David McDonald is a musician and a professor who also happens to run into burning buildings. McPatrick is the chair of the Folklore and Ethnomusicology department at IU. He says ethnomusicology is the study of music in it’s larger social and political capacities. Ethnomusicologists study music as a cultural artifact.

McDonald spends the time he’s not playing music or teaching classes as a volunteer firefighter. His first interaction with Bloomington firefighters was when he was approached to help start a bagpipe band, and was then persuaded to join an EMT Class and followed the natural progression to become a volunteer firefighter. Eight years later he says he doesn’t have any regrets.

Volunteer firefighters go through the same evaluations and training as regular firefighters just are brought in on a situational basis, McDonald says. Career firefighters are on-call at the station waiting for situation.

McDonald says he keeps his gear in the back of his jeep and if a call or a text comes through he drops everything and drives to the scene.

McDonald grew up in an Irish household, and Irish music, mainly bagpipes he says has become a way for him to explore his Irish heritage. He plays in parades, weddings, funerals and other events.  

 

 

McDonald doesn’t just play Irish instruments though he plays everything from Middle eastern and South African instruments to southeast

Asia and Indonesia. But says his favorite is Irish music is his favorite such as Irish flutes, bagpipes, and whistles.

McDonald practices bagpipes outside and often with friends since they are too loud play indoors. They like to play in Dunn meadow. Most of the times they get excited people taking pictures and videos but they do occasionally get visits from the police about noise complaints and they have to pack up and move elsewhere.

“People either love it or they think it’s just a nuisance,” McDonald says.

McDonald says that firefighting gives him a sense of fulfillment and purpose that he doesn’t get in his other lines of work and he says he sometimes thinks of resigning his position at IU to do firefighting full time.

Even with the busy life of a bagpipe playing firefighter McDonald still leaves time for his students.

His college Ray Cashman says he is an active teacher who knows many of his students names, even in large lecture settings.

“He’s got a great rapport with students,” Cashman says.  

He says that McDonald is also passionate about his work and studies.

Mcdonald says that anyone, even students, who are interested in volunteer firefighting should check it out as a way to contribute to the community.

“It’s a great way to give back to the community,” McDonald says.

 

For those interested in volunteer firefighting, or firefighting as a career you can find more information one the Northern Monroe Fire Territory website http://www.btfire.org/

 

More information on the IU department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology can be found here http://www.indiana.edu/~folklore/contact.shtml

 

Or you can visit them in the Classroom and Office Building at 802 E 3rd St.