Unmistakable sounds from Great Highland Bagpipes will soon be bursting out of Scotia-Glenville High School’s auditorium as the Tartan tradition comes alive.
The Scotia-Glenville Pipe Band is hosting its fifth annual Celtic Jam on Friday, March 2, at 7 p.m., which provides the band with a more relaxed event to show off their piping and drumming skills. In 1989, the pipe band was founded to enhance the school district’s Scottish heritage, but has since evolved into a private, nonprofit organization involving young people throughout the Capital District and beyond. In addition to traditional Scottish music, the event features the Colonie based Braemar Highland Dancers, Liam McCool on accordion and the rock band Piping Hot, which features area students.
Band director Maureen Connor said the event is a great performance opportunity for the pipe band, which has started to showcase its talents to the community.
“I just thought to myself, the band has done so well … and nobody knows about us,” Connor said about starting the event. “Especially, locally within the Scotia community, I thought we didn’t have a lot of presence.”
The event also gives the band something to practice toward during a lull before competitions and activities in the spring and summer. Band members are currently working hard to prepare for a planned third visit to The World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, in August.
Since the band has moved it practice location to the Celtic Hall on New Karner Road in Colonie, it has continued to expand its membership. The move was spurred once it outgrew its practice area in Scotia.
“The band has been growing quite a lot over the last couple of years,” Connor said. “As the band gets bigger and there is more kids in it, then we bring in either their brothers and sisters or friends to get involved.”
Colonie’s central location in the Capital District, said Connor, has helped attract new members. There are some band members though far from the area facility, including Massachusetts and New Jersey.
“People are starting to get to know us,” she said.
Currently, there are around 25 bagpipers in the band and 15 drummers. “In the entire country there is probably less than 10 youth-orientated pipe bands.”
Around 10 years ago, the group started recruiting kids from outside of the Scotia-Glenville community. The band did start out as a mixed age group, but Connor said it was important to have a youth-based organization since it’s an uncommon, but useful learning environment. Now it is open to people 18 years old and younger.
“When young people are with each other and learn with each other, they develop to a way higher level than when in a mixed-age band,” she said. “I was very motivated to develop young players because the only way to develop an excellent, high level of ability is when you start young,” she said.
In Scotland, she said it is very rare for an adult to learn bagpipes, but in this country many bagpipe players don’t learn until they are adults. Since there aren’t many competitions where the band can compete against its peers, she said The World Pipe Band Championships is important because there are a bevy of youth bands in Scotland.
Admission to the Celtic Jam at Scotia-Glenville High School is “pay what you can,” with all proceeds going to benefit the band. Funds raised helping to purchase uniforms, equipment and teaching programs.
Also, if you like what you hear and want to be a part of it, the band is hosting an Open House on Wednesday, March 28, at the Celtic Hall at 430 New Karner Road in Colonie at 7 p.m. The spring term of classes begin on April 4.
