It may not be the obvious choice for your average youngster, but deciding to learn to play the bagpipes was quite natural for Hawkesbury's Poppy Middleton.
It is quite literally something in the blood. The eight-year-old is the a fifth generation bagpiper and is the first female in the family to take up the instrument.
Her interest sparked at age five, when she heard her cousin Mark play. He is a highly accomplished piper of 45 years.
At age seven, Poppy attended her first chanter lesson with the Governor Macquarie Memorial Pipe Band.
Since that time she has attended weekly band practice nights at Vineyard, where she learns from talented senior members.
Even the COVID lockdown didn't slow her down. She continued her tuition via Zoom with instructor Barry Gray from the Sydney School of Piping and Drumming.
With a set of bagpipes which have been in her family for 115 years, Poppy has already tasted her fair share of competition success.
In November 2019 she took out the solo learner chanter event at the NSW Solo Championships at The Scots College in Sydney.
In April this year she took part in the Spring World Online Piping and Drumming Championships, finishing 3rd in Air and fourth in the 2/4 March, with an eighth overall in the practice chanter events.
She followed this in May with two first placings in the Up To The Line online contest in Scotland. She was also declared the Practice Chanter Champion.
In June, Poppy took part in her first competition with the NSW Pipers Society. She came third in the Novice Slow Air and third in the D-Grade 2/4 March.
She is now awaiting the results of her entries in the Summer World Online Piping and Drumming Competition.
Next year she hopes to travel to Scotland as a member of the Governor Macquarie Memorial Pipe Band for the Juvenile World Championships and a performance at Edinburgh Castle with the band.
"We are looking forward to watching Poppy grow into an accomplished musician in the years to come," said club member Stephen Kerr.
"If anyone from any age group wants to learn pipes or drums they can contact Barry Gray from Sydney School of Piping and Drumming on 0412 602 983."
