Bucket List Item #1 – Learn Bagpipes. After a quick Google search for a bagpipe teacher, I discovered The Iowa Scottish Pipes and Drums and began taking lessons with the incredibly patient Sue Frambach. I officially joined the band in 2024, and I’ve come to realize that the bagpipes are the most challenging wind instrument I’ve ever attempted — more difficult than even the French Horn and Tuba. Proving that you're never too old to learn something new, I’ve embraced the challenge and now thoroughly enjoy both the complexity of the instrument and the camaraderie of the band.

Joe began playing the pipes under the tutelage of Sue Frambach in 2014, when his love of the instrument was finally strong enough to overcome his prevailingly English ancestry. He grew up in the Des Moines area, and has no plans to leave any time soon.

Joanie was elected in 2018 as Pipe Major of Iowa Scottish. Joanie’s Irish ancestry is what inspired her to take up the bagpipes. She contacted Sue Frambach and began taking lessons in 2009.

Joel had always wanted to play the pipes and his wife bought him a practice chanter. After two years of dabbling on his own, his wife gave him an ultimatum, "either get better or put the dying goose stick away." Joel found Sue Frambach and began taking lessons and usually doesn't sound like a dying goose anymore. Joel started hanging around the band sometime in the winter of 2020-2021.

Jean joined the band in 2009 and traces her love of the pipes to her Grandmother, a proud Scot. Jean, too, is a Frambach School of Piping grad.

Ben explains, "My mother made ME do it!" As the son of Iowa Scottish Pipes and Drums original member, Sue Frambach, Ben finally began piping in 2019 after years of gentle persuading. Before piping, Ben graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a BA in music (violin) and performed with numerous chamber music groups. Ben was also a church organist for for several years in Eastern Iowa before moving back to Des Moines, where he currently resides with his wife and three children.

Sue explains, "My Mother made me do it!!" At her mother's suggestion, she joined the University of Iowa Scottish Highlanders, where she learned to play the bagpipes. After graduation, Sue helped found the Iowa Scottish Pipes and Drums and served as Pipe Major of the band. She has served as the President, Vice-President, Secretary and Society Piper for the Scottish Heritage Society of Iowa. Her first instrument was the piano and after learning the organ, she served as organist/choir director at St. Luke's Episcopal Church for 2 decades.

Bass drummer Bob Henderson has been a percussion player off and on since 1958. He started playing with a pipe band after returning from a seven year tour in Alaska in 1977. Bob retired from the Air Force in 1987, after 23 years and touring many countries. He has played percussion with the Omaha Pipes & Drums, Coriovallum Dutch Pipes & Drums and Iowa Scottish Pipes and Drums.

Chuck serves as Drum Sergeant (lead drummer) for the ISPD and as lead tip for the band's Grade III competition unit. As Lead Drummer he is responsible for writing all of the performance and competition drumming scores for the band. He has successfully competed in solo competition in Grades III and IV. He has been a drumming since he was just a lad and has been with the band since 1981.

Andrea Mattingly is a teacher who plays tenor drum for ISPAD.  She started off playing the bagpipes but quickly fell in love with tenor drumming. She competed in the World Pipe Band Championships held on Glasgow Green in Scotland in 2001 when she played with the Elliott Bay Pipe Band of Seattle. She also competed with the Strathdon Caldonia Pipe Band out of Omaha.  Andrea is also an experienced Scottish country dancer. She moved to Iowa in 2009 to marry the famous Dan Mattingly. Previously Andrea spent 3 years teaching in Kenya, East Africa.

Mark's musical beginnings were forged at a very early age by his mother, who was an elementary school music teacher. He began playing drums around the age of 10 and continued through high school where his primary focus was on the marching snare. Mark took a long break from drumming while building his education and career (though he picked up the guitar). He was reunited with the snare after meeting Sue Frambach during a public safety memorial service where he was informed that there was a place in this world for old drummers.

Mica has a long history of playing instrumental music and has loved learning the pipes, basically dropping every other instrument in the process. He loves all things Scottish and even enjoys playing some Irish tunes. Like many others in the band Mica is a student of Sue Frambach. He joined the band in 2011. For the past several years, he has been competing in solo piping contests at various Highland Games.

Jeff started drumming as a "little drummer boy" and continued through college. After a few years away from the drum he picked up the sticks again to join the UI Hawkeye Alumni Band. He is now enjoying life as a Scottish drummer.

Mort has been strongly influenced by the bagpipes for over 40 years. Mort played bagpipes with Omaha Pipes and Drums in 1991 through 1998 and has played with Iowa Scottish since moving back to this area in 1998.

Mike Shannon retired from the US Army after 28 years of service and currently lives in Ankeny, IA.  He began taking bagpipe lessons with Sue Frambach around 1998 and later began practicing with the Kansas City Saint Andrews Pipes and Drums from about 2008-2010 while stationed at Fort Leavenworth, KS.  Mike competed in the McPherson, KS solo bagpipe competition in 2009 where he won a 2nd place ribbon in Grade 4 Piobaireachd and 2nd place ribbon in the Senior Open 4/4 March.  Mike has been playing with Iowa Scottish Pipes and Drums since 2018.

John first became interested in bagpipes while in high school, playing for a few years with a band in Newtown, Pennsylvania. After a long hiatus, he dusted off his chanter in 2022 and started studying under Sue Frambach. In 2024, he joined Iowa Scottish, where he enjoys performing and continuing to grow as a piper.