Pipe Band Drumming Lessons - Clients
My working week covers a diverse range of clients. I regularly work with beginners up to advanced competition drummers, from the age of 4 to 60. As well as the regular groups below, I have also put together competition pieces for Teutonia Pipe Band in Germany, Isle of Jersey Pipe Band, and street sets for bands in England, Belgium, Australia, Hong Kong and USA.
Alford Academy
Alford Academy is located on the River Don, around 20 miles to the West of Aberdeen. This area has always been a hot bed of Pipe Bands, with names such as Lonach, Huntly, Towie and Ballater all near by. With the Academy Piping & Drumming programme now well established, myself and Pipe Major Ian Dallas have a busy 2 days tuition here with a very healthy sized pipe band.
Craigievar Primary School | Midmar Primary School | Dunecht Primary School
Craigievar Primary is one of Alford Academy's catchment schools. Since lessons were first offered early in 2011 uptake has been sensational with rapid progress made. This talented young drum corps put on it's first show during the end of term assembly in front of very proud parents.
Midmar Primary School is another small school that has taken off with Piping and Drumming lessons. The young pupills here have made a good start and will continue to develop when they reach the academy.
Dunecht Primary School is the 3rd school in the Alford area to take the opportunity of lessons in school, with a healthy number taking up lessons in the Summer Term of 2010.
Bucksburn & District Pipe Band
Bucksburn is where I started out my own drumming career, and my ties here are now 20 years old! Over the years the young drummers at Bucksburn have picked up many awards for both band, drum corps and solo efforts, and played at many high profile events. With emphasis on gaining a high level of perfection to allow progress to the senior band, the drummers show great dedication to work towards continually greater goals. Highlights include winning the World Pipe Band Championships, the Scottish Pipe Band Championships Drum Corps title, Lachlan Gibb taking 5th in the World Solos, playing to a full house many times with the Scottish Fiddle Orchestra, producing the sell out Fired Up concert in 2010 and taking the band to perform in Taiwan. It is great to see the majority of the senior drum corps now coming from the junior band.
Lathallan School Pipe Band
Lathallan School set me on my way to becoming a full time drum tutor, and continues to be one of my mainstay jobs. I have around 20 pupils here from P1 - S6, and provide a school pipe band to perform at concerts, open days, sports events, and local events. Together with Pipe Majors John Nevans and Jim Semple, we have put together a full 2 hour concert and a CD recording with the band, as well as travelling to the far North of Norway to perform.
Gordonstoun Schools Pipe Band
Gordonstoun School is one of the most famous names in Independant Schools due to it's royal connections. While I don't have any members of the royal family in the drum corps, there is certainly a great level of talent. Since 2008 we have gone from no drummers to a drum corps of 7 taking part in the 2011 end fo term Open Day. Led by P/M Scott Oliphant and myself, the Pipe Band took part in an exciting Music Department tour of Singapore and Malaysia in Spring 2011 where they went down very well with the crowds. In 2012 the band is looking forward to Tartan Week in New York!
Robert Gordon College CCF Pipe Band
Robert Gordons College has long had a Pipe Band connected to it's CCF section, so it is a challenge to keep up standards at all times. In 2010 drum corps numbers doubled in size, with several young drummers joining up and quickly getting ot grips with the marching repertoire. A keen bunch, these guys always make the last few hours of Friday afternoons fly past!
Towie & District Pipe Band
Towie & District have been a regular on the North-East of Scotland Highland Games circuit for many years. Located between the Don and Dee valleys, Towie practice on Mondays and Wednesdays in Logie Coldstone. Working with their P/M Marie Chapman since Winter 2008, the band is to take it's first steps into the competition world in 2011, with a young drum corps in place. These guys balance out a great repertoire of popular entertaining tunes with working on a set of traditional 2/4 Marches to meet the Grade 4B criteria.