A kick-start weekend has been held in Dundee to encourage youngsters to sign up for a new school pipe and drum band.
Following a funding announcement of £58,000 in January, a launch party was held at Fintry Primary School over the weekend organised by the Scottish Schools Pipes and Drums Trust (SSPDT).
More than 100 pupils from Baldragon, Fintry, Longhaugh and Mill O’Mains schools attended the event, which was organised to encourage as many youngsters as possible to get involved in learning to play a traditional Scottish instrument.
The event saw youngsters being introduced to the various facets which make up a traditional pipe band, including the learner chanter, snare drums, bass drum and tenor drums.
Classes for each instrument will now be set up, allowing the pupils the chance to learn their new-found hobby.
If all goes to plan, by January 2020 Dundee will have a new pipe band capable of competing in national competitions, known as DD4 Pipes and Drums Youth Pipe Band.
The plan is for the band, once they have come together and established themselves in the area, to compete in the Scottish Schools Pipe Band Championships – the largest youth pipe band competition in the world.
This year’s competition, which takes place on March 11 in Livingston, will see First Minister Nicola Sturgeon present awards to the various event winners.
Dundee City Council hopes the initiative will encourage a wider community spirit, as well as help shrink the attainment gap in the city.
It follows hot on the heels of the well-received Sistema Big Noise Orchestra, which finally launched in September at in St Pius and Claypotts primary schools.
More than 260 pupils are currently signed up with the Big Noise programme, which has been proven to help change the lives of the young people it works with.
Alex Duncan, chief executive of the SSPDT, thanked the city council for having the “vision and drive” to take advantage of their funding to set up the band.
She said: “The SSPDT is really excited for the school cluster, it will be a fabulous project.
“We are in the fortunate position to be able to support these schools in Dundee and across Scotland.
“The SSPDT works in partnership with local authorities, school and community groups and parent councils to provide tuition and instruments.”
Recent statistics have shown there are 22,000 pupils per bagpipe instructor and 148,000 pupils per drumming instructor in Scotland.
The SSPDT is a national charity which encourages the teaching and playing of traditional bagpipe music for young people.
As a trust, the organisation supports more then 2,000 pupils in state-run schools across Scotland, as well as hosting the annual young persons pipe band championship in March.
