"In the heart of the Tar Heel state -- situated in the Capitol County of Wake, is a band which virtually appeared from nowhere and in short order has established themselves as a serious Public Safety Band..."  - FirePiper

As, we imagine, with many pipe bands, the formation of the Wake & District Public Safety Pipes and Drums resulted from a fortuitous alignment of existing resources and nascent desires.
 

On May 6, 2006, while attending the dedication of the North Carolina Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Raleigh, Officer Brady (that day performing with the Charlotte Fire Department pipe band) met Assistant Chief Crawford. A series of meetings were held, which concluded with an agreement to form a new band that would incorporate both the “Clayton contingent” and the public safety community from Wake County and the surrounding areas. A date was picked for an organizational meeting. Chief Kirkwood sent a letter of invitation to 65 public safety agency heads in the east-central region of North Carolina, soliciting participation of pipers, drummers, and those interested in learning.

...on June 8, 2006, an organizational meeting was held at the EMS Training Center in the Wake Commons Business Park. Some 50 law enforcement officers, firefighters, and paramedics, and public safety supporters attended.  Experienced players began “tuning up” and students were provided information about obtaining practice chanters, drum sticks, and practice pads.  A regular schedule of Wednesday – Thursday practice sessions was established, based at the Wake County EMS Training Center on Carya Drive in Raleigh...

On July 9, another letter went out to the public safety chief officers, inviting them to engage the band for ceremonial occasions within their agencies.  It didn’t take long! Since then, the band or small ensembles have performed at numerous events.

Meanwhile, there was business to be done. Articles of Incorporation for a not-for-profit corporation were filed with the North Carolina Secretary of State’s Office on August 17, 2006, and the band began it’s “legal” life. Bank accounts were opened, and the need for funds became readily apparent.

A date was set for the band’s first official fund-raising event, “the Tartan Ball,” which would be held on November 18, 2006.  An event committee, headed by Garner Firefighter and Tenor Drummer Mike Bishop, assisted by Raleigh Fire Lieutenant Jason Lane and Firefighter Lloyd Johnson, geared up and got to work. The event was held at the Raleigh Fireman’s Club on Bay Leaf Church Road, and saw a capacity crowd of over 250 fans, friends, and family.  A great time was had, with Irish and Scottish Dancers, a ceilidh band, and of course the Pipes and Drums. This event netted $3,200, which will go right toward outfitting more band members with Black Stewart band kilts, as well as adding a couple of more drums to the mix...

2007 was a year of great growth for the band!!!

With a little money in the bank at the end of the first Tartan Ball, we began a serious effort to acquire Black Stewart kilts and accessories for all band members.  In the meantime, the pipe corps and the drum corps continued to grow and improve. 

We established some firm relationships in the public safety community.  We were “center stage” for three North Carolina State Highway Patrol graduation ceremonies and one promotion ceremony.  The Highway Patrol does their ceremonies in a big way, filling Dorton Arena at the state fairgrounds with troopers, friends, families, and a vehicular history of the Highway Patrol.  The band “marches in” the recruits, and “marches out” the newly sworn-in troopers. 

The Raleigh Fire Department conducted several promotion ceremonies this year.  Those to be promoted were marched into the council chambers at City Hall, and a newly established RFD tradition now has the duty piper march the participants back to Fire Station #1 for a reception after the official ceremonies.  RFD also held a huge “retiree reunion” at the Keeter Fire Training Center, where the band entertained hundreds of firefighters, active and retired, and their families.  In appreciation for our support, the Raleigh Professional Firefighters Association (IAFF) donated funds to purchase a new bass drum, which is watermarked with the RFD logo behind the band name.

We participated in two major parades.  The first, the Raleigh St. Patrick’s Day parade, saw us teamed with a tri-service color guard (Raleigh Police, Raleigh Fire Department, and Wake County EMS), was followed by some on-the-street performances in Moore Square and at Tir No Nog.  The second was a joint effort with the Charlotte Fire Department Pipe Band, where we led the North Carolina Fallen Firefighters Memorial parade. 

