City of Dunedin searching for Piping Director

Translating from the Gaelic to mean Edinburgh, which in turn suggests the biblical Garden of Eden, and now the Florida Gulf coastal city of Dunedin is looking for a new City Piping Director to take over from Sandy Keith, who plans to retire in September.

The job, which Keith has held for more than 25 years, is a part-time contractual role funded by both the City of Dunedin and the city’s high school band booster clubs. Keith has said that he will work with the new director as a mentor until he leaves officially.

A description from Bonnie Steinberg, Human Resources & Risk/Safety Manager with the City of Dunedin says that a successful applicants is required to have “a high school diploma or GED equivalent, supplemented by a minimum of five years experience as a Pipe-Major or Pipe-Sergeant of a Grade 2 or [Grade] 1 Pipe Band . . . a minimum of 10 years’ experience teaching piping, success in Grade 1 and Open solo competition. Must possess either a minimum ranking of Institute of Piping Level 5 (senior) Certificate or a Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association Structured Learning Intermediate Certificate.”

The salary is US$25,000, and “music experience/knowledge of other instruments in addition to piping [is] preferred.” Dunedin high school traditionally has run a piping and drumming program and fields two competing pipe bands. The Grade 3 City of Dunedin Pipe Band is unaffiliated with the school, but comprises mainly alumnae.

Originally from Paisley, Scotland, Sandy Keith immigrated to Canada in the 1960s. Before moving to the United States to take the post at Dunedin, he was pipe-major of the Grade 1 Erskine Pipe Band of Hamilton, Ontario.

Steinberg said that applications for the job are being accepted until March 16, and further information is available at the City of Dunedin’s website.