Pipe Major Dirk Otten has over 25 years experience in playing the Bagpipes. His musical career began in the ‘Mac Kenzie’s Pipe Band in Ghent (Belgium) in 1993 after 6 months of hard work his first set of pipes were purchased.
Played for 6 months in the Red Hackle Pipe Band.
In 1996, a small group that wanted to go in competition was launched, that became ‘the Fleming Pipe Band’, in Ghent - East Flanders
In 1997 Dirk became Pipe Major of the Fleming Pipe Band.
Within three years, the Band was eager to learn and grow into a well-know Band that performed well at competitions, ceremonies, Scottish fairs, weddings, funerals, whiskey-tastings, School parties, etc…
In 1998, Dirk became also a playing member of the ‘Antwerp & District Pipe Band’ (Belg) and Mühl Pipes & Drums (Belg) that played Grade 3a and open Grade 2.
In 2001 The Fleming Pipe Band prepared to compete, ‘what nobody expected’, on the Saturday 8 September 2003 ‘and for the first time on Greens’, The Fleming Pipe Band became 7nd out of 27 bands in the European Championships in Grade 4. Dirk Otten was the First Pipe Major in the Province East-Flanders Belgium that brought a Pipe Band that far.