About

Born into Clan MacGregor, Elise grew up marching weekly behind Eastern Canada’s 100-year old  Kincardine Scottish Pipe Band, during all of her childhood summers. Nowadays, she performs and competes year-round with California’s Monterey Bay Pipe Band, and performs seasonally with the Kincardine Scottish Pipe Band. Her solo performances include being a seasonal phantom piper at Kincardine harbor’s historical lighthouse, giving concerts at Silver Mountain Vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and bagpiping for private and corporate events in Santa Cruz and the San Francisco Bay Area. Elise also plays bagpipes and fiddle with Celtic band Charmas.

Elise playing Scottish Great Highland Bagpipes for a wedding at Seascape Resort in Aptos.

Private clients have praised Elise for having a professional attitude, gracefully adapting to last-minute schedule changes, setting a reverent mood, and performing her ceremonial tunes with nice artistic expression.

Her green tartan is a modern version of the MacGregor tartan, while for Monterey Bay Pipe Band she wears the MacKenzie tartan.

Her solo Great Highland bagpipes were custom-built by Roddy MacLellan of North Carolina. With Charmas, she plays a set of Pettigrew Great Highland bagpipes. And for small venues with Charmas, she plays quieter Garvie session pipes, made by Nigel Richards.

Elise plays Great Highland Bagpipes every year, for the Big Sur Marathon and Half Marathon.
Elise in full costume, playing bagpipes for an ash scattering on Monterey Bay.
Elise in Martinez, California, playing bagpipes with a young child dancing to the music.