Ann Reesman is not an American University alumna, but she’s participated in some of the university’s biggest events for more than two decades.

The “mostly retired” lawyer has no formal affiliation with AU, yet the campus community is deeply familiar with her group’s work. Her unique ties to AU? They come through playing dozens of campus events on her C.E. Kron and Co. bagpipe.   

“This is my connection, it’s the City of Alexandria’s connection, and we’re very proud of it,” said Reesman, who has played with the City of Alexandria Pipes and Drums since 2001. “We’re proud to be part of AU’s tradition.”

On Friday, March 28, Reesman and 15 other bagpipers and drummers will provide the soundtrack to President Jon Alger’s inauguration, an exciting new chapter for AU that will begin with music performed on one of the oldest instruments in the world. The band’s celebratory tune will lead the academic procession in and out of the ceremony, during which Alger will be installed as AU’s 16th president.

Bagpipes have been a staple of the AU experience since 1980, when the president surprised students on campus by replacing the usual “Pomp and Circumstance” with a Scottish procession at commencement. The band was an immediate hit. Since then, bagpipes have been a memorable part of all academic ceremonies on campus, including commencement, convocation, and inauguration.

The City of Alexandria’s volunteer group has performed at many of those events over the years; records show they first played at AU in 1984.

“We would have been one of the earliest bands to [participate in] this tradition at AU,” said drum major Joshua Cease, who has been with the group since 2023. “[That] is a [point of] pride for us.”

Organized like a British regimental band with red tartan kilts, the Northern Virginia group formed in 1971 as an homage to Alexandria’s Scottish roots. The city is named after Scottish merchant John Alexander, who purchased the city’s original land along the Potomac River.

Throughout its history, the Pipes and Drums have played for four US presidents, numerous foreign dignitaries, and at a gubernatorial inauguration. They march each year at parades for Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day, and George Washington’s birthday and perform at funerals, weddings, and more. Even still, AU events are something the group looks forward to year after year.

“We seem to have a really good relationship with American University because we’ve been doing it for so long,” Cease said. “It’s really a joy knowing that we have that relationship, that we have built that trust with the organizers.”

At inauguration, the crowd will hear a new set from the band never before played at AU. Songs will include “A Crusader’s March,” a performance of “Wings” and “The Leaving of Liverpool.” As the procession exits, the band will play “Scotland the Brave,” one of the most recognizable bagpipe tunes.

The instrument is one of the hardest to learn, and it takes a lifetime of practice play it well. With nine possible notes, bagpipes are a combination of a double reed—like that of an oboe or bassoon—with three single reeds featured on a clarinet or saxophone. Marching and playing in tandem with other musicians adds another layer to complexity to the performance—and it makes it all the more rewarding.

“Because it’s such a difficult instrument, there’s a real feeling of accomplishment when you can actually make a recognizable tune come out,” Reesman said.

Have you signed up for inauguration? Don’t miss hearing the bagpipers or registering for a full slate of inauguration events in honor of Alger this week.