St. Patrick's Day is the most hectic time of year for High Desert Pipes and Drums.
"As long as I've been involved, it's the busiest time," said Megan Maestas, a UNM student in the bagpipe band.
UNM alumna Katy Houska, who has been in the band for eight years, said the band has several bookings for St. Patrick's Day.
"We are very popular during that time," she said.
The band is performing at Gecko's Bar & Tapas, Uptown Sports Bar and Grill and O'Hare's Grille & Pub in Rio Rancho on St. Patrick's Day.
The band is also in the St. Patrick's Day Parade on March 19.
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According to the band's Web site, Pipe Major Bill Horn formed the band in 1992. The band is dedicated to the success of Scottish bagpipe music and tradition.
The band grew from a small group of Scottish enthusiasts to a community centered on piping culture, according to the Web site.
The band is Albuquerque's only coed piping and teaching band.
There are 80 registered members on the band's roster. Horn said the number of members vary in practices and gigs.
"There are usually 25 to 30 people in gigs," Horn said.
Members of the band also vary in age.
"Our youngest is 8, all the way up to people in their 50s," Horn said.
Horn said five or six UNM students are in the band.
The band practices twice a week. One practice is for competitions and the other is for lessons.
Horn said on lesson days, 20 to 30 people practice.
The band provides free piping and drum lessons to all ages at any level.
Free lessons are given as long as students join the band once their level of playing is acceptable. Students are encouraged to join the band after a month of lessons.
The band has won several awards including the world championships in Scotland in 1999. It competes in the competition annually.
"We competed against 40 other bands and won first prize," Houska said.
The band also competed in a regional competition in Arizona two weeks ago.
"We have lots of success regionally," she said. "We took first over the course of the weekend."
The band competes in competitions in Albuquerque and all over the Southwest several times a year.
