Washington Pipers’ Association

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

The BC Pipers’ Association added an update about the amazing results from our region at the biggest solo competition event for piping and drumming in the United States.

Washington State was well represented, with 3 top placings

United States Silver Medal for Piobaireachd

1. Brian McKenzie – Seattle
2. Will Nichols – Blaine

North American Amateur Drumming Championships – Grade 3

1. Steven Wheeler – Auburn

All of these competitors have competed or adjudicated at Washington Pipers’ Association events.  Congratulations on this major accomplishment!

In all, there were 12 players in the results from the Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia region, and including players who play with BCPA region bands, our region had the largest number of players in the top results of any North American organization.   Congratulations!

 The first event of the competition season had a modest turn-out, but good music, great adjudicators, and a bonus drumming workshop made for a great day overall.   Thanks to Scott Robertson making the trip down from BC, and John Dally for making the trip from Vashon Island. 

A couple announcements about the season; note that tune requirements are on the last page of the membership and registration form and are the same requirments used by the BC Pipers’ Association, which will help competiors preparing for events at the BC Mini Gatherings, or during the summer competition season.  Next, please note that ALL events are the third Saturday of the month, a change from the original schedule. 

Grade 5 piping – 2/4 March - 5 competitors

1. Diego Alvarez
2. Karl Stahlfeld
3. Peter North
4. Russell Prewitt
5. Kennan Mighell

Adult piping – Slow Air - 3 competitors

1. Diane Axworthy
2. Cleda Thompson
3. David Wilkie

Adult piping – 6/8 March – 3 competitors

1. Diane Axworthy
2. Cleda Thompson
3. David Wilkie

Grade 4 piping – 2/4 March - 5 competitors

1. Paul Vegors
2. Marcus DeVight
3. Sean Sele

Grade 4 Piping – Strathspey & Reel – 5 competitors

1. Marcus DeVight
2. Sean Sele
3. Paul Vegors

Grade 3 Piping – Piobaireachd – 2 competitors

1. Matthew Alger

Grade 2 Piping – 6/8 March – 1 competitor

1. Aaron Stone

Grade 2 Piping – Hornpipe & Jig - 1 competitor

1. Aaron Stone

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

1. Robert Graham
2. Morgan McCullough
3. Jackson DeVight
4. Grayson Parr

Grade 3 Side Drumming – 2/4 March - 1 competitor

1. Bryce Kreger

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

1. Amber Stone

 Welcome John Dally and Scott Robertson back to WPA events this Saturday. 

John Dally - master of many bagpipes

John Dally is one of the founding members of Washington Pipers’ Association, if not the reason we began at all.  A master of bagpipes from many regions with a wealth of historical and musical knowledge, John has performed regularly around Western Washington and beyond since the age of 14.  Contact information for John is available here>>

Scott Robertson at WPA 2009

The last event of the season is upon us.  Thanks to our award winning and “BCPA certified” adjudicators for coming down from British Columbia this weekend!   I will post more about these adjudicators with the results, but David Bowman was the runner up in the 2009 BCPA Drumming Knockout events, an award winning solo drummer who plays with the 2008 World Pipe Band Champion and World Drum Corps champions, Simon Fraser University Pipe Band.   Hal Senyk will be judging piping.  Hal is also a certified adjudicator, award winning soloist, Pipe Major and volunteer Director with BC Pipers’ Association.

Please review the Aggregate scores so far and make sure we’re not missing any events and double check we’ve got the events correct.  6 points were awarded to first, 5 to 2nd and so on down to 1 point for 6th place finishes. Link:  2009 WPA Aggregate Standings, April 2009.  A reminder for aggregate awards; attendance at 4 of 5 WPA events is a requirement to be eligible for the award.   Aggregate plaques are similar to last years’ awards.

The WPA Board met Wednesday and clarified the Scholarship process, as well as took steps to ensure that alternates will be more likely to get the benefit of a scholarship award by adding a deadline on acceptance of the award for the first – drawn recipient.

Scholarship drawings are available to:

• Competitors who checked the “Scholarship box” on the registration form
• Competitors who pre-registered (or registered this year by the first event of the season)
• Competitors who competed at 4 of 5 monthly events.
• Competitors who did NOT receive a scholarship award from WPA during the 2008 season.

