By Rifleman Daniel Rai, Assault Pioneer/Pipes and Drums Platoon
The AA Class 3 Bagpipe and Drummers Course is held at the Army School of Bagpipe Music and Highland Drumming in Edinburgh, Scotland, spanning a period of 22 weeks. Throughout the duration of the course, students receive instruction on music theory, as well as engage in both simple and compound exercises for pipes and drums. Additionally, drummers are trained in bugle playing. Regular assessments are conducted to monitor the progress of the students.
At the commencement of the course, I encountered difficulties due to my limited knowledge of drumming and bugling. However, through dedicating my free time to practice, I managed to catch up with my peers.
In March 2024, a Passing Out Parade was held for the course. I felt thrilled as it was an opportunity to showcase the outcomes of our hard work. Following the parade, an award ceremony was conducted, recognizing achievements such as best piper, best in music theory, best drummer, best bugler, and the overall best student of the course.
To my surprise, I was honored with the titles of best student, best bugler, and best drummer. My time in Scotland was truly remarkable, as I not only learned extensively about music and instrument playing, but also had the chance to immerse myself in Scottish culture.
