MacLellan Bagpipes are pleased to welcome the infectiously talented Allyson Crowley-Duncan as a featured MacLellan artist. "My Smallpipes from MacLellan have added incredible warmth and depth to my instrument. The tone is smooth, and easy to blend with other instrumentation. They are an amazing addition to my music!" - Allyson Crowley-Duncan
Bagpipes came into Ally’s life when she was a young teen. She had been playing musical instruments and performing since the young age of 7, primarily performing with piano, vocals, and later saxophone and other woodwinds in the world of jazz.
With piping, she fell deep into the world of competitive piping, starting her competitive career off with a world championship win in Novice Juvenile with the Capital District Youth Pipe Band (formerly the Scotia Glenville Pipe Band) with whom she now teaches.
Ally had a busy solo career, going from practice chanter lessons to grade 1 solo competition in just 5 years. She competed all over the United States, Canada, and Scotland before taking her leave from competition to pursue solo performance, and do her part to enrich the instrument.
Ally is best known for her presence on social media, known as Ally the Piper, or Piper.Ally, adding bagpipe solos to popular modern songs such as Bohemian Rhapsody, My Heart Will Go On, and Wake Me Up by Avicii.
The nature of these performances is inspired by the improvisational solos she performed for years on other woodwinds in a jazz setting, and showcases the bagpipe in a way that is often underrepresented.
She performs at festivals all over the East Coast, and has begun releasing her own originals and covers, available on all major streaming platforms under the name Piper.Ally. Her first EP will launch on 11/05/2021, named Billow and Breeze. This will predominantly feature small piping, highland piping, and vocals. PRE-SAVE @ distrokid.com/hyperfo.../piperally/billow-and-breeze
Ally notes: "The elevation chanter has become a favorite of mine in a very short period of time. It has such an elegant tone and feel, and is effortlessly balanced. It is my top choice for live performance, and translates beautifully in the audience."
She performs at festivals all over the East Coast playing the MacLellan Elevation chanter
with Cu Dubh, and has begun releasing her own originals and covers, available on all major streaming platforms under the name Piper.Ally.