The Willamette Valley Pipes and Drums is a non-competitive performance band with a three-fold mission:  

• to serve our community by providing entertainment through Scottish music,

• to develop the musical abilities of our members, and

• to enjoy the friendship that we share because of our love of pipe and drum music.

Anyone interested in joining us in our mission is welcome to attend practice.  To find out more, please check our Join and Learn page for schedules and locations.  Free group lessons are provided and begin at 9:00 am on Saturday mornings.  All ages and abilities are encouraged to participate! 

Willamette Valley Pipes and Drums is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization and welcomes your tax deductible donations.

The band was formed in 1971 under the leadership of Lt.Col. George J. Roe, after receiving permission from BG Snow, Commander General of the Oregon National Guard Reserve, to form a military highland bagpipe band.  The band was called the Oregon National Guard Reserve Pipe Band and was made up of members of the Albany Scottish Pipe Band of Albany, Oregon.  The band adopted the MacLennan tartan, which had been worn by the Albany Scottish band.  Lt. Col. Roe became the first Pipe Major.

In 1980, the band received an invitation to participate in President Ronald Reagan’s 1981 Inaugural Parade in Washington DC.  The band represented the eleven western states.  For this occasion, the band recruited additional pipers and drummers from other Oregon pipe bands to form a larger band.  The trip to Washington was made with 20 pipers and additional drummers.

Due to the publicity the band received from the Inaugural Parade and an increased awareness of the part of the military personnel in Oregon, the band began receiving many requests to perform playing in numerous parades and events around the state, such as Salem, The Dalles, Klamath Falls, Myrtle Creek, Athena, Lebanon, Sheridan, Lincoln City, Seaside, Eugene, Tillamook, Redmond, Woodburn, Fort Vancouver, and Longview, Washington.

In addition to performing in local events, the band started competing in 1983 under the leadership of Pipe Major WO William Edmiston.  The band first competed in the San Francisco Caledonia Society Highland games at Santa Rosa, California.  In 1984 the band competed at the Scottish Festival at Estes Park, Colorado.  The same year, the band sponsored the first of many Military Tattoos held in the Salem Armory Auditorium. 

It was during the trip to Estes Park that a friendship was struck up with Margaret Davis, the Pipe Major of the Aberdeen Ladies Pipe Band.  This resulted in an invitation to compete in the Aberdeen Highland games in June 1986.  

In 1985, the position of Pipe Major was passed to WO James Wallace.  Under Wallace, the band continued participating in local and statewide events and traveling outside of Oregon.  During his tenure, the band made a second trip to Estes Park and to Scotland.  The band visited Antigonish, Nova Scotia for the highland games.  It was during one of these trips to Estes Park that the band met the MacLennan Clan Chief, and formal permission was given for the band to wear the MacLennan tartan. 

In 1989, the band made its first name change to the Oregon State Defense Force Pipe Band when the Oregon National Guard Reserve was renamed the Oregon State Defense Force. 

In 1994, WO Ronald Baker became Pipe Major.  The band’s schedule for 1996 included a trip to Stone Mt., Georgia to honor the Chief of Clan MacLennan, whose tartan the band wears.  At the completion of the 1996 season, Baker, after years of dedication to the band as piping instructor, Pipe Sergeant, and then Pipe Major, decided to stand down for a period.  David Ferguson assumed the position of Pipe Major in 1996.  David Ferguson resigned from the band in July 1997 and Sfc. Alex Maich became Pipe Major.  Maich was later promoted to WO and served as PM until 2005, when WO Baker returned to the PM position.  Baker stepped down in September 2008, at which time Sgt. Richard Johnston became the band’s Pipe Major.  During Sgt Johnston's tenure the band enjoyed a resurgence of its long association with the Oregon Military Department, attending annual exercises with the OSDF and performing for award ceremonies.

In 2013, WO Stephen Fowler became the Pipe Major and in 2014 led the band through another name change when the Oregon State Defense Force stood down.  This ended a four-decade association with the OMD.  The band members decided to rename the band the Willamette Valley Pipes and Drums.

In 2020, Nathan Wahlgren became pipe major, bringing a background of over 20 years of playing in competitive pipe bands.

Today, WVPnD performs at parades, town festivals, Scottish festivals, and many other events throughout the Willamette Valley.