As I was contemplating a new blog topic over the past few days, this phrase popped into my head and seemed appropriate to work with. Our band is fortunate enough to currently have a good number of pipers and drummers who are veterans, relative newcomers, advanced and brand new students, and people with leadership skills willing to utilize them in selfless ways.
If you trust WikiPedia, the term is thought to have come from African cultures. Seems reasonable, but it doesn’t really matter since the term is self defining when used in the correct context, and pretty much universally true!
How does this apply to pipe bands? Well, for anyone familiar with the pipe band world, that’s probably self defining as well. But if you’ve never thought about it and you’re interested in being part of an organization with longevity, you should.
To maintain a healthy pipe band able to withstand the test of time, you need the equivalent of village elders and families with children of diverse ages who all come together to make sure the village survives.
Think about where you fit in and what this hobby means to you and try to be an ambassador to the future of your pipe band village!