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Durant McCurley: The Pipes Are His Calling

Durant McCurley didn’t have much of a background in music and didn’t play any instruments, except for a brief time taking drum lessons, but he was always transfixed by the bagpipes. When the opportunity came up for him to learn how to play the bagpipes 24 years ago, he jumped at the chance.

“I always loved the sound of the bagpipes, and the only times you’d see them is on TV or in a parade. When I saw them, the hair on my arms would stand up,” says Durant. “I went to the Irish Club in East Haven one night and they were playing. It just blew me away. They told me, ‘If you join the band, they teach you to play.’”

Durant joined the Gaelic Highland Pipe Band and began his lessons. Those taking lessons don’t actually start learning on real bagpipes. The beginning lessons are taught on a recorder-type piece to help learn the fingering and how to close the holes, the timing, and the notes.

“You don’t touch the bagpipes for 9 or 10 months,” says Durant. “Once you memorize the notes, close the holes right, and memorize every tune, he’ll give you a set of bagpipes to blow up. It’s completely different because now you have a bag under your arm, a mouthpiece from the bag, three drones sticking up, and a chanter sticking up. You have to learn how to work with that. It’s forever learning.”

When he first started, Durant practiced every night for an hour. He worked for the telephone company, and he would stay in the garage after his shift to practice. Once he was able to perform, Durant began to participate in weddings, funerals, and banquets. He and a friend also had an appearance in the movie Tenderness in 2005.

Of course, the main performances for Durant and his group are parades. He has taken part in the Fourth of July parade on Block Island, the Christmas parade in Old Saybrook, and local parades for the various summer holidays. Durant has also been the lone piper at the front of the New Haven St. Patrick’s Day parade for the past 16 years with the grand marshal.

“They were looking for a guy to play up in front to start off the parade,” says Durant. “The crowds just pump you up. It’s high energy and you feed off the people. They get excited and we get more excited. It’s really so much fun playing for a lot of people.”

His band plays several pubs on St. Patrick’s Day. In addition to performing with the Gaelic Highland Pipe Band, Durant has two other groups, as well. Taggart Pipes and Drums is made up of a portion of the Gaelic Highland Pipe Band that plays during the summer months. Taggart Pipes and Drums plays parades as well as the Deep River and Westbrook musters.

Scotch on the Rocks is made up of Durant, two other bagpipe players, and two drummers. The group plays weddings and parties. Durant has three different sets of attire, including kilts, for weddings, summer, and casual events.

Durant dedicates several hours a week to his music. He is looking forward to having even more time to devote to it in April when he retires. He is grateful that upon retirement he will be able to offer his services at more funerals.

“While funerals are not my most favorite thing, there were a couple that really hit me,” says Durant. “I play in front of the church and at the cemetery and give it my heart’s best because it does something for me.”

Durant has also volunteered to play at special fundraising events like the Fight for Air Firefighters Climb and events for the Special Olympics. He is thankful to his wife Annette, who has been supportive of his hobby. When he started playing, she would bring all four of their kids—Michael, Mark, Marybeth, and Matthew—to the parades to watch.

Durant originally moved to East Haven in 1964 when he began 5th grade. He went on to graduate from East Haven High School and Central Connecticut State University before holding jobs in different states for several years before returning to East Haven with his family. While none of his children play the bagpipes, one of his sons plays guitar and his daughter sings and he is hoping they have the chance to work together on music.

One of Durant’s favorite things he has gained from learning to play the bagpipes is that he has made a number of close friends, both through practice and through performing.

“We have so many different types of people—a back surgeon, a chemist, a retired anesthesiologist, and other varied professions—but when they walk in the door, we’re one. Everybody’s the same,” says Durant, who enjoys reading and going to the movies with his wife. “You practice all the time with them, play parades, and they get to be your close friends.

“One of the best things is when you go someplace to play, it’s real easy to talk to people and meet a lot of nice people, which I really like,” he adds. “It’s a joy to do this. It gives me great joy because people really like it.”