Our workshop will have four skill levels of Great Highland Bagpipe instruction:
•No experience to playing lightly on a practice chanter
•Playing tunes on the practice chanter and transitioning to the bagpipe
•Playing tunes on the bagpipe and preparing for first solo competition.
•Already competing
Each skill level will have an instructor for their level of play as well as group classes. Topics include (but are not limited to) learning a bagpipe tune, maintenance of your bagpipe, tuning, wearing the uniform, intro to piobaireachd, preparing for solo competition, etc. You will play for the class as well as have your ear trained by listening to others. Are you already competing? We will have upper grade challenges that include expression/technique and upper grade tunes. We will also go outside for marching exercises and taking commands from the drum major then come back inside for a ceilidh!
Are there topics YOU would like to have covered? Let us know!
Matthew Beall was taught by John Cairns and competed solo up to Grade 2. After years of band competition he started a juvenile band that worked its way up to competition level. He is currently the PM of Hub City Highlanders. He worked in film for 20 years, loves the 80s, and owns a retro laser tag arena.
Steve Brownlee has studied with, among others, John Recknagle, Patrick Regan, Bob Worrall, Roddy McDonald, and Bruce Hitchings.
He founded and became Pipe Major of the Kilts of Many Colours Pipes and Drums in SE Louisiana in 2002, has won awards at some of the largest pipe competitions in the U.S., including Stone Mountain, Grandfather Mountain, Las Vegas, and Orlando.
Steve started playing in 1998, took on his first two students in 2000, and has since taught almost 50 people to play.
He prefers to teach beginners, and he loves to play piobaireachds.
Steven Giles received primary tutelage from Jim MacRae and competed solo up to Grade 2. He worked his way up in a competition band to PM and is a stickler for technique and upper grade tunes. He is currently a farmer, family man, and loves good piping and pipe music!
James Parker began piping in 1969 with his first piping instructor (that could really play) being Seumas MacNeill. From there he received instruction with Duncan Johnstone as well as Jim McGillivray, Rob Crabtree, Scott Williams, William Muirhead, Ken Eller, John Cairns, Angus MacColl, John Recknagle, and more. He has placed at every Highland Games he competed at and is currently Grade 2. James is currently the PM of Red River Pipes and Drums in Shreveport LA and is a great storyteller!
HCH Workshop 