UPEI
      Music
      Program
      to
      Include
     
     
      en
      in
      Skirts
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Bagpipes,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “[The
      highland
      bagpipes
      are]
     
     
      quite
      a
      loud
      instrument,”
      says
      Acting
     
     
      Chair
      of
      the
      Music
      Department,
      Dr.
     
     
      Greg
      Irvine
      understating
      the
      impact
     
     
      the
      instrument
      may
      have
      after
      being
     
     
      introduced
      as
      a
      Major
      in
      the
      UPEI’s
     
     
      Music
      Department.
     
    

    
     
      Pending
      formal
      approval
      by
     
     
      Maritime
      Provinces
      Higher
      Education
     
     
      Commission,
      the
      University
      of
      Prince
     
     
      Edward
      Island
      Senate
      has
      approved
      a
     
     
      motion
      allowing
      students
      interested
      in
     
     
      studying
      highland
      bagpiping,
      within
     
     
      the
      context
      of
      a
      liberal
      education,
      the
     
     
      chance
      to
      earn
      a
      Bachelor
      of
      Arts
      with
     
     
      a
      Major
      in
      Highland
      Bagpiping
      at
     
     
      UPEI.
      This
      would
      make
      UPEI
      the
      first
     
     
      university
      in
      Canada
      and
      the
      third
      in
     
     
      the
      world
      to
      offer
      a
      degree
      program
     
     
      with
      the
      option
      to
      specialize
      in
      high-
     
     
      land
      bagpiping.
     
    

    
     
      “Discussions
      about
      possibili-
     
     
      ties
      for
      incorporating
      Highland
     
     
      Bagpipes
      into
      a
      degree
      program
      were
     
     
      initiated
      by
      the
      College
      of
      Piping
      and
     
     
      Celtic
      Performing
      Arts,”
      says
      UPEI
     
     
      Dean
      of
      Arts
      Dr.
      Phillip
      Smith.
     
    

    
     
      In
      a
      press
      release
      from
      the
     
     
      College
      of
      Piping’s
      website,
      UPEI
     
     
      President
      Wade
      MacLaughlan
      says,
     
     
      “The
      College
      of
      Piping
      has
      enhanced
     
     
      PEI’s
      rich
      heritage
      in
      Celtic
      culture
      by
     
     
      providing
      exceptional
      instruction
      in
     
     
      highland
      bagpipes.
      Combining
      this
     
     
      with
      UPEI’s
      strength
      as
      a
      leader
      in
      lib-
     
     
      eral
      arts
      education
      makes
      sense.”
     
    

    
     
      To
      be
      admitted
      to
      the
      program,
     
     
      students
      must
      successfully
      audition
      at
     
     
      the
      level
      equivalent
      to
      the
      Institute
      of
     
     
      Piping’s
      Senior
      Certificate.
      Smith
     
     
      explains
      that
      once
      admitted,
      bagpiping
     
     
      students
      will
      be
      involved
      with
      the
      rest
     
     
      of
      the
      Music
      Department.
      “Other
      than
     
     
      one
      course
      a
      semester
      in
      Highland
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Stephan
      MacLEOD
      and
      Carrie
      MacLELLAN
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      bagpipes,
      taught
      by
      someone
      from
      the
     
     
      College
      of
      Piping
      hired
      by
      the
     
     
      University
      as
      a
      sessional
      instructor,
     
     
      students
      will
      take
      existing
      Music
     
     
      courses
      [primarily
      in
      history
      and
      theo-
     
     
      ry|,
      and
      non-Music
      electives.”
     
    

    
     
      There
      are
      concerns
      however,
     
     
      among
      students
      and
      faculty
      in
      the
     
     
      Music
      Department
      with
      how
      the
     
     
      Celtic
      instrument
      will
      fit
      in
      with
      their
     
     
      field
      of
      studies.
     
    

    
     
      Dr.
      Irvine
      points
      out
      that
      the
     
     
      mandate
      of
      the
      Music
      Department
      is
     
     
      the
      study
      of
      the
      tradition
      and
      develop-
     
     
      ment
      of
      Western
      music.
      “Bagpipes
      are
     
     
      a
      separate
      tradition
      not
      really
      fitting
      in
     
     
      as
      far
      as
      [music]
      history,”
      says
      Irvine.
     
    

    
     
      Irvine
      doesn’t
      think
      the
      Music
     
     
      Department
      can
      accommodate
      high-
     
     
      land
      bagpiping
      as
      far
      as
      their
      tradition.
     
     
      He
      suggests
      that
      the
      university
      needs
     
     
      to
      develop
      a
      Celtic
      studies
      program
      in
     
     
      the
      future
      that
      can
      better
      suit
      the
      bag-
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      Dean
      of
      Arts
      Dr.
      Philip
      Smith
      forgets
      casual
      day.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      pipes.
      “We’ll
      see
      what
      happens,”
      says
     
     
      Irvine.
     
