Colin Richdale

My name is Colin Richdale, and I'm a Piper for Hire and Bagpipe Teacher from Coquitlam, British Columbia. I play in the Cascadia Pipe Band, as well as being a Piping Instructor at the White Spot Pipe Band.

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I started playing the pipes when I was seven years old. It was only natural, as my family has a longstanding tradition of playing Scottish music. My grandfather and my uncle are both pipers, and my mother is a snare drummer.​

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The White Spot Pipe Band is an important organization for my family, with many of my relatives being either current members or alumni. I'm proud to still be a part of the organization. It's safe to say that the instruction I received through the band has shaped me into the piper I am today. I served as the band's Pipe Major from 2022 until I aged out in 2025.

 

When I was asked by the White Spot Pipe Band's leadership to begin teaching, it was a no-brainer. It was a fantastic next step in my piping journey, and teaching students has improved my understanding of the instrument a great deal.

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After leaving White Spot, I joined the Grade 2 Cascadia Pipe Band based in Seattle, Washington.

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Along with playing with Cascadia and teaching White Spot, I'm a Grade 1 solo piper. I've played at competitions throughout British Columbia and Washington, as well as the Nicol-Brown Amateur Invitational Piping Competition in Maryland where I placed second out of 10 and played against some of North America's top amateur pipers.

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Since 2018, I've been a professional Piper for Hire, having played at weddings, funerals, Burns nights, memorials, Remembrance Day ceremonies, graduations, birthday parties, and so much more!