StarBox: Kylie MacHattie lists Every. Single. Thing. in her pipe case

As Piping Instructor with the College of Piping & Celtic Performing Arts in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, Kylie MacHattie has taught hundreds of players—younger, older, beginner, advanced—over the 15 years since she moved “down east” to Canada’s smallest but perhaps most idyllic province.

Originally from British Columbia, MacHattie’s piping resume is impressive: a member of the Vancouver Ladies’ Pipe Band in her teens, as well as the Triumph Street and Abbotsford Police bands, before moving to Toronto in 2000.

She played with the Grade 1 Toronto Police for six years and then three more with the 78th Fraser Highlanders. She was also a member of Grade 1 Simon Fraser University in 2010. Since the 1990s, she has competed in the Professional/Open category across North America, picking up good prizes.

In 2017, Kylie MacHattie led the College of Piping’s junior band to win Grade 4B at the World Championships.

A mother to a nine-year-old daughter and manager of numerous piping and drumming-mad kids, we wondered what this ultra-busy piper might haul around in her pipe case.

She writes:

I thought I was a minimalist! Not included is when we travel to Scotland—we put our kilts in our pipe boxes to help save on luggage weight.

My pipe box is a Mountain Equipment Co-Op carry-on bag. It’s ancient, and the inside lining is starting to flake off. It’s been super dependable, but it’s time to replace it. If anyone has any recommendations, I’d love to hear them!

Here is what is in my pipe box. Disclaimer: Since I teach piping for a living, my pipes are usually on a table in my office. What’s in my pipe box can change depending on the games, and James schlepps around many extras in a toolbox for the bands.\

• Glengarry with College of Piping badge
• Scissors
• Yellow waxed hemp
• Black waxed hemp
• Tone Protector refill humidity packs
• Four corks
• Electrical tape
• Zipper lubricant
• Spare flapper valves
• Spare Balance Tone drone reeds
• Bag of desiccant beads
• R.G. Hardie Infinity Chanter for solos, G1 Platinum reed and Tone Protector
• G1 plastic band chanter with G1 reed and Tone Protector
• Earplugs (musician) in their case
• Ibuprofen
• Feminine products
• Hair elastics and Children’s Tylenol for my daughter
• John Walsh Wooden Practice Chanter (this was a gift from James, and John had a suggestion to put the name of my dad on the back of the chanter so he could be closer to my heart)
• Duncan MacRae replica pipes
• Lee & Sons goatskin pipe bag—zipper and no grommets
• College of Piping bag cover made by Highland Gear

Our thanks to Kylie MacHattie for making her case so open to us.

Is there a piper out there who you’d love to know is in their pipe box? Just let us know!