CHARLESTON Pipe band

© 2023 Charleston Pipe Band. All rights reserved.

Meet Mary Finnerty, a data analyst in prospect analytics supporting a large fundraising advancement team.

Mary started playing pipes in 2004. She was a member of the Penn York Highlanders in Athens, PA from 2004 to 2015. Mary learned from many teachers in the Penn York Highlanders--George Whyte, Lee Crawford, and Harold Smith. After taking a piping hiatus, Mary decided she wanted to play again so she joined the Charleston Pipe Band in 2023. Mary had a musical background before she took up the pipes and played trombone and bass (both electric and double bass).

She loves performing in St. Patrick's Day parades and events where the audience is so excited to hear the pipes and drums. Mary also enjoys competing in the circle and in massed bands at Scottish Games. She feels like the games are a great opportunity for camaraderie with the band and she likes to hear other pipe bands compete from different cities. Mary says, “It is exciting when we hit milestones in our growth musically as a band and in our performance. It shows when we are being graded and receiving positive feedback from judges. It's nice to have goals to work toward while also having fun!”

When Mary isn’t playing the pipes, she loves to garden and grow her own fruits, vegetables, and herbs. She also enjoys reading, live music, spending quality time with dog Rosie and cat Zeus, and cruising to classic car shows with her husband Darin (who is very supportive of Mary’s piping habit).