Ian T. Coletti - Professional Bagpiper

Rates for Weddings

For wedding ceremonies, I typically charge a flat $300. This doesn't include travel (if outside the Seattle area) or if you want me to participate in the rehearsal. The fee rate is not necessarily based on the amount of time I perform. I base my fees on the fact that I bring 25 years of experience to your event and have played in many weddings. My competition grade is also a factor as I'm a "Professional grade" competitor and have competed at the Grade One level in pipe bands. You can get cheaper, but you won't always be guaranteed quality.

If my rates are too high, I will be glad to refer you to others that I consider "high quality." I usually start with my students as I know they will perform well, they need some experience of their own, and they probably won't charge as much.

Rates for Funerals

I have mixed feelings about what I charge for funerals even though I have no problem charging for a wedding or other events. I have never had an easy time charging for them as honoring loved ones and friends by playing at their funeral is an ancient duty of a piper. A former teacher of mine once said, "you wait all of your life to die... " and I think there's a lot to be said for not being charged an exit fee. That being said, I usually leave it up to the families as to what they want to "pay the piper." At a minimum, I like to receive money for gas and time away from work if necessary. I refuse to be taken advantage of and if I sense that I am... I will refuse the performance and won't refer you to anyone else. That's a piper's oath.

As a side note and gauge, the going rate for most pipers (in case you feel so inclined) is ~$150-250 depending on the service provided. Again, this doesn't include travel / expenses outside the Seattle area.

Rates for Other Events

All other types of events such as birthday parties or whatever else you can think of where you may want a piper (and I've done some wierd ones) are subject to negotiation. I just have to see what's involved and what I'm willing to do. Generally, think of the rates for weddings... but again... it's all up for negotiation. Another factor may be timing. If you're looking for someone last minute, expect to be charged more.

Rates for Lessons

For lessons, I generally charge $50 per hour. I'm pretty flexible on these types of things as I'm more interested in carrying on the art of piping than focusing on the money I make. Of course, I'm not doing it full-time either... and if I'm lucky enough to be doing that some day, my stance may change. :)

I may request payments for a month at a time. I do this for many reasons. Off the top of my head... and rather selfishly, I don't want to have to deposit a bunch of $50 checks.

For Pipe Band workshops, my rate is $400 per day, plus travel and expenses. Additional expenses can include copying fees for hand out materials, tuners, metronomes, etc. Please contact for further information.

Payment

Cash is preferred, but checks are welcome. :-) If necessary, I can set up a PayPal transaction so that you may pay by credit card.

Availability

Honestly, I'm a busy lad. I work full time as a human capital solutions consultant / project manager and I travel *a lot.* I don't always have a lot of time (or energy) to do performances or teach, but give me a hollar and I'll see what I can do. When requesting whether I'm available or not, you may get a response like... "I'm not available that weekend." If so, I will be happy to refer you to a number of fellow pipers for whom I respect and think will give you a high quality of performance. We do that sort of thing for each other. As I mentioned above, I will usually start with my students first and then move on to others that I know.

To Contact me about rates, availability, etc.,  please use the information below:

Home: (425) 202-7483
Mobile: (443) 794-2262

Email: