Paul Marquard

by Christi Marsico
Tuesday, May 27, 2008 3:50 PM MDT

Casper College engineer and physics professor Paul Marquard has a confession.

"I am not a shy person," he said. "I love playing the bagpipes, and you have to have thick skin to play them because when you do, you are in the spotlight."

About 10 years ago, he became a man on a mission, finding ways to make his interest in playing the bagpipes a reality.

Having been intrigued by the instrument since he was a teen, due to the challenge it presents, Marquard's pipe passion began with Internet searches.

He looked for the fundamentals of the bagpipe, music books and the purchase of a chanter, which is a pipe used to learn and practice bagpipe fingering.

For the first three months, he taught himself as much as he could before learning more from a fellow bagpipe player, Eric Willcox, who was also a CC pre-pharmacist student at that time.

Marquard learned and practiced on the chanter for a year and a half before he began playing the actual bagpipes in the summer of 2000.

Since graduating to playing the bagpipes, he still meets with a bagpipe instructor, Melissa Bautz of Lander, four times a year.

After playing for seven years, Marquard is working on keeping the pressure constant on the bag.

"It's all in the arm and breathing in and out," Marquard noted.

Currently teaching one student, he believes there are many things to take into consideration when playing the bagpipes, which is why it is considered one of the hardest instruments to play.

"The reason the instrument is so complicated is the synchronizations of the finger motions, remembering the tune, breathing, applying constant pressure on the bag and the stepping," Marquard said. "All those things come into play."

With upcoming performances in CC's "Brigadoon," he has played various times at local events, including the college's Fine Arts Madrigal Feaste, the City Band's concerts in Washington Park's bandshell, as well as birthdays, weddings and funerals.

"In my mind, playing funerals is an honor and responsibility," Marquard said.

Playing the bagpipes has been an emotional outlet for the college professor, who describes the instrument's sound as "soul touching" and "haunting."

Practicing at least one hour, three times a week, he isolates himself where he doesn't bother anyone when he rehearses.

Marquard is a member of the Western United States Pipe Band Association and competes as much as possible in festivals that take place at Long’s Peak Scottish Festival at Estes Park, Colo., Colorado Scottish Festival at Highlands Ranch and the Jackson Hole Scottish Festival.

He has brought home gold, silver and bronze awards for his performances and has written one piece of music for the bagpipes that won a bronze award.

From his piper experience thus far, Marquard said he feels that most other pipers possess gracious, outgoing and encouraging characteristics.

"Nobody's out to beat you," Marquard said. "They just want to play well and learn from competitions."

Noting it's inexpensive to start playing the bagpipes, but it takes a real desire to pursue the instrument, Marquard only knows of three others in Casper who play the bagpipes, including himself, Eric Willcox and Rob Arlen.

"Yeah, it's a devotion, and I just love playing them too much to not learn," Marquard said.

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