LI bagpipe band takes a prize in Scotland

There isn't much prize money at stake, but that matters little to the members of the New York Metro Pipe Band.

It's all about the title.

The Rockville Centre-based bagpipe and drum band went to Scotland last month for the World Pipe Band Championships and came home with the trophy for top band in its grade.

"How often can someone walk away from something and say they're a world champion?" asked band member and bagpiper Michael Faughnan, 51, still incredulous weeks after retuning home to Mount Sinai. "It's amazing."

New York Metro is the first New York band to nab a top spot at the championships in the event's 80-year history.

The annual one-day competition is considered the Olympics for bagpipers, and this year 230 bands from 12 countries competed for that coveted title in eight grades.

Only three New York bands competed, including Babylon's Saffron United Pipe Band, which did not place in the event.

Bands participate in competitions throughout the year that determine at which level they perform. 

Impressing the Scots

It's rare for U.S. bands -- often viewed with a skeptic's eye by Scots who live and breathe bagpipe music -- to make a good impression at the championships.

Only a handful have ever won their grade, and none has ever taken the top spot in tier one, the highest grade. New York Metro competed at a grade three level.

"When you're an American band, you're just trying to figure out where you fit in over there," Faughnan said.

What makes New York Metro's success even more impressive is that the band -- composed of bagpipes, bass, tenor and snare drums -- is less than 2 years old. Unlike the many parade bands in the area, New York Metro wanted to be a solely competitive band.

"We formed the band with the intention that we would only have good players," said Patrick O'Hara, 47, of East Setauket. "We wanted to be very selective."

Band members were required to buy their own uniform, costing about $1,000, he said, and take part in four-hour practices every week in a building on the grounds of Mercy Medical Center in Rockville Centre.

The 50-member band is roughly half Long Islanders, with the others coming from New York City, Westchester and even out of state. Because New York Metro was so fresh to the scene, the band knew it had to do some heavy self-promoting to garner name recognition.

The band took to the Internet, with Facebook updates and tweets. They blogged and put up YouTube videos of performances. "It's new technology for an old instrument," Faughnan joked.

'I felt . . . like a rock star'

When they arrived in Glasgow a week ahead of the competition, the group noticed crowds forming around them as they practiced outside. "We were shocked at how much people knew about us," Faughnan said. "There was such a buzz about us there . . . I felt a little like a rock star."

The band hopes to compete again next year, at a higher level.

Since their win, the offers have been nonstop. They have been given a chance to perform at Lincoln Center next year and are getting requests to record tracks and lend music to films.

The band's premier goal now is to move up and eventually become a tier one band. The band also will continue with their philosophy of nurturing young musicians.

At least five local bands are instructed by New York Metro members, O'Hara said, with the aim of mentoring up-and-coming players and perhaps inviting them to join the band someday.

"The goal is to bring piping and drumming to more of an international level on Long Island," O'Hara said.

The rewards of mentoring were among those received at the championships, players said.

"After we won, I looked around and realized these are guys I've taught and helped bring up the ranks over the years," Faughnan said. "Winning has been very rewarding from a lot of different angles."