    

    
     
      Third
      Year
      Piano
      Major
      Erin
     
     
      Ling
      expresses
      concern
      over
      practis-
     
     
      ing
      in
      the
      same
      building
      as
      highland
     
     
      bagpipers.
      “It’s
      bad
      enough
      trying
      to
     
     
      practice
      some
      weird
      20th
      century
     
     
      thing,
      trying
      to
      listen
      very
      carefully
      to
     
     
      all
      the
      bizarre,
      twisted
      harmonies,”
     
     
      says
      Ling,
      “and
      have
      a
      first
      year
      voice
     
     
      major
      across
      the
      hall
      screeching
      out
     
     
      high
      notes
      in
      a
      warm-up
      exercise.
      Not
     
     
      like
      this
      happened
      to
      me
      a
      couple
      of
     
     
      hours
      ago
      or
      anything.”
     
    

    
     
      “Nowhere
      do
      the
      rules
      say
     
     
      that
      the
      applied
      lessons
      have
      to
      be
     
     
      conducted
      at
      the
      Music
      Department,”
     
     
      says
      Ling,
      “If
      they
      played
      bagpipes
     
     
      before,
      they’re
      probably
      very
      familiar
     
     
      with
      the
      drive
      to
      Summerside
      to
      go
      to
     
     
      the
      College
      of
      Piping,
      so
      why
      not
      hold
     
     
      lessons
      there?
      The
      place
      is
      virtually
     
     
      built
      for
      that
      kind
      of
      music
      (it’s
      not
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      College
      of
      Tromboning!),
      and
      that
     
     
      way,
      we
      don’t
      have
      to
      give
      up
      rooms,
     
     
      or
      suffer
      through
      practice
      sessions
     
     
      featuring
      droning,
      whining
      pipes.”
     
    

    
     
      To
      compensate
      for
      the
      volume
     
     
      of
      highland
      bagpipes,
      Smith
      says
      ren-
     
     
      ovations
      will
      be
      made
      to
      “provide
      ade-
     
     
      quate
      soundproofing
      for
      one
      of
      the
     
     
      practice
      rooms”
      by
      this
      fall.
      Smith
      is
     
     
      not
      worried
      about
      initial
      costs
      of
      intro-
     
     
      ducing
      the
      new
      Major
      to
      the
      Music
     
     
      Department
      like
      soundproofing.
     
    

    
     
      “The
      program
      will
      pay
      for
     
     
      itself
      provided
      even
      a
      single
      student
     
     
      enrols
      and
      graduates:
      we
      expect
      stu-
     
     
      dents
      taking
      this
      program
      are
      unlikely
     
     
      to
      otherwise
      have
      been
      UPEI
      students,
     
     
      and
      so
      the
      tuition
      fees
      of
      the
      student
     
     
      will
      be
      ‘new’
      money
      which
      will
      cover
     
     
      the
      cost
      of
      soundproofing
      the
      practice
     
     
      room,
      and
      of
      the
      weekly
      individual-
     
     
      ized
      lesson
      in
      Highland
      bagpipes.”
     
    

    
     
      “TI
      am
      confident
      that
      the
      num-
     
     
      ber
      of
      students
      from
      around
      the
      world
     
     
      who
      come
      to
      PEI
      to
      obtain
      knowledge
     
     
      of
      the
      great
      highland
      bagpipe
      will
     
     
      continue
      to
      grow
      —
      especially
      now
     
     
      that
      the
      students
      can
      leave
      with
      a
     
     
      degree.”
      says
      Scott
      MacAulay,
     
     
      Director
      of
      the
      College
      of
      Piping
      and
     
     
      Celtic
      Performing
      Arts
      of
      Canada
     
     
      from
      a
      press
      release
      on
      the
      college’s
     
     
      website.
     
    

    
     
      So
      far
      no
      students
      have
     
     
      enrolled
      in
      the
      programs,
      partly
      due
      to
     
     
      the
      late
      announcement
      of
      the
      degree
     
     
      program
      this
      summer.
     
    

    
     
      “We
      expect
      enrollment
      in
      the
     
     
      program
      to
      be
      small,
      maybe
      one
      or
     
     
      two
      new
      students
      a
      year,”
      says
      Smith.
     
     
      “I
      understand
      that
      the
      Registar’s
     
     
      Office
      has
      received
      several
      enquiries,
     
     
      and
      one
      completed
      application
      (from
      a
     
     
      prospective
      international
      student).”
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “It’s
      bad
      enough
      trying
      to
      practice
      some
      weird
      20th
      century
      thing,
      trying
      to
      listen
     
     
      very
      carefully
      to
      all
      the
      bizarre,
      twisted
      harmonies
      and
      have
      a
      first
      year
      voice
     
     
      major
      across
      the
      hall
      screeching
      out
      high
      notes
      in
      a
      warm-up
      exercise.”
     
    

    
     
      -Erin
      Ling
     
    
   
   
    
     
      TRE
      SADRE