Melissa Bautz Bagpiping

Melissa Bautz has been playing the Great Highland Bagpipe since 1986.  She excelled at piping at a young age and has competed within the United States as well as Canada and Scotland as a soloist and band member.  She has played in the Anderson Royal Canadian Highlanders American Legion Pipe Band (Grade 4), the 53rd Street Pipe Band (Grade 3), and the Cabar Feidh Pipe Band (Grade 2).  She currently runs the Lander Pipe Band (Grade 5) in her small town (population 7,000) of Lander, Wyoming.  Melissa has been teaching bagpipes since 1990.  Her students' ages have ranged from age 9 - 76.  Her students find Melissa to be excellent at tailoring the lessons to meet the individual's needs in a "meet you where you are" approach.  

Melissa is currently a prize-winning soloist, ranked as a Grade 1 level piper by the Western United States Pipe Band Association (WUSPBA).  She is a strong soloist in the light music and piobaireachd. In 1991 Melissa won four trophies at the British Columbia Pipers Association (BCPA) Annual Gathering: 1) MacIvor Memorial Trophy, 2) the William Lamont Memorial Trophy for MSR, 3) the Gordon Sinclair Memorial Trophy for Piobaireachd, and 4) the Rod Macrae Trophy for Aggregate.  She also won the 1991 Aggregate at the Caledonian Society's Grade II Aggregate Trophy in Grade 2 piping.

One of Melissa's greatest strengths is her ability to adapt individual lessons to challenge the student while providing playable music that enables the learner to experience the beauty of the bagpipes as soon as possible.

Melissa's highly successful pipe band, the LanderPipe Band, evolved while Melissa maintained a professional career (as a geologist) and while raising 4 children with her awesome, talented, and patient husband.  Melissa's goal in her teaching is to work with people of all ages; including adults who are either returning to piping after focusing on career and/or family or adults who are starting pipes for the first time. 

For more information, email Melissa at melissa@melissabautzbagpiping.com, or complete the Contact Me Form.