NPC launches Maket Collective as “a focal point for content about women in piping and drumming”

Named after Lady Maket, the first named-piper in history who lived more than 3,000 years ago in Egypt, the National Piping Centre has launched the Maket Collective, a group of six accomplished woman pipers working as “ambassadors” with a core objective of creating a focal point for content about women in piping and drumming.

The six Maket Collective Ambassadors are pipers Andrea Boyd, Brìghde Chaimbeul, Margaret Houlihan and Hazel Whyte, snare drummer Mackenzie Forrest, and tenor drummer Sarah Staub.

While women comprise about a third of the world’s competing pipers and drummers, far fewer populate the upper echelons in bands and solos, often leaving the hobby at an early age.

According to the National Piping Centre, the collective “aims to promote and amplify the voice and talent of influential female musicians through their stories and performances, allowing everyone, especially other women and girls in piping and drumming to take inspiration, empowerment to advance their own success. By providing this platform, it will promote wider visibility of women across the music community.”

Six more ambassadors will be added in early 2025 through a nomination process that will be announced in the future.

“We will have a strong and dynamic social media presence through the NPC’s channels, showcasing all the areas that [the ambassadors] are performing in,” said NPC Head of Events and Piping Live! Festival Manager Helen Urquhart. “This will include past performances, interviews and promoting upcoming events they are taking part in, with at least weekly posts about our collective members. The collective will be active online to start with, and we will develop as the project progresses.”

pipes|drums has been an outspoken advocate for women in piping and drumming for more than 30 years. The magazine has drawn attention to numerous inequities that still exist through numerous articles, panel discussions, and interviews with and by female pipers and drummers.

Lady Maket was from Al Lahun, Egypt, around 1100 BC. Her name was inscribed on the side of her sarcophagus, which also contained her bagpipe.

Of the 70 entries for the top solo piobaireachd events at the 2024 Argyllshire Gathering at Oban, Scotland, only two are women.