Piping Hot Cwmbran, a traditional bagpipe band, has thanked the National Lottery Community Fund for a £12,915 grant to buy new lightweight drums.
The new kit makes it easier for children to learn and for the older members to play for longer.
I visited the band during last Thursday’s practice session in the TA Centre in Two Locks. Over a coffee in the kitchen, while listening to the members play in the background, Pipe Major Steve Parker told me the difference the new drums would make.
He said: “The drums we’ve gone for are a very specialist type of drum. They’re made by a company called Flint Percussion, which is based in Cheshire. The reason we went for those drums is because they’re extremely light in weight.
“We’ve got a lot of youngsters in the band now. We’ve got four young drummers aged between seven and ten so we’ve cut-down side drums for them. And full-size side drums for the adult players. But they’re about half the weight of a regular high-tension snare drum.
“The base drum is the same. That’s about a quarter of the weight of a normal base drum.
“So not only can our youngster play on these drums but it will extend the playing time of our older members because they haven’t got to worry about getting a bad back.
“It’s really going to put the band on the map and secure the future of the band for many, many years to come.”
He said that piping is more than playing music and how it’s about bringing people together, both as members of the band and the thousands of people who see them play each year at dozens of community events.
He added: “For the youngsters, it’s a great hobby. I learned music as a child, playing the bugle in the Boys’ Brigade and I’m 67 now and still into music. It will give them a hobby that will stay with them forever.
“We learn in a very friendly and encouraging environment. People learn at their own pace. It’s all about fun and friendship. I say to every member that comes along, ‘if you’re not having fun, if you’re not making friends, then you’re in the wrong place.’
“For the youngsters, it’s a great start in music. Hopefully, it’s something that will stay with them for the rest of their lives…and hopefully, we’ll keep them playing with us for well into the future.”
Steve thanked staff at Torfaen Voluntary Alliance for their support and advice in applying for the grant.