Students at the popular EPIC East Ayrshire Pipe Band Academy were treated to an international surprise recently.

A one-of-a-kind workshop took place in Cumnock which involved EPIC members and four pipers and drummers from the Royal Air Force of Oman.

Mohammed, Bader, Ahmed and Sami are currently studying at the National Piping Centre in Glasgow, and they travelled down to Ayrshire to teach the young people of EPIC about their own experiences.

Cumnock Chronicle:

The Oman students told the youngsters about Oman, about their jobs as pipers and drummers in the air force, and about how bagpipes are hugely important in their culture. 

Karen and Paul Warren, EPIC's founders and lead instructors, spent nine years teaching in Oman before coming home to set up the group.

The instructors' aims were to show that, although the students look and sound different, they're all connected by this one passion.

During the meeting, they were all able to sit around the table and play Scottish and Arabic music, speak together and laugh together. 

Students were given Arabic music packs with each individual’s name written in Arabic on the front, as well as a name badge in Arabic.

Councillor Jim McMahon gave his thanks to the Omanis for coming to work with the young people, and giving them an experience they will never forget.

Cumnock Chronicle:

Cllr McMahon had also managed to arrange amazing hospitality from East Ayrshire Council in the form of an Indian buffet, and they were all able to sit and enjoy a meal together.

Instructor Karen McCrindle Warren said: “It was an incredible experience for me personally to bring my Omani students to my home town to teach my EPIC students - absolutely surreal!

"Music really is a bond of fellowship that goes far beyond words and brings people together.

"It was a fantastic opportunity to bring these wonderful people to deepest, darkest Ayrshire, where there is very little ethnic diversity, to introduce to our young students and their families, to people from the other side of the world.

"There was amazing support from Councillor McMahon and East Ayrshire Council and we really cannot thank them enough for looking after our friends so well."