The Rhode Island Highlanders Pipe Band is a bagpipe band in Rhode Island

Rhode Island

The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...

. Founded in 1948, and is the oldest pipe band in the state. The band currently plays for parades, Burns' Nights, Graduations etc., and also competes in Highland Games

Highland games

Highland games are events held throughout the &Highland games are events held throughout the &Highland games are events held throughout the &(-è_çà in Scotland and other countries as a way of celebrating Scottish and Celtic culture and heritage, especially that of the Scottish Highlands. Certain...

 at the Grade 4 level. The pipe band was the Grade 5 Champions of the Eastern United States in 2007.

History

The Rhode Island Highlanders were formed in 1948 by a group of veterans of World War II in order to preserve the traditional music

Traditional music

Traditional music is the term increasingly used for folk music that is not contemporary folk music. More on this is at the terminology section of the World music article...

 of Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 and Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

.

There have been 4 past pipe major

Pipe Major

The Pipe Major is the director of bagpipe music in a Scottish or Irish pipe band. Like Drum Major, the position of Pipe Major is derived from British Army traditions. During the early twentieth century, the term Sergeant Piper was used for the role in place of "Pipe Major".Civillian and military...

s of the band. The first, John Everett MacLean, led the band to many victories in competitions in the US and Canada.Under Alexander R. Glen, the second P/M, the band became a recreational band focused more on teaching then competing. The third, John Sullivan, transformed the band from a recreational unit into a nationally recognized competitive Pipe Band of some distinction with many trophies and awards to its credit. The fourth and current Pipe Major is Debbie Kane. She has worked valiantly and taken a broken band in threat of disbanding and turned it around for an amazing second season where the band took home the 1st Place prize for its grade in the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association

Eastern United States Pipe Band Association

The Eastern United States Pipe Band Association is an association of pipe bands in the Eastern United States. Its function is to sanction band and solo piping, drumming, and drum major competitions in the East Coast...

.

List of Jobs

• Carnegie Abbey Golf Club Burns' Night
• St. Patrick's Day Parades:
• Newport
  Newport, Rhode Island
  Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
  
   Parade
• West Warwick
  West Warwick, Rhode Island
  West Warwick is a town in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 29,191 at the 2010 census.West Warwick was incorporated in 1913, making it the youngest town in the state. Prior to 1913, the town, situated on the western bank of the Pawtuxet River, was the population and...
  
   Parade
• Providence
  Providence, Rhode Island
  Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
  
   Parade
• Mystic
  Mystic, Connecticut
  Mystic is a village and census-designated place in New London County, Connecticut, in the United States. The population was 4,001 at the 2000 census. A historic locality, Mystic has no independent government because it is not a legally recognized municipality in the state of Connecticut...
  
   Parade
• Brown University
  Brown University
  Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
  
   Graduation
• Gaspee Days Parade, Warwick
  Warwick, Rhode Island
  Warwick is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. It is the second largest city in the state, with a population of 82,672 at the 2010 census. Its mayor has been Scott Avedisian since 2000...
  
  
• Independence Day Parade of Milbury, Massachusetts
• Scotland, Connecticut
  Scotland, Connecticut
  Scotland is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 1,556. Scotland is a predominantly rural town, with agriculture as the principal industry.-Geography:...
  
  , Highland Games

Competition

The band is currently competing in Grade 4, in the EUSPBA. It was upgraded from last year where it won the Overall Points Winner Award for Grade 5. In the 2007 season, the band gained a first place at every competition attended except for a second place at Glasgowlands, Ct. The band also won the Northeastern Regional Championship for Grade 5 for 2007 at Altamont, New York. In 2006, the band competed in Grade 3, but did not do so well, and downgraded for the next year.

Uniforms

The band also wears the Clan Macpherson

Clan Macpherson

Clan Macpherson is a Highland Scottish clan from Badenoch, on the River Spey. It is a leading member of the Chattan Confederation.-Origins:...

 red tartan

Tartan

Tartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in many other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Scotland. Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns...

, with a black doublet, red flashes and a blue tie.