The "Homemade Musician Of Rohrerstowm" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting in front of the TV watching "Press Your Luck" and "Match Game."  What else is there to do except watch TV and read the newspaper or a book.  I already read quite a few books on my Kindle so TV watching was filling my time.  When the newspaper came I decided it was time to see what was going on in good ole' Lancaster County, PA.  There on the first page of the "Living Lancaster" section was a big photo of a guy by the name of Michael Luckenbill who was playing homemade bagpipes.  

Al Reist playing as he passed by me.

I can still remember close to ten years ago when our friends Jere and Sue visited Alexandria, Virginia with us for the early December "Scottish Walk" Parade which wound its way through the town and waterfront.  One of the bands in the parade was a group of bagpipers.  Boy did they sound great.   The melodic sound of the variety of pipes projects an eeriely resonating sound at times, but also a soothing sound.  Then as they slowly passed I yelled to Jere to look at one of the guys playing the bagpipes.  We both had him as a student in high school.  Guy by the name of Al Reist.  He had a twin and when I yelled "Art" we got no response so I yelled "Al" and he got a smile on his face, while still playing his bagpipe.  Found out a year or so after that he lived about a block from me and plays his bagpipes outside from time to time.  Wondered why I never heard him.  Well, it seems like Michael Luckenbill begins playing his bagpipes at 6:00 PM every evening to entertain the neighborhood.  

Mike Luckenbill on the bagpipes.

The former music teacher is trying to give his neighbors something other than TV and reading as enter- tainment during the COVID-19 pandemic.  And, it's all free!  And, he has been doing it already for over 100 evenings!!  The only thing on his porch is himself, his bagpipes and  an iPad on a stand with a list of songs and musical notes.  He doesn't overdo it with only 15 to 20 minute concerts every evening.  No one has asked him to do it and no one has complained.  He's just a bagpipe musician with a nack to entertain his neighbors and anyone else who may be wandering along at 6:00 PM.  The story in the newspaper said that Mike only began to play the bagpipes about 20 years ago after listening to another bagpiper play "Amazing Grace" at a bar.  At the time, Mike's Rock N' Roll Band had just played at a wake at the bar and was paid about $25.  Then the bagpiper played "Amazing Grace."  The guy had played about two minutes of the song and made $300 for his efforts.  Mike now pairs his bagpipe with a small guitar app that adds droning notes, creating a sometimes eerie sound.  He can play about 50 songs on his bagpipe from Irish classics to movie themes.  During his past few months of 6:00 concerts, a neighbor stopped one evening and told him a neighbor was having a birthday that day.  

A photo on Mike's website.

So...Mike added his rendition of "Happy Birthday" to his concert.  Mike has a website that you can visit and see how accomplished a musician he really is.  Check out: mdlmusic.webs.com and see his array of music genres that he has listed.  This guy is phenomenal.  He can wear a gorilla suit at one concert and play the harp at another concert.  What a teacher this guy must have been!  I'm going to have to hop in the car soon and take in his 6:00 PM concert some evening.  It was another extraordinary day in the life fo an ordinary guy.