Washington Pipers’ Association

Many thanks to all of the judges and the competitors who made time for our events this year!  This month, we had a miscommunication with our drumming judge and unfortunately needed to cancel drumming competitions. Thank you William Nichols for coming down from  Blaine to judge our piping events. Will started piping in Alaska at the age of 6 and travelled down to Washington for the Mastery of Scottish Arts Winter School (Now Celtic Arts Winter School), and to Canada for Piping Hot Summer Drummer regularly.

Will has won prizes at Oban for the past 2 years, including 2nd in the B-grade march.  He won second place in the Kansas City Winter Storm Silver Medal this year.  He won the BCPA Knockout in 2007 at the age of 17, and played with Robert Malcolm Memorial Grade 3 and Grade 2 winning two juvenile World Championships and the 2006 Grade 2 World Championships. Since 2006, Will has been playing in SFU and is currently finishing a Cellular Biology Degree at Western Washington University.

Finally, thanks so much to the Portland Metro Youth Pipe Band who travelled up from Portland / Vancouver to perform a great set of tunes for us, and we learned a little bit about their short history and teaching program led by the Grade 2 Portland Metro Pipe Band musicians, and Pipe Major Mark Tomasetti.

Continue reading ‘Washington Pipers’ Association May 15 Season ending results’ »

Great appreciation to our talented judges today, Curt Watts, lead drummer with Greighlan Crossing Pipe Band made the trip down from British Columbia to judge snare and bass drummers.  Micah Babinski (links to Who’s who in Bagpiping article by Andrew Lenz), a Washington based Professional bagpiper with a very successful history.  Due to our previously scheduled piping judge being needed at a band performance, Kevin Auld scrambled to find a replacement and Micah graciously agreed to help out on very short notice.

We had an improved turnout in Adult piping today with almost double our average number of pipers, and one brand new adult piper from Kenmore & District Pipe Band who started on the chanter within the last year and is practicing on bagpipes every day, a sure way to make quick progress, and an inspiration to those of us who either can’t or claim we ”can’t make the time” to practice as often as we know we should (says the author of this post who admittedly has intended to compete at each event this year, but “not practiced enough” each time).

Finally, thanks to the two competitors who came up from Portland to compete. We’ve really enjoyed having competitors from Portland Metro Youth Pipe Band at most of our events this year, and look forward to their performance around noon (between Adult piping and Grade 4 piping) at next month’s event.  There are only 4 competing youth pipe bands in Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia now, but Portand Metro Youth arrived on the scene last year and have really shown great talent.  We strongly encourage you to visit our event on Saturday, May 15th. Arrive by 10:30 to make sure you won’t miss them. It’s difficult to predict the timing of our events because we allow same day registrations. 

Chanter – Slow Air - 1 competitor

1. Stuart MacDonald – Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Grade 5 Piping – 2/4 March – 5 competitors

1. Karl Stahlfield – Northwest Junior Pipe Band
2. Peter North – Northwest Junior Pipe Band
3. Russell Prewitt

Adult Piping – 2/4 March – 5 competitors

1. Jim Hendryx – Pierce County Firefighters Pipes & Drums
2. Diane Axworthy
3. Bruce Poliak

Adult Piping – Slow Air - 5 competitors

1. Jim Hendryx – Pierce County Firefighters Pipes & Drums
2. Diane Axworthy
3. Cleda Thompson – Kenmore & District Pipe Band

Grade 4 Piping – 6/8 March – 3 competitors

1. Logan Chavez – Portland Metro Youth Pipe Band
2. Paul Vegors – Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Grade 4 Piping – 2/4 March – 3 competitors

1. Logan Chavez – Portland Metro Youth Pipe Band
2. Paul Vegors – Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Grade 3 Piping – Jig – 2 competitors

1. Matthew Alger -  Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Grade 3 Piping – Strathspey & Reel - 2 competitors

1. Matt Rucker – Portland Metro Youth Pipe Band

Grade 2 Piping – Jig – 1 competitor

1. Aaron Stone - Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Grade 2 Piping – Strathspey & Reel - 1 competitor

1. Aaron Stone - Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Grade 1 Piping – Piobaireachd - 1 competitor

1. Alexander Schiele – Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Grade 4 Side Drumming – 2/4 March – 2 competitors

1. Morgan McCullough – Northwest Junior Pipe Band
2. Robert Graham Jr- Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Grade 2 Side Drumming – March, Strathspey & Reel - 1 competitor

