When Section Wins Hurt the Band

Pipe bands do not lose contests because someone lacked effort. They lose when effort pulls in different directions. In modern organizations, people obsess over KPIs.

In pipe bands, we have our own versions:

• Clean doublings

• Drum scores

• Ensemble rankings

• Individual tone

• Tempo control

• Placement on the field

All of those matter. But if we are not careful, those measures can quietly fracture the mission.

When the Section Becomes the Mission

In military operations, units sometimes fail not from lack of courage, but from misalignment. One element prioritizes its objective over the larger strategy. Everyone works hard. Everyone believes they are right. The overall mission suffers. Pipe bands are no different.

If pipers focus only on their own execution…If the drum corps pushes tempo for their own clarity…If leadership obsesses over placement rather than purpose…

The band fragments into silos.

Nobody intends harm. Everyone wants to win. But when each section fights for its own metric, the band loses cohesion. You might win your sheet. You might lose the performance.

The Danger of Silos in a Pipe Band

Silos rarely look dramatic. They look like this:

• Pipers blaming drums for ensemble issues.

• Drummers frustrated with tuning discipline.

• Leaders focused on scores more than sound.

• Members preparing individually but not collectively.

Each group works hard. Each group protects its standards. Yet support between sections weakens.

A pipe band cannot function like competing departments. It must operate like mutually supporting units.

Cover and Move

The solution is simple in concept and difficult in practice: Cover and Move. Every section exists to enable the others.

• Pipers support the rhythmic foundation of the drum corps.

• Drummers support the melodic phrasing of the pipes.

• Leadership supports preparation, not ego.

• Veterans support new members.

• Individuals support ensemble above self.

When one section struggles, the others compensate. When one member falters, others steady the line. That is how momentum builds.

Leaders: This Is On You

If alignment is weak, ownership begins at the top. Step back. Detach. Ask:

• Have I made the mission unmistakably clear?

• Do members understand why we rehearse the way we rehearse?

• Do sections understand how their discipline enables the band’s success?

KPIs matter. Scores matter. Clean execution matters. But they only matter if they serve the strategic objective. What is the mission? Is it trophies? Is it musical excellence? Is it honoring the fallen with dignity? Is it building a culture of accountability? Clarity eliminates friction.

Elevate the Conversation

Do not argue tactics in isolation. Connect:

• Every tuning standard to ensemble blend.

• Every tempo correction to musical expression.

• Every rehearsal note to contest readiness.

• Every performance to the band’s greater purpose.

When members see how their work enables others, silos collapse. When the band sees victory as collective, not sectional, unity follows.

The Real Win

A pipe band aligned behind a clear mission moves differently. The sound tightens.The energy stabilizes. The tempo breathes. The confidence rises. Not because one section improved. Because everyone understood the mission.

KPIs should sharpen the band — not divide it. If the band is not aligned, do not blame the sections. Take ownership. Clarify the mission. Reconnect every tactic to purpose. Then step onto the field — not as competing parts — but as one instrument.