In a state like New Jersey, with such a variety of St. Patrick’s Day-related events to attend, bagpipes are ever-prevalent. This is especially so in the month of March, the busiest time of year for bands like St. Brendan the Navigator Pipes & Drums.
On Saturday, March 8, N&D Magazine caught up with St. Brendan’s band members as they warmed up just before the Ocean County St. Patrick’s Day Parade on the Boulevard in Seaside Heights.
“We’re a Scottish/Irish band that wears Scottish kilts and plays Irish music,” said Pipe Major Rich Harvey, himself a Scot. “If you consider the bagpipes’ history back far enough, you’re talking about the Egyptians. Many cultures have a bagpipe-type instrument; you have Spain, you have France. There are bands in Latin America and throughout the Middle East and Africa. Most people think of it as a UK thing, with Americans adopting it. Honest truth is, it’s all over the world.”
The pipe major, along with the drum major, are appointed to lead their respective sections in marching and music. Harvey explained how the bagpipes themselves work with a demonstration.
“We hang on and try not to let go,” he said, showing how pipers squeeze the bag part of the pipes as it simultaneously inflates with air, causing a constant drone to be played out of the three top pipes. On the bottom, a pipe with finger holes called the “chanter” is used to play pitched notes as the piper continuously blows air through the instrument. “It’s truly a very accepting community of anybody who wants to play the music.”
Instrument-wise, the band consists of bagpipes, bass drums, snare drums and tenor drums. Jenni Hoagland of Point Pleasant, the band’s president, said that the responsibilities of leading the group of bekilted bards is fun, especially with such a diverse membership.
“It’s a fun responsibility,” said Hoagland. Hoagland plays the bass drum, calling it the “heartbeat of the band.” “It’s a great organization; we have couples, we have friends, our youngest member is in early high school and our oldest members are in their 80s. So, I’m proud to lead this organization as best as I can.”
“The bass drum is the largest drum that we have; it’s super fun,” she said. “It’s called the heartbeat of the band, so it’s kind of fitting that the president is also the bass drummer. One of my key roles, as the bass drummer, is to make sure I hit the drum loudly so that everyone in the form can hear when to put their left foot down.”
Hoagland’s father, Walt Hoagland of Brick, is one of two drum majors for St. Brendan’s, and he talked about joining the band roughly seven years ago.
“I retired 12 years ago, and I was looking for something to do,” he said. “My daughter had joined the band, and my wife and I would come to the events. One time, they were standing around and talking about how they needed a new drum major. I said, ‘What’s involved with that?’ They said, ‘We’ll teach you’ and I said I’d give it a try.”
Walt Hoagland also showed off his mace, which is similar to a long-handled wooden scepter with an engraved metal head piece.
“This one is from Northern Ireland,” he said. “In ancient Scotland, it was a weapon…I love having camaraderie with the people. It really is a family, and it’s a good connection to the heritage, too.”
Much like Walt’s mace, the band itself is made up of people of both Irish as well as Scottish descent. Another unique feature of St. Brendan’s band is its large membership of women musicians. For one of the band’s newer pipers, Samantha Ketterer, last week’s Belmar/Lake Como St. Patrick’s Day Parade was her first.
“It was awesome to see the faces light up when we strike in (begin playing); thrilling, even,” Ketterer said. “I’ve always wanted to play an instrument, and life never brought it to me. I’ve been hanging out with the band on and off; my boyfriend is in color guard and his son is also a piper. And last April, after Tartan Day (an April 6 holiday each year celebrating Scottish heritage), I decided that’s it, I’m joining.”
Jenni Hoagland said, “We’re about 50% women compared to men (in the band), which is somewhat unusual in the bagpipe community. It is increasing throughout the whole bagpipe community, though, so it’s really nice to see other bands incorporating more women as well; but I do think it’s something that sets St. Brendan’s apart.”
Some of the band’s bagpipe players are fairly young, as well, including Jayden Harvey, son of pipe major Rich. A piper of more than a decade, he explained his favorite part of playing the traditional Irish instrument.
“I started playing the pipes when I was about nine or 10, but I joined the pipe band earlier, when I was five or six,” he said. “It was a lot of, ‘Oh, this is really cool, I’d love to do this one day.’ I’ve been in quite a few parades.”
Also one of the band’s younger members, Bobby Baliatico, 18, started playing the bagpipes at 14.
“My uncle plays up in New York City; he started in this band, and he’d been trying to get me into it for years,” said Baliatico, who is “Irish and Scottish on both sides.” “Finally, I did it, and I love it; I have a great time here. I love the heritage part of it; it’s such a great feeling to know that my family used to do this, and now I’m able to do it.”
ST. BRENDAN’S
St. Brendan the Navigator Pipes & Drums practice on Wednesday nights at 7 p.m. at 1711 Bay Blvd., Point Pleasant. Lessons are free; for more information, visit stbrendansband.com or email stbinfo@stbrendansband.com.
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