In May of 2007 we were officially awarded 501(c)(3) not-for-profit status by the Internal Revenue Service. 

Individual band members enjoyed some success in competition.  Grayson Cave placed first (in a field of 11 competitors) in Grade IV at the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association indoor solo piping competition held in Cary.   At the Williamsburg, VA Scottish Festival,  Nyssa Cave took first place in Grade IV snare, Sterling Cave placed first in Grade III snare 2/4 March, Grayson Cave placed second  in Grade IV Sr 6/8 March (playing above Grade level indicated) and  Matthew Kent rounding out the quartet of members taking second place in Grade IV snare.

In between these, we handled a bevy of “onesies and twosies” and “MIMOs” (march in, march out), smaller events handled by ensembles, including fire station christenings, fire recruit graduations, retirements, remembrances, Law Enforcement Memorial Day, and the North Carolina Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service in Chapel Hill.  We also performed for Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison’s very impressive swearing in ceremony following his re-election in November.

On November 17, under the able leadership of Pipers Jason Lane and Lloyd Johnson (RFD), and Tenor Drummer Mike Bishop (Garner FD), the second annual Tartan Ball was a huge success.  Our upgraded venue at the Raleigh Sheraton was filled to the brim, and our coffers were once again refilled to continue our band outfitting effort!  Nice going, guys.  A great time was had by all!

2008 was one amazing year!!!

The Wake & District Public Safety Pipes & Drums has a simple - yet noble mission: to honor our fallen brothers in public safety when needed and to spread the love of bagpipe and drum music whenever possible. In 2008, the band traveled across the great state of North Carolina, as well as the nation, to accomplish that mission and it was done so admirably. Allow us to share our wonderful year with you.

The District began 2008 in fine fashion with our debut in Raleigh's First Night festivities and a concert in the NC Museum of Natural Sciences. A true show of force by our band members made for a memorable night, as two shows were given to capacity audiences. The band was invited once again to participate in the Capital City's St. Patrick's Day events, giving us the chance to reach young and old alike with a fun day of Irish celebration.

It was a year of many firsts for our group, one of which was the band's first year on the competition field. With the arrival of spring comes the highland games season, and a smaller competition contingent of the District traveled across the southeastern U.S., at the players' expense, to show our friends in the pipe band world that a public safety pipe band can indeed be taken seriously in the realm of competition. Our group garnered two first place awards at the Loch Norman and Gatlinburg Highland Games, as well as a third place finish at Richmond. Individuals in the band, such as Nyssa Cave, Sterling Cave and Alan Armstrong gained recognition for outstanding achievement in their respective fields, further solidifying the presence of the District.
 

The band spent time reaching out into our communities participating in events such as the annual Robert Burns night, held at our home away from home, Tir na nOg Irish Pub in Raleigh. We shared the spirit of the pipes and drums at Cary Academy's International days, and the Greenville International Festival and Pirate Days parade. We revisited our friends in Selma for Railroad days and again at their annual Christmas parade. The band also had the pleasure of opening for some of Irish and Celtic music's most celebrated artists, such as the Old Blind Dogs of Scotland, and Seven Nations. As you can see, it isn't all work and no play with us.

Wake & District also continued our tradition of honoring our military brothers in 2008, participating in the Salute to the Troops parade in Raleigh and through our participation with our family at Tir na nOg in raising money for phone cards and other provisions for our troops overseas. Another special example was the honor of playing at the grave marking ceremony for a long dead hero, patriot James O'Kelley. One of our own, band chaplain Paul Ormond, spent the year away from us, serving his country in Georgia as a US Army Chaplain, and all the while, honoring himself and his brethren by playing his pipes for dedication ceremonies for fallen soldiers in the war on terror. We long for his return and strive to uphold his example.

