Getting to know the band behind the bagpipes

by CHLOE MCCANN

Contributing Writer

The unafraid loudness of the bagpipes is what first caught freshman Micah Terri’s attention. 

He was drawn not only to the instrument’s airy and decorative starkness, but also to the strong sense of community that emitted with each of the band’s bellowing notes when sitting front and center at Honor Convocation. 

“It was marvelous, and I was like, that’s what I want to do. I want to do that,” said Terri. 

This moment marked Terri’s introduction to the university and what had enticed him  to look for the pipe bag bandstand at the Club Carnival. 

However, Terri is not the first student at UMW to encounter this sensation after being unexpectedly greeted by the bagpipe band’s loud presence. 

There has been an influx of students, like Terri, who desire to become involved with the bagpipe band. According to Donald Glander, a junior history and sociology double major and president of the Eagle Pipe Band, more students are now becoming members. 

“I will say this year has been the best the band has had, maybe ever,” said Glander. 

The Eagle Pipe Band, despite its recent increase in new members, is far from being new to UMW. The band, founded in 1997, is composed of students, faculty, alumni and community members, all with the same passion for playing pipes together. Over the years, it has become a staple of UMW tradition—a beacon of spirit, creativity and community.

Each Thursday from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. in Room 304 of Pollard Hall, you will find Glander guiding the beginners as they navigate their first steps in piping. 

Every new member starts with a beginner instrument called a chanter.

“It’s the part of the bagpipes without the drones and bag. Beginners learn on it, but non-beginners still use it to practice and learn tunes,” said Glander.  

The chanter is a foundational instrument essential to eventually playing the bagpipes, and UMW provides it at no cost. 

“It is 100% free for students– we supply everything,” said Glander. 

However, the club is distinct from the official performing band and serves as an entry point for beginners interested in learning.  According to Glander, playing the instrument is no easy task.

“If you don’t practice every day, your instrument fights back against you,” said Glander. 

Once you learn and advance your skills on the chanter, you must spend a few months adjusting to the fully added bagpipes. Assuming you learn and memorize the tunes on the bagpipes, you likely have the opportunity to join and play with the band. 

The process may be lengthy, but to Glander, “all the maintenance and practice for your instrument becomes worth it when you have a competition or gig and are in the full Highland Regalia. You hear yourself, and then you hear everybody around you, and you think, this is awesome; that’s the coolest part.” 

Glander’s continued practice and devotion to the pipes are driven by the feeling he gets when he performs with the band. 

“You can feel Scotland in your blood, in your veins; it is such a cool feeling. You get such a rush of adrenaline. It’s awesome,” he said. 

The Eagle Pipe Band practices under the instruction of their Director,  Olivia Corcoran. She leads the Band with 18 years of playing experience. 

“She’s like the cream of the crop,” said Glander. “It’s like being taught guitar by a rock star.” 

Corcoran attempts to create a welcoming environment for the band, one that is not intimidating and does not scare anyone off. 

“We offer free lessons, uniforms, equipment, a sense of community, a sense of belonging, increased musical awareness, lots of things that are to be gained here,” said Corcoran. “It’s important to keep this ancient tradition alive. And also, I think it just creates a more well-rounded person.”

For Glander, having not played the bagpipes before college, the club and band offered him a chance to learn and grow his expertise. 

“It’s an incredible opportunity. When you think about it, where else are you gonna get pipe lessons for free?” he said.

Currently, the band is preparing for one of their biggest competitions yet, the Southern Maryland Celtic Festival, occurring on April 26. 

Looking to the future of the Eagle Pipe Band, they have high hopes of gaining more members. 

“You don’t have to be Scottish to join the band. You can know jack about Scotland and the bagpipes and bagpipe music, and you can still join the band. It is a very welcoming environment,” said Glander. “I think some people feel like the bagpipes are not for me, but that shouldn’t stop you.”

Although the instrument is niche, Terri hopes more people will sign up despite that. 

“A lot of people don’t think they can do it because they think it’s too hard and it is hard, but it’s as hard as any other instrument,” he said. “It takes practice and dedication, but once you’ve got it, it’s really fun, and the experience is one you won’t soon forget.” 

For Terri, the band is more than just music—it’s a place where he truly belongs.

“The marching band in high school didn’t have that sense of community that I have here now with the bagpipe band,” he said.