Maryville College celebrates Scottish heritage with student bagpiper

A freshman at Maryville College, Sam Newton is making history at the school with his Scottish bagpipes.

"We are trying to enhance our identity with our Scottish roots, and so we all looked at each other and said, 'It's time we offer a bagpipe scholarship,'" Maryville College Dean of Students Vandy Kemp says.

After he enrolled, administrators learned Sam could play the bagpipes, so they offered him a scholarship.

It's the first scholarship of its kind, and is comparable to other music scholarships offered on campus. Sam plays the bagpipes at various campus events, including football and soccer games.

Before every home game, he marches the teams onto the field.

"It generates a real competitive emotion," he says. "If the song is played correctly, it will intimidate people."

So far, songs like "Scotland the Brave" have helped bring home quite a few victories for Maryville College. But more than anything, the melodic sounds of the bagpipes create a sense of pride around campus.

"Maryville College was founded in 1819 by Isaac Anderson, and Isaac Anderson was a Scottish American Presbyterian minister," Kemp says. "We're one of many small liberal arts colleges in the Appalachians with those Scottish Presbyterian roots, and we're just excited about connecting that."

"Students are excited about it too. Students want to have an identity with their institution and this is important," Kemp says.

Sam was about 12 years old when he learned about his Scottish roots.

"My grandmother did a lot of genealogy, which got us interested in where my family came from."

He learned to play the chanter, the beginner's instrument for the bagpipes.

"It takes about six months to a year to get to a full set. After that, it's a lifelong pursuit to get better."

Sam has been going at it for about seven years, and he's still at a grade four. There are five grades in piping. The lower the grade, the higher the level.

"Grade two and grade one is just mastery of technique and tonal control," Sam says. "You have to have perfect technique and tone to win those competitions."

Maryville College couldn't be more thrilled to have Sam as their official bagpiper. He hopes to one day teach school children about the Scottish heritage and the instrument that he has grown to love.