bagpipe show

i play bagpipes, you all know this.

there is this little hill that i go up to to practice. it is off a little hiking trail and away from all the people so that
1. i do not bug people (i know it is hard to believe, but not everyone likes the sound of bagpipes)
2. people do not bug me.

this plan was working so well for months and months until just last week.

i was in the middle of my rehersal when this father and son came up the hill....yelling:

father: we're here! we're here! we heard the call and we came to fight!!
yeti: uhh...haah...uhh. what?
father: those are amazing. wow. are you just up here practicing? what's going on? how long have you played? are those yours? what are you playing?
yeti: what?
father: you know, when he was young [points to son] whenever he went down for a nap we used to say "piper down!!" isn't that hilarious?
yeti: what?

i try to just continue playing. hoping that they will move along on their hike. but they did not.
after every song i played they clapped - whether i finished it or not. it was the most awkward thing ever! who claps when someone is just practicing an instrument? and just sits down next to them for a half hour, especially after this little conversation:

father: so, why do you come all the way out here?
yeti: mainly to get away from people
father: ahhh, nice. good idea

and yet...he stays.

i finally give up, pack up the pipes and head on home. they were very disappointed to see me go and clapped me whole walk down the hill. i am really not that good so they must have awful taste in music. i don't mind...it was just awkward.

i told my piping instructor what had happened and he said the key is to just KEEP PLAYING and ever stop - thus never giving them the space to clap or comment. brilliant idea, only...i'm not that good and don't have that kind of lung capacity. so, something to aspire to, i guess.