Pipe dreams

		Photos by Nick Pearce

He’s an engineering student who walks to the beat of his own drum. For a month, Hector MacQuarrie is rehearsing and performing in the show Drum!, while attending classes and completing assignments at Dalhousie. 

Majoring in mechanical engineering, the Dal student is keeping up a frantic rhythm for the first month of university as he juggles high-octane performing and demanding studies.

“What I find challenging is just balancing all my time and meeting all my commitments,” says Mr. MacQuarrie, one of four new cast members. “With the show itself, every night you’re getting up there and performing the show and you have to be at the top of the game, the top of the level every night.”

DRUM! WHAT: A percussion-based musical production WHEN: To Oct. 12. Wednesdays through Saturdays, 7:30 p.m., Saturdays, 4 p.m., Sundays, 3 p.m. WHERE: Bella Rose Arts Centre, 283 Thomas Raddall Dr., Halifax TICKETS: See Ticket Atlantic

The musical production embodies the four founding cultures of Nova Scotia: the Celtic, Acadian, African and Aboriginal. It opened Friday and runs until Tuesday, Oct. 14 at the Bella Rose Arts Centre, a 600-seat theatre located in Halifax West High School. Originally conceived as a tourism piece, it made its debut as a full-length production four years ago. It has toured throughout the U.S. and has even had its own CBC-TV special.

A bagpiper, the Halifax resident is proud to represent his Celtic culture. He marks the 11th generation in a direct line of pipers that goes back to his ancestors on the Isle of Eigg in Scotland. He’s competed in Scotland and has played in the U.S and Canada, including two shows with the White Stripes.

“I play a lot of bagpipes in the show. On top of that I do a lot of percussion roles on the side,” explains Mr. MacQuarrie, who also plays smallpipes and whistles.

Two of his cousins performed in Drum! and his aunt is the choreographer for the show.
The 23-year-old student was approached by producers Brookes Diamond Productions last April, and encouraged to audition. From there, he spent some of his summer performing in Minnesota and is now continuing in the show at the Bella Rose Art Centre.

“Music is great playing on your own, but it’s so much more when you’re playing with other people. When you get in a group of 18, 20 of us performing in the show it’s a lot of fun. Sure, it’s a lot of work beforehand, but when we are up on stage performing, it’s a lot of fun.”

LINK: DRUM!