Highlanders Pipes and Drums

The Radford University Highlanders Pipes and Drums (RUHPD) represent Radford University and our surrounding community in the City of Radford, Virginia, through performance of the standard band repertoire of the Great Highland Bagpipe and Sottish Drumming. 

We embody the spirit of the Radford University Highlander by maintaining our decades-long tradition of marking important University occasions with the pipes and drums and appearing at events on campus and in the community throughout the year.

Wearing the modern style of the MacFarlane Clan tartan, RUHPD also provides exposure to cultural elements of Scots-Irish migrants who arrived in Southern Appalachia during the eighteenth century. Through the 1700s and 1800s, musical traditions of Highland and Lowland Scottish migrants interacted with musical traditions of Indigenous People, of enslaved and free African and African-American people, and of other cultural groups, together participating in the crafting of uniquely Appalachian cultural forms in North America.

RUHPD honors these musical cultures through study and performance and seeks opportunities to educate the Radford University campus and our community in the region about the role of Scottish music in the cultural interactions of Appalachia.

Membership

Membership in RUHPD is open to any member of the Radford University community but emphasizes opportunities for current students to learn and increase their capabilities with performing and appreciating the repertoire of the Great Highland Bagpipe, Scottish Highland Drumming, and pipe band performance

Current members include Radford University students and faculty, alumni, and members of the community from the New River Valley and Roanoke Valley. New members from both within and outside of Radford University are welcome and are asked to commit to our schedule of one weekly rehearsal during the fall and spring semesters, and to most band performances, as they are able.

No previous experience in piping or drumming is necessary to join the band. The band’s leadership welcomes the opportunity to offer instruction on any of our instruments.

Experienced pipers and drummers who would like to join should arrange a meeting with the band director to discuss their preparation. Those with little or no experience should contact the band director to discuss beginning their journey towards learning the Great Highland Bagpipe or Scottish Highland Drumming. Pipe Band Director Dr. Geoff Pollick can be reached at gpollick@radford.edu.

Performances

The Radford University Highlanders Pipes and Drums performs each year at the following Radford University events and celebrations.

• Opening Convocation, each August
• Radford Highlanders Festival, each October
• Homecoming, each October
• Winter Commencement and Graduate Hooding, each December
• Highlander Days, welcoming newly admitted students, each March–April
• Spring Commencement and Graduate Hooding, each May

The band also endeavors to perform at additional events on campus and in the community and adjusts its extended performance schedule annually. 

Hiring the Band 

For events both at Radford University and in the wider community, individual musicians or small groups of musicians from the band may be available to be hired for performance at special events, through a prearranged fee schedule. As our student musicians develop their abilities in Scottish music, small-scale performances allow our student members to financially support their program of study at Radford University and to extend their abilities as musicians and performers.

If you would like to request piping or drumming for a special event, either on campus or in the community, please contact Pipe Band Director Dr. Geoff Pollick (gpollick@radford.edu) to discuss your needs and availability and rates for our student performers.

Contact 

Radford University Highlanders Pipes and Drums is affiliated with the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Radford University.

Pipe Band Director Dr. Geoff Pollick can be reached at gpollick@radford.edu.