To her own beat - December 2015
Snare drummer & former WHS student Marianne Kirby is off to the pipe band world champion-ships.
Marianne Kirby is marching to her own beat.
The 23-year-old Whanganui-raised, Perth-based snare drummer is in hot demand on both sides of the Tasman as a drummer and drum tutor.
Miss Kirby is in Whanganui to visit family after her graduation from Massey University with a degree in property valuation.
She plays for three pipe bands - Palmerston North-based Manawatu Scottish Pipe Band, City of Wellington and she's a guest member of the professional Western Australia Police Pipe Band.
Miss Kirby is also the drum tutor for City of Wellington.
This involves writing their drum music, sending them recordings of it, then flying over for a quick rehearsal before joining them for competitions.
She does all this while holding down a full-time job with a property development company in Perth.
"Life is pretty busy," she admits.
Miss Kirby was part of the Manawatu Scottish Pipe Band that went to the pipe band world championships in 2011. She'll be back at the world championships with the same band next year.
Currently the Manawatu Scottish Pipe Band is in the top 10 pipe bands in the world, and the aim for the next world championships is to get into the top eight.
"For a New Zealand pipe band to be in the top 10 in the world is amazing.
Whether we make it to the top eight remains to be seen - hopefully we can do it," Miss Kirby said.
The 2011 championships were a lot of fun and a lot of hard work, and she is looking forward to the experience again.
"What was so cool about it was meeting all the top musicians.
"The very best drummers in the world were there; it was incredible."
Miss Kirby was born in Taranaki but moved to Whanganui as a child, where she took up the drums. She's been playing the drums for 13 years.
She began playing with the Wanganui Highland Pipe Band, has led the band's drum section and also tutored the drummers.
Miss Kirby keeps in touch with members of the Whanganui band, and attended their band practice this week.
She said she is very grateful for all the support she's received from Whanganui people.
"It was Whanganui people who helped finance me to get to the world championships in 2011.
"Whanganui people are just like that."