Aaron Jentzen began playing the pipes at the age of 9, in Ypsilanti, Michigan. In the early 1990s (and his early teens), Aaron helped form the Ann Arbor Pipes and Drums and served as the band’s Pipe Major. He also played in the Grade II City of Detroit Pipes and Drums, alongside GMPB lead drummer Ryan Barr and Chris Barr. Studying with Dr. Robert Lovell, Barry Ewen and (through the Balmoral School of Piping) Jimmy McIntosh, Aaron advanced steadily as a solo piper, winning Grade II Champion Supreme for Piobaireachd on the Ontario circuit and Grade I Champion Supreme in the Midwest. Then, he took a 12-year break from piping. Moving to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Aaron served as singer, guitarist and primary songwriter for underground rock group Chalk Outline Party, performed regionally and overseas, and worked as music editor for the Pittsburgh City Paper. While studying at Carnegie Mellon University from 2010-2012 (MA in Professional Writing and MLitt in Investigative Journalism), Aaron met piping program director Andrew Carlisle, who encouraged him to start playing again. Currently based in Pittsburgh, Aaron continues to perform with the CMU Pipes and Drums during the school year, and writes about technology and the arts for a variety of publications and websites. In his spare time, Aaron enjoys travel, long-distance running, cycling and attending live music and arts events.