1. Amber Stone -  Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Bass Drumming – Strathspey & Reel - 1 competitor

1. Morgan Schiele – Northwest Junior Pipe Band 

Chanter – 6/8 March

1. Stuart MacDonald – Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Grade 5 Piping – Slow Air

1. Diego Alvarez – Northwest Junior Pipe Band
2. Katrina Jones – Northwest Junior Pipe Band
3. Peter North – Northwest Junior Pipe Band
4. Karl Stahlfeld – Northwest Junior Pipe Band
5. Morgan Schiele – Northwest Junior Pipe Band
6. Russell Prewitt

Adult Piping – Slow Air

1. Diane Axworthy
2. Cleda Thompson – Kenmore and District Pipe Band
3. David Wilkie

Adult Piping – 6/8 March

1. Cleda Thompson – Kenmore and District Pipe Band
2. Diane Axworthy
3. David Wilkie

Grade 4 Piping – Strathspey & Reel

1. Megan McCrea – Northwest Junior Pipe Band
2. Paul Vegors – Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Grade 4 Piping – 2/4 March

1. Paul Vegors – Northwest Junior Pipe Band
2. Megan McCrea – Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Grade 3 Piping – 2/4 March

1. Matt Rucker – Portland Metro Youth Pipe band
2. Matthew Alger – Northwest Junior Pipe Band
3. Devon Mercurio – Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Grade 3 Piping – 6/8 March

1. Matt Rucker – Portland Metro Youth Pipe band
2. Matthew Alger – Northwest Junior Pipe Band
3. Devon Mercurio – Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Grade 2 Piping – Piobaireachd

1. Aaron Stone -  Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Grade 1 Piping – March, Strathspey & Reel

1. Alexander Schiele – Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Grade 1 Piping – Jig

1. Alexander Schiele – Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Grade 4 Snare Drumming – 4/4 March

1. Morgan McCullough – Northwest Junior Pipe Band
2. Jackson DeVight – Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Grade 3 Snare Drumming – March, Strathspey & Reel

1. Steven Wheeler – Robert Malcolm Memorial Pipe Band
2. Bryce Kreger – Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Grade 2 Snare Drumming – 2/4 March

1. Amber Stone – Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Tenor Drumming – 2/4 March

1. Ali North – Robert Malcolm Memorial Pipe Band

Bass Drumming – 2/4 March

1. Morgan Schiele – Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Thanks to David Keachie for judging drumming this month, and Patrick Downing for returning to judge piping.  David is an accomplished drummer and currently lead stroke for the Washington Scottish Pipe Band Grade 3; you may recognize him from WPA in Adult piping competitions over the last couple of years; he’s re-focusing on Snare Drumming.  Patrick recently made the leap to the Professional grade of competition bagpiping after a couple of years of great success in Grade 1 and 2 straight World Pipe Band Championship wins with Simon Fraser University Pipe Band. 

Note, the Washington Pipers website got a “trojan horse” virus recently.  We believe it has been corrected, but please ensure you scan and repair your systems if you have visited the site in February.  Here’s a free Virus software program: AVG Free we’ve used with success.

Chanter – Slow Air – 2 Competitors

1. Stuart MacDonald – Northwest Junior Pipe Band
2. Morgan Schiele – Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Grade 5 Piping – 6/8 March – 3 Competitors

1. Katrina Jones – Northwest Junior Pipe Band
2. Russell Prewitt
3. Karl Stahlfeld – Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Adult Piping – 2/4 March – 3 Competitors

1. Diane Axworthy
2. Cleda Thompson Kenmore and District Pipe Band

Adult Piping – Slow Air – 3 Competitors

1. Cleda Thompson – Kenmore and District Pipe Band
2. Diane Axworthy
3. David Wilkie

Grade 4 Piping – Piobaireachd – 1 Competitor

1. Malcolm Roux – Elliott Bay Pipe Band

Grade 4 Piping – 6/8 March – 2 Competitors

1. Malcolm Roux – Elliott Bay Pipe Band
2. Marcus DeVight – Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Grade 3 Piping – Jig – 3 Competitors

1. Matthew Alger Northwest Junior Pipe Band
2. Saul Goodwin Northwest Junior Pipe Band
3. Eric Roux Elliott Bay Pipe Band

Grade 3 Piping – Strathspey & Reel – 3 Competitors

1. Saul Goodwin Northwest Junior Pipe Band
2. Matthew Alger Northwest Junior Pipe Band
3. Eric Roux Elliott Bay Pipe Band

Grade 1 Piping – 6/8 March – 1 Competitor

1. Alexander Schiele Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Grade 1 Piping – 2/4 March – 1 Competitor

1. Alexander Schiele Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Grade 4 Side Drumming – 6/8 March – 3 Competitors

1. Morgan McCullough Northwest Junior Pipe Band
2. Robert Graham Jr.  Northwest Junior Pipe Band
3. Grayson Parr  Northwest Junior Pipe Band