The most humbling and yet the most meaningful part of our mission is that of honoring our fallen public safety brothers and sisters. We performed that part all too often in the last year. We were met with the first line of duty death in the Raleigh Fire Department in over 50 years, and others followed. Raleigh Fire paid a heavy price this year, as retired chiefs and firefighters, active duty firefighters, all brothers, were laid to rest. By year end, there would be eight in all. We participated in the line of duty death funeral of NC Highway Patrol Trooper A.J. Stocks. From the very beginnings of our band, the Patrol was one of the first organizations to call on us, and we have had the pleasure of remaining close friends with our brothers and sisters in black and grey. We honored firefighters from Bailey, Archer Lodge, Pine Level, 50/210, and Goldsboro Fire Departments, as they ended their tours of duty, laid to rest with respect and admiration. It is this part of our band's mission that weighs the heaviest on it's members, as they leave a small piece of themselves behind each time one of their brothers or sisters is honored in this way. While it has truly been a trying year, it has also been an honor in every sense, to serve in such a small way as ours.

For those of you familiar with our group, you know that as autumn wanes, our annual fundraiser, the Tartan Ball arrives to kick off the holiday season. On Friday November 7th, over 400 of our closest friends gathered in the ballroom of the Sheraton Downtown for a party like no other in the area. Once again, our tartan ball committee, led by piper Jason Lane and Tenor drummer Mike Bishop did not disappoint. 2008 brought many special guests into the fold, one of which was our master of ceremonies, Bob the Blade from 96 Rock. Our very special guests were our extended family from the north, The Pipes & Drums of the Emerald Society, Chicago Police Department, who put on a phenomenal show, out of love and respect for us, and we are most grateful for their help in making this Tartan Ball such a resounding success, raising over $13,000 for our group to purchase kilts, instruments and supplies. If you were there, thank you for your generosity. If you weren't there, we'll see you in 2009 on Friday, November 13th at 7pm at the Sheraton Downtown Raleigh. You won't regret it.

Much like our country is experiencing a change in it's administration, our band has met with the departure of two of our founding members and administrators. While Band Master Skip Kirkwood continues to serve in the pipe section our Band Manager, Tony Crawford decided to take a break from the band to spend time with his family. The District was first formed by them along with Pipe Major Joseph Brady and under their leadership, our group has grown to over 50 members strong. While it will be trying - we will move forward into what is sure to be a bright future of service and dedication to the mission, music and membership.

As is custom, every year we recognize outstanding service in our band and this year was no exception. Drum Sergeant Jamie McMillan awarded drummers Jacob Egan and Matthew Kent for their unwavering service during the past year. Pipe Major Joseph Brady recognized pipers Dee New and Chris Mogenson for their commitment to the District in 2008.

Finally, just as we began the year, the end of the year found us at Tir na nOg, celebrating New Year's Eve with pipes, drums and revelry, coming full circle for what has been one amazing year. It has been a year of remembrance and of vision, of sacrifice and celebration, of commitment and honor. As always, we are made humble by the reception that we continue to receive from all of you when we play, and we deeply thank our friends and supporters, as it is you that allow us to exist. It has been an incredible journey thus far, and we stand ready should we be needed...
 

2009 - Exhausted and Fulfilled

This, the last year of the decade, has been quite a year for The District. We have oftentimes stopped to look around and spoken amongst ourselves about how far the band has come and how much the band has changed. The group has been busy, as always, so allow us to share our year with you.

This year has mostly been just plain fun. We began the year in true District style, with New Years at Tir na nOg, and a favorite pastime of ours, the pub crawl. Those of you that are familiar with the band know that Tir na nOg Irish Pub in Raleigh is synonymous with the Wake and District. For St. Patrick's Day this year, the band actually had to split into mini-bands to cover all of the requests made of us. We made new friends down in North Myrtle Beach, SC by marching in their St. Patrick's Day parade to rave reviews from the parade judges and hundreds of attendees. We also rode the Tir na nOg float in the Raleigh parade and at the end of the day, the band came together again to play a myriad of locations around the capital city. The band opened for several musical groups throughout the year, such as the Belfast Boys and Albannach, providing a rousing primer for true fans of Irish music in the Triangle area. The District was even represented in the ever-popular arena of NASCAR, as our pipe major Joseph Brady joined an assembled group known as the Celtic Force Pipers to play the opening ceremony of the Coca-Cola 600 race, held each year during Memorial Day weekend in Charlotte, NC.

