No place to play their pipes

When John Henderson joined NYU Pipes and Drums in 2001, the setting was perfect. The club's space in NYU's Fairchild Building offered storage space for hefty instruments. It provided separate practice rooms for the pipers and drummers. And at night, the near-empty office building absorbed their thunderous sound.

But this spring, the bagpipe and drum combination must find a new place to practice. The Fairchild Building is being renovated and will become the headquarters for the School of Continuing and Professional Studies, evicting the band from its longtime home.

Members of the band say that they weren't informed of the changes until they talked to building employees. According to Henderson, the Steinhardt-affiliated band is not an official fixture of the building and therefore they were not notified about the renovations.

Now, the band is scrambling to find a new rehearsal space.

"I hope we don't become a homeless pipe band," pipe major Brian Meagher said. "But I get the feeling that until we're out the door, we're not going to get any help."

Pipes and Drums plays at NYU's graduation ceremony each year and the Eisner and Lubin Auditorium provides stages similar to those at commencement.

However, due to booking constraints, the band has not been able to secure the auditorium as a permanent rehearsal space.

For now, Meagher said they are storing their instruments in various office spaces as they prepare to move out.

"We're cleaning out the closets. We're almost afraid the workmen are going to steal our instruments," he said.

Renovations on the building at 7 E. 12th St. have already begun, and SCPS is expected to move in by next spring. In addition to a revised exterior, the first three floors will accommodate classrooms while the other floors will be allocated to faculty and administrative offices. The building will also be upgraded to become more sustainable.

SCPS Dean Robert Lapiner said it was "especially meaningful" that NYU granted space for the school on its 75th anniversary.

"The landmark building will at last create for current [and future] alumni, students and faculty a transformational environment to call home for the vital learning communities they constitute," Lapiner said.

While they are still looking for a space, the band members remain optimistic. They acknowledge that they may have to make concessions during the process.

Henderson likes that he works six blocks away in the Graduate Enrollment Services building.
"It would be nice if something came out of the clouds," he said. "We will make do with anything."

Prerana Swamni is a deputy university editor.