Modern Scottish Music and its Influences
Scottish music makes one think of bagpipes, men in kilts and the ever-present question: is there anything on under that kilt? That question will go unanswered. Instead, the music tradition will be discovered. Are there any outside influences responsible for changes in the music? Something else to consider is the geography of the country. The mainland country of Scotland is considered a part of the island of Great Britain. The north-west region of Scotland is considered the Highlands, because of the “Highland Boundary Fault, which runs from Arran to Stonehaven” (Murray, 1973). The south-eastern region of Scotland is considered the Lowlands. There are areas in the Highlands that are only accessible by …show more content…
The first group should naturally be a bagpiping group, no? The Red Hot Chilli Pipers were founded in 2002 by Stuart Cassells. He was the first man to get a degree in bagpipes from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, also known as the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. The Red Hot Chilli Pipers are a band made up of bagpipes, keyboards, guitarists, and drummers. The pipers in the band make up some of the best, highest level pipers in the world. Together they have created a distinctive sound of bagpiping called ‘bagrock’ which is a combination of traditional pipe tunes and contemporary rock music. The release date of their first album was in 2005 and since that time they have released 8 more albums. The band has seen some turnover in members, but is still very active. This last September was a big month for them. On September 9th, they released their first official music video and on the 10th they released a charity single (Pipers, 2016). The music video takes place in an elementary school and the students end up taking over the places of the band members. The charity single is called ‘343 The Fallen’ that is a tribute to the 343 firefighters from New York that sacrificed their life during the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centers in 2001. Currently the Red Hot Chilli Pipers are on tour in the United Kingdom until the end of the year and in March of 2017 they will be in the eastern United …show more content…
Their Scottish brogue makes them stand out and can be heard in their music. This band is the most internationally known band because of the song I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles). It was released in the United Kingdom as the lead single for the 1988 album Sunshine on Leith, and in 1993 it was released in the United States. The brothers rerecorded the song in 2007 and the recording outperformed their original release.
To summarize the music of Scotland is very diverse, and yet still hints at its culture and tradition. The traditional Scottish instruments are ever present in the music today, and the kilt wearing, Great Highland Bagpipers are still actively playing traditional tunes that remind the people of the past. The musicians of Scotland are actively exploring jazz, rock, and indie music and fusing it with traditional Scottish elements to create new and exciting music while bringing Scottish music to the forefront of the international music
Scottish music makes one think of bagpipes, men in kilts and the ever-present question: is there anything on under that kilt? That question will go unanswered. Instead, the music tradition will be discovered. Are there any outside influences responsible for changes in the music? Something else to consider is the geography of the country. The mainland country of Scotland is considered a part of the island of Great Britain. The north-west region of Scotland is considered the Highlands, because of the “Highland Boundary Fault, which runs from Arran to Stonehaven” (Murray, 1973). The south-eastern region of Scotland is considered the Lowlands. There are areas in the Highlands that are only accessible by …show more content…
The first group should naturally be a bagpiping group, no? The Red Hot Chilli Pipers were founded in 2002 by Stuart Cassells. He was the first man to get a degree in bagpipes from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, also known as the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. The Red Hot Chilli Pipers are a band made up of bagpipes, keyboards, guitarists, and drummers. The pipers in the band make up some of the best, highest level pipers in the world. Together they have created a distinctive sound of bagpiping called ‘bagrock’ which is a combination of traditional pipe tunes and contemporary rock music. The release date of their first album was in 2005 and since that time they have released 8 more albums. The band has seen some turnover in members, but is still very active. This last September was a big month for them. On September 9th, they released their first official music video and on the 10th they released a charity single (Pipers, 2016). The music video takes place in an elementary school and the students end up taking over the places of the band members. The charity single is called ‘343 The Fallen’ that is a tribute to the 343 firefighters from New York that sacrificed their life during the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centers in 2001. Currently the Red Hot Chilli Pipers are on tour in the United Kingdom until the end of the year and in March of 2017 they will be in the eastern United …show more content…
Their Scottish brogue makes them stand out and can be heard in their music. This band is the most internationally known band because of the song I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles). It was released in the United Kingdom as the lead single for the 1988 album Sunshine on Leith, and in 1993 it was released in the United States. The brothers rerecorded the song in 2007 and the recording outperformed their original release.
To summarize the music of Scotland is very diverse, and yet still hints at its culture and tradition. The traditional Scottish instruments are ever present in the music today, and the kilt wearing, Great Highland Bagpipers are still actively playing traditional tunes that remind the people of the past. The musicians of Scotland are actively exploring jazz, rock, and indie music and fusing it with traditional Scottish elements to create new and exciting music while bringing Scottish music to the forefront of the international music