Local 14-year-old fills evening sky with sound of bagpipes to calm nerves

Connor Eckert, 14, is just doing for everyone else in his community that which gives him the most joy and peace – playing his bagpipe.

Most evenings, the eighth-grade bagpiper who competes all over Southern California practices his craft, sending tunes into the evening sky.

"He practices his bagpipes every day and hopes that people can hear his music through the hills of Fallbrook and find comfort during this scary time," his mother Cat Eckert said.

"I started playing the bagpipes because my family is from Scotland and my sisters highland danced when they were younger, so I was around bagpipes as long as I can remember," Connor said. "It makes such a beautiful, harmonic sound when tuned correctly. Most recordings and videos of bagpipes are not usually tuned. When they are not tuned, they sound harsh and twangy, but when tuned correctly they produce a very resonant, harmonic and powerful sound."

When asked how he feels when he plays, he said, "It makes me feel very happy and excited about upcoming competitions. I hope (my neighbors) feel happy (also) during this scary time."

Connor has been playing the bagpipes for four years and studies with Vista's Colin Armstrong. He said he most enjoys the competitions.

"Whenever I go to the Highland Games, I do solos and sometimes, the band I play in, The La Scots Pipe Band, competes at the games as well," he said.

So far, his neighbors have been appreciative of the music he plays for them, even if some are surprised, Conner said.

"One time my neighbor came over to my house when I was practicing wanting to see who was playing the bagpipes," Connor said. "He was very surprised to find that I was only 13 years old."

Jeff Pack can be reached by email at [email protected].