Bagpipe bands are graded into five levels for band competition ranging from Grade I (Premier) down to Grade V (novice), with most bagpipe bands, including those that do not compete, falling into the Grade V category.

In the Eastern United States, a bagpipe band's grade is set by the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association (EUSPBA) which strictly controls the grading process. Moving to a higher grade requires a bagpipe band to consistently dominate their current grade, sometimes over several seasons.

There are only two Grade I bagpipe bands in the Eastern United States, the closest one to North Carolina being the City of Washington Pipe Band. The premier bagpipe band in the Raleigh-Durham area is the North Carolina State University Pipes and Drums which competes in Grade III. The North Carolina State University Pipes and Drums also has a Grade IV competition band.

I competed with the City of Washington Pipe Band (Grade I) during the 2004 to 2007 competition seasons, including playing with them at the 2004 and 2005 World Champtionships in Glasgow Scotland. Most of the rest of my career has been spent playing with the Atlanta Pipe Band (Grade III) where I served as Pipe Major during the 2000 to 2003 competition seasons. I now play with the North Carolina State Univesity Pipes and Drums (Grade III).

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