Life @ EA

Welcome to our blog series, where we shine a spotlight on the work and lives of some of our Accies. Each blog will look at each Accies journey having left the Academy and will provide a little insight into their work now and their memories of their time at school.

After leaving the Edinburgh Academy in December 2020, we caught up with former Piping Instructor, Michael Gray. Michael, who joined the Academy from an incredible career at the British Army, has moved to Oman to join the Royal Air Force.

What is your current position and how did you get to have such a role?

My current position is the bagpipe instructor to the Royal Air Force of Oman. I got the position because of my military piping experience and knowledge from my 26-year career in the British Army.

From the army environment to the Academy – what made you make this change?

I gained teaching and instructional experience in the British Military after joining my local Infantry Regiment, the Queens Own Highlanders, who recruited from around the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. My primary role was a soldier and I had been trained as an infantryman, medium machine gunner and assault pioneer (you build things or blow them up!). My secondary role was a piper.

Over time in my regiment I was sent on courses and gained qualifications to teach all infantry weapons, bagpipe music and teaching methods. All of this gave me knowledge and experience to teach, and eventually I was sent to our bagpipe school of music to teach a number of times. My last position in the Army was the Chief Bagpipe Instructor/Senior Pipe Major of the British Army. All of these different experiences gave me the desire to go into teaching full time and when the position of Master in Charge/Bagpipe Instructor at the Edinburgh Academy came up I applied and got it!

When did you know you wanted to pursue a career in piping?

I started learning the bagpipes at school in my home town, Elgin. We had a History teacher Mr James Hamilton who started a chanter class at lunchtimes. I said I would like to learn and that was the start of me learning the bagpipes at the age of 13. We used to go to his class nearly every lunch time to learn and practice and this daily routine made us learn fast and move onto the bagpipes quickly. The school bought two sets of bagpipes from Jim Tweedie and his bagpipe making shop, which was in Dean Street, Stockbridge. The reason I mention this is because I was told that many an Edinburgh Academy pupil was sent to his shop when requiring bagpipes, so there was a small connection with the school many years ago!

What made me want to pursue a career in piping was I remember watching the Queen Mother’s 80th Birthday Parade on TV when a Massed Pipes and Drums from the British Army gave a display at Holyrood Palace and that was when I decided I wanted to do things like that and joining the Army was the only way I could do these things.

What are your proudest achievements to date in your piping career?

I have many proud moments and memories from my piping career. I have been fortunate to visit many countries in the world and playing the bagpipes for royalty and VIPs etc.

Passing my Army Pipe Majors Course was my first proud moment in piping and then going on to win some solo piping competitions in Scotland over the coming years was next. Eventually I became Pipe Major of my Regimental Pipes and Drums and we performed at many events with the band over my four years including for Her Majesty the Queen during her Golden Jubilee in 2002. I cannot remember how many times we played for her that year but the main ones I remember are on HMS Ark Royal, Buckingham Palace, Edinburgh Military Tattoo and Balmoral Castle. Also I took the band competing during my time and this was a great satisfaction as we made good progress in Grade 2 Pipe Band competitions over the years and everyone enjoyed this experience.

In 2003 I was awarded the MBE for services to army piping in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. I was told personally by Prince Charles, as myself and 3 pipers from my band had been playing at a dinner for him at Holyrood Palace. We had to go back down the next day after as he wanted to speak to us, we arrived and his equerry pulled me aside and said Prince Charles wants to speak to you. He came in and thanked us for playing and at the end he said; “I just want to tell you Pipe Major that you have been awarded the MBE” - so I knew 2 days before the official announcement! He also presented me with my award at Buckingham Palace later that year. My final proud moment was becoming the Senior Pipe Major in the British Army as mentioned earlier.

How is life in Oman, and what is a typical day like in the RAF for you?

My day starts at 7am and I teach until 9am and then we stop for breakfast. I continue teaching from 10am to 1pm and that is the end of the working day. I am teaching advanced players and also I help out teaching the beginners. They are all adults in the band so that is different for the Academy. After work I go to the gym, play golf or just relax! Every weekend is off and we normally finish before 1pm on a Thursday as this is the start of the weekend as my working week is from Sunday to Thursday.

One of the biggest changes in my work life out here is I don’t have a work email and nearly everything is communicated verbally or by a WhatsApp message! I must admit it is quite nice not having a work email. Quite a number of Omanis speak good English as they get English courses when they join the military and also at lots of local school these days, so communicating is not as difficult as one might think. My Arabic is very basic!

Do you have any advice to other Accies, current pupils or budding pipers?

I used to say to the pupils I taught, try and practice a little a lot, as this is better than only practicing the night before your lesson. About 5 minutes each day for those on the chanter and about 15 minutes each day for those on chanter and bagpipes. I know school life is busy and days will be missed but that regular routine produces better results for the pupil and when we can do something well, we enjoy it better. It goes the same for school work overall and I am sure many teacher would agree that a regular routine when doing things is better than trying to learn something the night before a test, for example.