While working as a drummer in Finland during 1972, a friend sent Ken a Seamus Ennis album and that was the end of one musical phase and the beginning of another. He returned home with his wife and young son and went back to his previous life as an electronics technician. Eventually, after much trying to find out where to get pipes, he found Leon Rowsome through CCÉ, got himself a practise set, found Wilbert Garvin and started to learn.

He was a member of the committee of NPU on several occasions during the eighties and one time chairman of the Uilleann Pipers Foundation. He was always interested in the history, music and engineering of the pipes and in 1998 founded the Seán Reid Society with other 'anoraks' with similar interests. The third journal will be published soon. Members include many well known pipers.

He has a large collection of pictures of pipes, lots of measurements and other data. Ken has contributed to the publication of several books on piping and has had many articles published in An Píobaire.