A November rite of passage for the District was observed once again, as the Fourth Annual Tartan Ball was held at the Downtown Sheraton in Raleigh and just like every year so far, this year eclipsed all previous years. Each year key members of the group continue to step up and make this event a success. A great time was had by all, and much needed funds were raised to help keep this animal we call the District alive and kicking. We helped to spread holiday cheer this year, marching in Christmas parades in Wake Forest and Selma, and finished out the year playing New Year's Eve at First Light Wake Forest and finally, as we have ended every year so far, back at home in Tir na nOg. It seems that every year, new doors continue to open for the band, and we look forward to what the future brings.

For the second consecutive year, the Wake and District Public Safety Pipes and Drums entered the field of competition here in the southeast and did not embarrass ourselves. Taking a close 2nd at Loch Norman, First place finishes at Gatlinburg, Greenville and Richmond, a Second place finish at Charleston and wrapping it all in a First place finish at Stone Mountain Highland Games, the District shared the top ranking in Grade 5 for the southern branch of the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association (EUSPBA), and finished overall in 6th place out of 117 competing pipe bands.

As was the case last year, several of our members also competed as individuals, bringing home top awards in both piping and drumming. Our own Dr. Alan Armstrong even became somewhat of a celebrity after a very successful year competing in the demanding Piob category and finishing 2nd overall out of 131 players. Thanks so much to the competing members of the District for helping us all walk a little taller. We are proud of you all.

An important part of our mission involves giving back to the community that gives so much to us. This year we helped play along with charities such as the Tir na nOg 8K fun run for Multiple Sclerosis and the Outback Steakhouse Golf Tournament to benefit Muscular Dystrophy. We also shared time with some of the most precious kids we have ever been honored to meet, over at the Governor Morehead School for the Blind, in Raleigh. These kids delighted as we provided a feast for the senses, and they gave more back to us than we could ever give to them. The band also participated in the first annual Wake Forest Irish Fest, promoting the fine heritage behind so much of the music that we play.

As most of you are aware, the Wake and District is a public safety pipe band is committed to serving our brothers and sisters within the public safety community. We performed that mission this year with pride while we played as fire recruits walked the aisle and graduated academies in Raleigh and Wake Forest, and as law enforcement recruits graduated from BLET programs across the Triangle area. The group was honored to be a part of celebrating the arrival of the South Atlantic Fire Expo to the Capital city this year. We also performed this part of our mission with respect and with heavy hearts as we participated in both the North Carolina Fallen Firefighters Memorial events in Raleigh and the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend in Emmetsburg, Maryland. The band was honored and humbled over and over this year as we were called upon to help honor such dignitaries as former NC governor Bob Scott and former NC Insurance Commissioner Jim Long. As always, our thanks goes out to our brothers in the North Carolina State Highway Patrol for continuing to call upon us as we stand shoulder to shoulder in honor of the fallen.

The state of North Carolina paid a heavy toll this year in the public safety community. Law enforcement officers from Lenoir County, Vance County, Winston Salem and too many other areas paid the ultimate sacrifice this year. Firefighters from across this great state gave all they had to give for their communities. We thank them and their families for their service.

This year was also a year of both joy and sadness for the District. As is the case most years, far too many lives that were close to us were cut short this year. Some were close friends, like Joe Burke, Gary Ragland and Flip Kissinger. Some were even family.

We had one of our beloved members, Pipe Sergeant Bud Barber, move across the country to continue his career. As with any group, some members have gone, but new ones have arrived, bringing with them hope for the future of this band. We also helped one of our own pipers get married in true District fashion, beginning a new journey in his life, as well as adding another spouse to the band (if she only knew).

As 2009 draws to a close, we find ourselves both exhausted and fulfilled. We have once again epitomized our mission statement, whether promoting the heritage of our music, or honoring those who have given their lives in service to us all. As always, we thank all of you that continue to keep up with us, all of you that continue to give your time and money, so we can do what we love so much to do. Thank you so very much. See you in 2010!