City of Nashville Pipe Band
On September 18, 1984 a group of pipers, drummers, and people aspiring to either, or both, gathered in the Hillbsboro High School choir room with a collective goal: to form a pipe band. The meeting was the culmination of months of work, and Danny MacLeod, his teenaged son Scott, Willie Cantu, and Toby Parrish were some of the primary drivers behind it.
And so the Nashville Pipes & Drums was born. The group elected Jim Black its first Pipe Major. 16 year-old Scott MacLeod, the best piper in the band, was Instructor. Over the next few years, Toby Parrish served as band manager. Other original members included Ann Black, Andrew McRady, and Steve Snoddy.
It wasn’t long until Roy Barbee arrived and became the band’s first Drum Sergeant, bringing the total number of snares to two and making Nashville Pipes & Drums elegible to compete in the EUSPBA. The band’s first competition was in 1986 at the Stone Mountain Highland Games. After that, it routinely competed at regional contests.
HIRE THE BAND
Our band has extensive experience working with public and private groups. We have performed at opening ceremonies, work meetings, and civic functions, as well as funerals, weddings, and birthday parties. Whether you need a solo piper or the entire band, we can probably accommodate your needs. The members know many tunes, but check out our normal repertoire here.
The band has performed with a number of professional groups, including Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, and the Nashville Symphony. We regularly perform with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department Drill and Ceremony Team.
When considering hiring a bagpipe band, you will find that the quality of musicianship and professionalism varies greatly among bands and individual performers. This is also often reflected in the cost. If you are hiring a band for the first time, it can be difficult to discern quality, but we hope you’ll take this into consideration when choosing to hire a band. We strive for excellence to represent the Scottish musical tradition to the highest standard that we can. Listen to our performances here.
Practice
- Woodmont Christian Church
- South Hall Annex
- 3605 Hillsboro Pike
- Nashville, TN, 37215
Monday nights:
- 5PM Beginner lessons
- 6PM Full Band Rehearsal