Elvis has left the building: Army piper passes out in time for World Bagpipe Day
The Army's very own Elvis is about to embark on his musical career after passing out from the Army School of Bagpiping and Highland Drumming.
Scots Guard Elvis Mowatt completed his training in Edinburgh alongside other bagpipers and drummers to set them up to perform for their regiments at ceremonial events.
But he says – despite his name – becoming a musician has been a long road for him.
'Inspired'
"My dad, he was a piper in the Scots Guards, and my grandad, as well, in the KSOBs – he was a Pipe Major," Piper Elvis Mowatt, Scots Guards told Forces News.
He added: "The whole reason I joined the Scots Guards was because of my dad and, then, the piping side, it was just because they've done it.
"Not really more of a tradition I wouldn't say but it was just more like it was more of an aspiration. I was more inspired to go that direction."
Joining a long-held Army tradition – the latest musicians from the Army School of Bagpiping and Highland Drumming performed for friends and family.
The soldiers marked the end of their basic training with a passing out parade at Redford Barracks in Edinburgh.
'Beating heart of the battalion'
Piper Elvis Mowatt said "It is the beating heart of the battalion, the amount of history of bagpiping and drumming in itself.
"It's the face and everything in the battalion – especially the Scots Guards anyway – and it's it's good for the public, it's good for our reputation and it's good for all the soldiers as well."
After months of intense practice, the military musicians are now ready to join the pipes and drums of their various regiments to perform at ceremonial events.
Piper Mowatt added: "To be a piper in the British Army, it's definitely busy.
"It is a very, very busy lifestyle and this is a hard one at that, to be honest. You do have to keep chipping away and if you don't, you're not going to progress really.
"So you just got to keep chipping away and just put your best into it and you'll get the best outcomes."
Elvis
When asked about his name Elvis, he said: "My dad was a massive Elvis fan, he's even got an Elvis tattoo so it was a split-second decision for him to call me Elvis.
"And it was like it was never really like set in stone for me to even become a musician or anything like that,it was just just pure chance really".
Ironically Elvis was not musical, he said "I like music but never really like took much interest in like different instruments.
"When was in high school I tried to play the drums in that but it just didn't really go far".
But the piper was sure to highlight how his journey had been a "really hard graft".
He said: "It's been a long wait to get to where I am now, it's definitely been hard really hard graft but just happy to be here now and just happy to be passed out and just see what happens.
"Just see how I get on just keep trying to do my best.
"The Tattoo's a main one – a really, really big one that's something I really wanted to do and travel, really.
"I just want to see quite a lot of the world and do it with the pipe, you get plenty of opportunities."
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