MU Pipes and Drums makes an appearance at NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade. MANHATTAN.EDU / COURTESY
Zendrah Bonnick, Staff Writer
The Manhattan University Pipes and Drums has played a role in the MU performing arts community since 1981. Over the years, the award-winning band has participated in St Patrick’s Day parades, the Roseland Ballroom in New York City and various other events. With their practices picking up momentum as they head into the spring season, The Quadrangle sat down with members to talk about the importance of the club.
Brendan Keane ‘25, a civil engineering graduate, commented on the club and on his position as snare drum sergeant.
“The band is a great club to join if you are Irish or not,” Keane wrote in an email to The Quadrangle. “I had no drumming experience and was able to march down 5th Avenue on St. Patrick’s Day. We practice on Thursday nights at 7:30 pm in Smith Auditorium. Anyone is welcome to come by to learn more about the band.”
Keane further elaborated on what personally led him to be interested in the club.
“I was drawn to the band to continue my Irish culture,” Keane wrote. “I also have a brother who learned to play the bagpipes.”
Areg Varzhapetyan, a sophomore electrical engineering major and member of the club, discussed the cultural and historical significance of the program.
“Pipe and drum music is rooted in Scottish and Irish history,” Varzhapetyan said. “Bagpipes in particular are more or less the national instrument of Scotland, and share popularity in Ireland, playing a major part in military and folk music tradition for centuries…With the arrival of Scottish and Irish immigrants to America came the spread of that tradition, especially in New York City, where many of these immigrants settled. Manhattan University shares in that musical culture mainly because of its large demographic of students with Irish and Scottish heritage.”
Varzhapetyan also discussed the role that Pipes and Drums plays in community building at MU.
“I think people should know that the Manhattan University Pipes & Drums is not only a band, but also a community of its own,” Varzhapetyan said. “There are both students and alumni in the band, who come together one night out of the week to chat and hang out, and have some fun playing music. There are people who show up to practice who don’t even play in the band, but just come to hang out. Everyone knows everyone, and it’s almost like a family.”
New members without previous experience are welcome to join the organization. Varzhapetyan mentioned that the group even has a tutoring program built in to train those who are new to the instrument.
“It is quite difficult to find anyone with experience, especially on bagpipes,” Varzhapetyan said. “However, no experience is required. We recruit people with no experience every year. Although learning either pipes or drums is hard, we have tutors to teach newbies, and by St. Patrick’s Day in March, people can already play enough to join us on parade.”
Varzhapetyan said that the once-a-week group practice, along with some personal practice, isn’t too demanding, and that even ten minutes a day can make a difference.
John Howard ‘24, ‘25, majored in accounting at MU and graduated with his MBA in May. He commented about his perspective as a former club member.
“Growing up either attending or participating in St. Patrick’s Day parades made me really interested in the pipe band, and when I found out Manhattan had its own, I decided to give it a try,” Howard told The Quadrangle. “I grew up playing Irish music, specifically the accordion and tin whistle. While I was familiar with some of the tunes, learning the bagpipes without prior experience was very rewarding…Being able to march in one of the many parades we do is a wonderful feeling that more people should experience. We have a motto of ‘no experience needed’ and we stick by it and teach you from the beginning.”