piping Competition in Hamilton.

That will be his first time back at the event since competing at it in 1983. Coincidentally, at the time, the event’s original namesake, Bill Livingstone Sr., had only recently passed away. This year’s event will be equally poignant, only a few months after the loss of Bill Livingstone Jr.

We hope you enjoy our discussion with Jack Lee, possibly the busiest and most productive person in the history of piping.

Thanks again to Jack Lee for dedicating some time to pipes|drums readers.

Here’s a transcription of the interview, edited slightly for clarity.

pipes|drums: We’re pleased to be with Jack Lee, a frequent guest, writer and contributor to pipe|drums. We wanted to connect with Jack to talk about BagpipeMusic.com achieving over 11,000 tunes now in the library. Jack, thanks very much for taking the time.

Jack Lee: My pleasure. Good to talk to you.

pipes|drums: Only 18 months ago you surpassed 9,000 tunes in BagpipeMusic.com, and now you’re up to 11,400.

Jack Lee: I believe it’s 11,000 tunes and 400 piobaireachds.

pipes|drums: That’s incredible. We figured that, over that time, there must have been an average of three tunes every day that you recorded, transcribed and added to the library. How on earth do you find the time to get so much done?

Jack Lee: I don’t know. Busy people do get things done in the world, as you know, and I’m busy, like many people, but I’ve always enjoyed playing. I love to play, and when I get a little window in the day, it’s not uncommon for me to get the pipes out and rattle through a few tunes, and then when I think the pipes are going well, I’ll turn on the recorder and lay down a few more recordings. It just goes in bursts whenever I have time and the enthusiasm to do it. I’ve been recording a couple of thousand per year.

pipes|drums: Is it right off the page? A one-take kind of thing?

Jack Lee: That’s a good question. It always depends. Firstly, on piobaireachd, it’s never one take. I’m very excited about all the piobaireachds on my to-do list, and it takes time for me to write them up in Bagpipe Music Writer. I study the tune and think about it, and take a couple of cracks at it.

I find that the slower things, like slow airs, 3/4s, and 4/4s, are usually one-take, and marches, strathspeys, and reels are often one-take. But the hard stuff, the hornpipes and jigs, are not one take. It sounds better if I practice them a little bit.

I have a bit of a routine. I’ll warm up with some hard tunes to become more familiar with them before I hit the record button and record them. It goes in waves. I usually try to finish off with one or two piobaireachds per session, if I can.

pipes|drums: Amazing. You must believe in the adage, “If you want something done, give it to a busy person.” Do you think that’s true?

Jack Lee: It is true. I think it’s true in the world and people I’ve known in my life. In and around the band, for example, if we need something done, you don’t give it to someone with tons of time on their hands. You give it to someone who’s really a going concern, and they’ll get it done. I’m busy, like a lot of people, but it’s a happy busy.

pipes|drums: So, it’s almost a release when you record three or four tunes in a day?

Jack Lee: Well, it is, and I feel really good about it. And some of the tunes I’m very excited about, some of the tunes I’m playing. For example, I think last time I was speaking to you, in many of the early years I went through the standard books in the piping library – the Scots Guards and Willie Ross books and all that. And then I really enjoyed recording through the modern composers, like Michael Grey, Bob Worrall, Bruce Gandy, Bill Livingstone. I’ve really enjoyed all that.

A couple of years ago, I came across the music of Stuart Samson – fantastic. I’m very excited about playing his material. And this past year, I came across Karen McCrindle Warren’s piobaireachds, and I just could not believe how good they were. Each one of them tells a story to me.

Sometimes I finish recording these piobaireachds and I’m thinking, Oh, darn, I wish I had more time to go back and play those again. And I hope at some point to do more of that. But there still are quite a few tunes that I’m actively working on, so I’m enthusiastic about it.

pipes|drums: It’s amazing that you or anyone can play the instrument for so long and still discover gems.

Jack Lee: Yeah, and I’ve also been thinking, I’m a Canadian and our country’s under threat, and it’s not a good time for that, and our prime minister is trying to hold down the fort for us. I was thinking that Canadians have made a pretty darn strong contribution. The names I mentioned before, and Alex Gandy, for example, and some of the composers that you maybe wouldn’t be aware of so much, like Sean Somers, Iain MacDonald (Regina), Ann Gray . . . these folks contributed some great material to the piping world. I’ve very much enjoyed recording their material and getting it out there as well.

When people make a contribution to the world of music, it is important. It may not be my preference, my personal taste, but it’s still important, and I’ve tried my best to record them as well as I can and have them out there for people to enjoy.

pipes|drums: The busy-ness factor: we have it on good authority that your father was extremely busy. He was a get-it-done type of person. Do you think your attitude about getting things done was inherited?

Jack Lee: Probably, although people in my family would probably all point at me as the guy who should probably slow down a bit! I’m just not wired that way. I fortunately don’t need a whole lot of sleep, usually, and when I get up in the morning, I’m usually very excited about what’s coming up in the day. It always involves making pipes or bags or teaching pipes, and then a bit of recording. So, yeah, my parents were very active people, and my grandparents

pipes|drums: That’s not surprising at all. So 11,400 tunes, piobaireachds included. How many compositions do you think are out there that were written specifically for the Highland pipes?

Jack Lee: That’s a great question. I’m in a pretty good position to answer it as best I can. The number is about 25,000, I believe. I know that because I have close to that on my computer already. I’ve recorded 20,000 already, and they’re in the various stages of going up on the website. I have to edit them and get permissions and check all those parts out, too. I’ve recorded 20,000, and I think there are 25,000 out there that people have left us.

I’ve never used the word “all.” I won’t get them all done; I will get most of them done. And if pipers in the future want to tap into that resource. It’ll be there for them.

pipes|drums: That’s astonishing. You’re like Prince with tunes at the vault, and you bring them out as you can. But you must come across tunes that are not so great. Do you think it’s still important to include them?

Jack Lee: I think when people make a contribution to the world of music, it is important. It may not be my preference, my personal taste, but it’s still important, and I’ve tried my best to record them as well as I can and have them out there for people to enjoy. I’ve come across many tunes that I wouldn’t choose to play, but I still record them and put them in the library at BagpipeMusic.com, just so that they are there. I think they’re important.

pipes|drums: That’s such a fantastic attitude. Jack, you’re a real inspiration for pipers and drummers everywhere, and you continue to be on many levels, not just your fantastic playing that continues into your 60s and your competition records, but this contribution to piping is indescribable. So thank you very much.

Jack Lee: My pleasure.

pipes|drums: That’s Jack Lee at BagpipeMusic.com. The library is now at 11,400, and there are 20,000 tunes in the bank. So, much more to come from Jack Lee. Stay tuned.