StarBox: Kerr McQuillan lists Every. Single. Thing. in his drum case and drumming backpack

It’s highly likely that no pipe band drummer in history has been more successful at such an early age than Kerr McQuillan.

Still only 21 years old, McQuillan has already won two World Solo Drumming Championships, the Intercontinental Solo Drumming Championship three times, the Scottish Solo Drumming Championship three times, the European Solo Drumming Championship, and the British Solo Drumming Championship. As leading-drummer of Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia, he won the 2023 World Pipe Band Championship, the 2024 UK Pipe Band Championship, the 2024 British Pipe Band Championship, the European Pipe Band Drumming Championship, the RSPBA’s 2025 Grade 1 Champion of Champions Drum Corps title, and first overall in Medley drumming at the 2025 World Championships.

Add to that, composing Boghall’s drum scores for competition since becoming leading-drummer in August 2022, and for the band’s 2024 Cabar Féidh Pre-Worlds concert, publishing a collection of music, creating several new products, and operating KMQ, his drumming products and services business, and we’re seeing not just a pipe band drumming prodigy, but already one of the most influential players in history.

So, what does Kerr McQuillan typically take with him to competitions, band practices and workshops all over the world? Our StarBox feature has focused on pipers until now, but we thought it made sense to feature the reigning World Solo Drumming Champion as the first drummer to open his drum case and any other items he might carry.

Besides, he’s also a superb piper, good enough to step into any band in the world.

Here’s what he provided:

Flam5 Drum Case:

• Andante snare drum – the 2026 Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia model
• Two sets of Paul Turner drumsticks (my main pair plus a backup)
• Jim Kilpatrick Drum Block (when putting on a new drum head, this helps ensure even tension)
• A new KMQ product coming soon . . .
• Multiple drum keys for tuning
• Practice pad harness attachment – Boghall drummer Jamie Cockburn made these for the corps so we can play our practice pads with a drum harness during warm-ups.
• Rain cover for the top head of the drum for rainy days (all the time in Scotland)
• TG Andante Drum Harness
• ⁠Spare Andante top heads to replace any that burst
• Spare Remo and Evans bottom drum heads to replace any that burst

Drumming backpack:

• All Boghall sheet music for the year
• Sheet music for the schools I teach in, with all their sets
• Tuition booklets I use for students (a mixture of my own stuff as well as Lee Innes, Gordon Brown and Tom Brown materials)
• Alex Duthart Drum Score Book
• Tom and Gordon Brown Drum score books (e.g., Something Old, Something New)
• Cabar Féidh concert drum score book by Kerr McQuilan
• Note pad – my pipe band journal. Anything I learn at a practice or competition goes into that book
• Computer, chargers and adapters for workshops across the world
• More drum keys (you can never have enough spare tuning equipment)
• Hand strengthening grips – I use these to exercise my hands between teaching lessons or practice sessions
• G. Hardie practice chanter
• Shirt secure cuffs to hold sleeves up when playing in competition
• Hugh Cameron drum pad
• TruTone Duo drum pad by Keith Tombs
• John Moneagle drum pad
• Lots of spare drumsticks that could be needed at the last minute
• ⁠Drum stick lacquer spray. Gives the drumsticks a new lease on life
• ⁠KMQ earplugs
• KMQ water bottle

Our thanks to Kerr McQuillan for revealing just a few of the things that make him so successful.

Let us know which famous piper or drummer you would love to see list the contents of their pipe or drum case, and we’ll get on it!