A quietness punctuated by high-pitched bagpipe tones and light, on-tempo marching noises circulated around the room. Such was the scene Sunday afternoon as performers prepared for the October bagpipe gathering of the Bloomington Pipers’ Society at a church rented by the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology on North Indiana Avenue.
This event marks the Bloomington Pipers’ Society’s third season of operation.
“The first season was about getting established, and the second season was about growing a little bit,” society founder and president Angus Martin said. “This coming season we’re looking to do small parts of our main goal, which is trying to bring in some high-level pipers and drummers from the continent to come to Bloomington.”
Performing at the gathering were bagpipers Martin, Chris Eller, Ian Arthur and Clancy Clements; Scottish snare drummer Jon Carter; and Highland dancer Aimee Dobbs.
The organization was founded by Martin, who said his goal was to introduce the community of Bloomington to more bagpiping outside of the pipe-band setting and to provide local pipers and drummers a space to develop their art.
The group is currently going through the process of incorporation, which Martin said would open opportunities for grants and other non-profit recognition.
Martin, who is the in-house accountant for the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology, said he started playing bagpipes when he was 8 years old and living in Portland, Oregon. He said his father’s dedication to Scottish heritage is what prompted him to begin, but now his love for the instrument and the related community and culture are what keeps him playing.
Martin is popularly known as the Dunn Meadow bagpipe player who entertains students on their walks to class.
While bagpipes trace their origin to the Middle East, Martin said the bagpipe that most people are familiar with is called the great Highland bagpipe, which originated in Scotland. He said the British and Scottish military used them in their bands and retired soldiers brought the instrument to North America when the British Crown gave them land grants in Canada.
Chris Eller, who serves on the society’s board of directors, said he began piping at age 37 with the Southern Indiana Pipes and Drums, which was featured in the IU Homecoming parade. He said he employed Martin as his instructor because the bagpipe is not easily self-taught.
“It’s an unusual instrument to people in the United States,” Eller said. “We’re used to seeing things like guitars, trumpets and tubas.”
He compared bagpiping to playing a pipe organ because the potential for error is equally large and bagpipes and organs function similarly. Additionally, he said anybody who has seen a bagpiper play knows the amount of aerobic exercise that accompanies the instrument.
Eller, who completed both his undergraduate and master’s degrees at IU, said he played tuba in the Marching Hundred. Eller said he works for University Information Technology Services in virtual reality.
Both Eller and Martin dressed in traditional Scottish Highland attire of kilts; ghillie brogues; sporrans, which are similar to a purse; shirts; and ties. They said there are tartan prints for most Scottish families, entities like piping bands, schools like IU and even the state of Indiana.
Eller said the tartan of his kilt was a Douglas tartan, a reference to his closest Scottish ancestors, and Martin said the tartan he wore was ancient Campbell.
Eller said Highland dress is important to piping culture and is even required for competing in competitions but is not a prerequisite for joining the society or attending their meetings. Ultimately, Martin said the organization hopes to attract people on campus and in the greater Bloomington area.
“The Pipers’ Society’s goal is to focus on the piping aspect,” Eller said. “We’re coming together to synergize and keep the art visible.”
