During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Aidan McParland and his father Damon launched United We Pipe, a heartwarming initiative that brought bagpipe music to neighborhoods across Springfield. With live performances staged from a safe distance, the duo helped reconnect isolated communities and raised over $14,000 for United Way’s COVID-19 Relief Fund. Their efforts sparked joy, encouraged neighborly interaction, and earned national media attention—all while Aidan was still a senior at Springfield High School.
Now based in Chicago, Aidan has shifted his creative energy toward music production. After graduating from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a degree in music technology, he landed an internship at Classic Studios, where he’s honing his skills in recording, mixing, and engineering. From piping in the streets to producing in the studio, Aidan continues to build community through sound—one beat at a time.
Transcript produced with AI and human editing:
Randy Eccles: This is Community Voices on 91.9 UIS. I'm co-host Randy Eccles. About five years ago, we were joined by a father-son duo doing something special during the pandemic to help people feel more connected. Their project was called United We Pipe, and it featured Damon McFarland and his son, Aidan. Today, Aidan is back with us. Thanks for joining us on Community Voices.
Aidan McParland: Thank you so much for having me, Randy.
Randy Eccles: Before we dive into what you're up to now, let’s revisit United We Pipe for those who didn’t hear our 2020 conversation. What was it all about—and now that you’ve had five years to reflect, how do you feel about it?
Aidan McParland: Looking back, it’s one of my favorite things I’ve ever done. It started when my dad and I were taking bagpipe lessons together—probably since I was in fifth grade. During the height of the COVID pandemic, one of our friends asked us to play for their grandmother’s birthday. Everyone was stuck at home, sheltering in place, and bagpipes are loud enough to be heard from a distance. We thought, why not put on mini concerts in different neighborhoods?
People could go to our website and request a performance. We’d show up and play for 30 minutes to an hour. It got neighbors talking again—many hadn’t seen each other in months. In total, we did over 60 concerts and raised about $14,000 for United Way’s COVID-19 Relief Fund. It felt amazing to give back to the community in that way.
Randy Eccles: That’s fantastic. And you received quite a bit of recognition for it too, didn’t you?
Aidan McParland: Yeah, it got picked up by a few newspapers around the country. I was happy to be part of something that spread musical joy. It brought people together, and I’m proud of that.
Randy Eccles: At the time, you were still in school here, right?
Aidan McParland: Yeah, I was a senior at Springfield High School—go Senators! It was my “COVID semester,” so everything was online. Our third-quarter grades carried over to the fourth, which gave me more time to focus on United We Pipe. That extra energy really helped.
Randy Eccles: Now you’re in Chicago. What are you working on there?
Aidan McParland: During my senior year—the same time I started United We Pipe—I also began producing music. I never thought I’d sing or rap myself because I didn’t like my voice, but I kept making beats and instrumentals. Eventually, I started recording and mixing for other artists. I continued doing that throughout college.
Now I’m interning at Classic Studios in Chicago. I’ve been shadowing engineers, helping out, and hopefully I’ll start tracking vocals soon. It’s been a great experience—meeting artists, clients, engineers, and producers. I’m learning a ton.
Randy Eccles: Are you finished with school now?
Aidan McParland: Yep, I graduated in May from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a degree in music technology.
Thanks! Here's a cleaned-up and web-friendly version of this section of the transcript, formatted for clarity and flow while keeping the conversational tone intact:
Randy Eccles: I have to ask—since you’re working on beats and production, have you ever mixed bagpipes into your hip-hop tracks?
Aidan McParland: I’ve been told to do that many times! I’m just a little wary of the bagpipes’ nine-note range and how loud they are to record. But I could always turn the gain way down. One of these days, I’ll sample them.
Randy Eccles: We’ll be looking forward to that. Bagpipes always make me think of AC/DC's It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Want to Rock'n'Roll). You’ve got a lot going on—didn’t you also study theater sound design and do some film work?
Aidan McParland: Yeah, that was one of my favorite school projects. We’d read plays and create scores for different scenes. One assignment I’m especially proud of involved combining a scene from Alice in Wonderland with one from a movie about time travel. I chose Doctor Strange and the rabbit hole scene from Alice. I built everything from scratch—soundtrack, effects, music—and I’m really happy with how it turned out.
Randy Eccles: You’re at a studio now, and you’ve done some remixes too. I think I heard you remixed the Bee Gees?
Aidan McParland: Oh yeah—I’ve remixed the Bee Gees, The Weeknd, and one of my favorite duos, Snow Strippers from Detroit. They make fast-paced house music. I’ve also remixed tracks for various rappers I admire. I really love making remixes.
Randy Eccles: What’s the future look like for you? What do you hope to do with all this experience?
Aidan McParland: I’m hoping my internship at Classic Studios turns into a paid gig where I can record and mix vocals as an engineer. I’ve been selling beats to artists online and through connections at school. These days, musicians need multiple income streams to make ends meet. I also want to write and produce more of my own music and start performing soon. There are some open mics in Chicago I’d love to hit and hopefully get my foot in the door at some venues I admire.
Randy Eccles: Do you get back to Springfield often?
Aidan McParland: From time to time. I come back for shows by my friends Jack McLaughlin and Scarlet's Darling, and to see family and friends. I was back at the start of summer—it’s always nice coming home.
Randy Eccles: At UIUC, you got involved with the Hip Hop Collective, right?
Aidan McParland: Yeah.
Randy Eccles: Did you release anything through them?
Aidan McParland: I did. Each semester we’d do a “lock-in”—rent a big space like an Airbnb or the house in Ellerton Park near U of I—and lay the foundation for an album. We’d workshop tracks, remix, and refine them. I produced four songs for them: “GOV,” “GPS,” “Siren Song,” and one more. We performed in Champaign-Urbana and Chicago. Seeing my ideas come to life on stage was one of the most rewarding parts of making music.
Randy Eccles: It's very cool getting to hear your music embraced by others. Have you had any other releases?
Aidan McParland: For my capstone project at U of I, I decided to write, produce, and mix my own EP—despite never having written a song before. It ended up being nine tracks in a style I really enjoy. It’s called Things Better Left Unsaid, and it’s available on all streaming platforms under the artist name Forever. I’m really proud of it.
Randy Eccles: We’ve been playing a couple tracks on The X (Lullaby, Graduation). It’s got a great sound.
Aidan McParland: Thank you—I appreciate that!