Scholarship drawings will be drawn first for the primary, then for the alternate for that award.  FOUR $250.00 Scholarships will be drawn.   Scholarship recipients must notify WPA at info@washingtonpipers.org of their intended use of the scholarship by the end of June, 2009.  Scholarship awards must be used within one year (ie, payment to the Scottish piping or drumming school must be requested to be sent by May 3, 2010).  Scholarship payment is sent directly to the Scottish Piping or Drumming school at the request of the recipient, once they have registered or informed the school of intent to register. 

See you Saturday!

update 2/1/2009:  missing tenor drum results added

Great turnout for the 2nd mini-gathering of the season, and a lot of talent was on display.  Micah Babinski judged piping events, and John Scullion from Northern Ireland (in town for the Mastery of Scottish Arts events beginning the 6th of February) judged drumming.  Washington is continuing to see great growth in talent and continued growth of interest in bagpiping and drumming.  Our season of monthly competitions give the community an opportunity to keep in touch, and for pipers and drummers to keep their focus on improvement and building skills and preparing for the summer competition season. 

Competitions were held in every grade level in piping, with two competitors in both Grade 2 and Grade 1; a first in the last several years.

It’s fun to see everyone in the community turn out, there were at least eight of top bagpipe instructors in Washington present, in addition to several of the top drumming instructors (not to mention our judge from Ireland), and a whole host of volunteers, supporters and parents, visiting, catching up on some of the stories of the past summer and listening to the wide variety of music of the Great Highland Bagpipe.

Chanter:  Slow Air  1 competitor

1. Peter North, Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Grade 5 Piping:  Slow Air    5 competitors

1. Megan McCrea Northwest Junior Pipe Band
2. Russell Prewitt
3. Marcus Devight  Northwest Junior Pipe Band
4. Karl Stahlfield

Adult Piping:  Piobaireachd Ground  2 Competitors

1. Cleda Thompson,  Kenmore & District Pipe Band
2. Kenneth Robinson, Alumni, Clan Gordon Pipe Band

Adult Piping:  Any March  2 competitors

1. Cleda Thompson,  Kenmore & District Pipe Band
2. Kenneth Robinson, Alumni: Clan Gordon Pipe Band

Grade 4 Piping:  2/4 March    7 competitors

1. Elliot Thomson, Northwest Junior Pipe Band
2. Paul Vegors, Northwest Junior Pipe Band
3. Malcolm Roux, Elliott Bay Pipe Band

Grade 4 Piping:  Piobareachd Ground  3 competitors

1. Malcolm Roux, Elliott Bay Pipe Band
2. Sean Sele, Portland Metro Pipe Band
3. Saul Goodwin, Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Grade 3 Piping:  Piobareachd   5 Competitors

1. Aaron Stone, Northwest Junior Pipe Band
2. Eric Roux, Elliott Bay Pipe Band
3. Chris Cahoon, Keith Highlanders Pipe Band

Grade 2 Piping:  March, Strathspey & Reel  2 Competitors

1. Alexander Schiele, Northwest Junior Pipe Band
2. Alex MacLeod, Washington Scottish Pipe Band

Grade 2 Piping:  Hornpipe & Jig  2 Competitors

1. Alex MacLeod, Washington Scottish Pipe Band
2. Alexander Schiele, Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Grade 1 Piping:  March, Strathspey & Reel  2 Competitors

1. Theodore Krogh

Grade 1 Piping:  6/8 March  2 Competitors

1. Theodore Krogh
2. Christohper Donald, Keith Highlanders Pipe Band

Grade 5 Drumming:  Any March  2 competitors

1. Robert Graham, Northwest Junior Pipe Band
2. Jackson DeVight, Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Grade 4 Drumming:  Any March  4 competitors

1. Bryce Kreger, Northwest Junior Pipe Band
2. Steven Wheeler, Northwest Junior Pipe Band
3. Joseph Young, Northwest Junior Pipe Band
4. Morgan Schiele, Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Grade 3 Drumming, 6/8 March  1 competitor

1. Amber Stone, Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Tenor Drumming, 6/8 March 2 competitors

1. MacKenzie Webster, White Spot Pipe Band
2. Alexander Schiele, Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Eight pipers and drummers from Washington State–all recent members of WPA–received promotions in their competition grade from the British Columbia Pipers’ Association, announced on September 27th, 2008.

The Promotions announcements are available here>>

Congratulations to these members for the recognition of their hard work last season.

Grade 2 to Grade 1 piping:

Christopher Donald

Grade 3 to Grade 2 Piping:

Alex MacLeod
James Makinson
Alexander Schiele

Grade 4 to Grade 3 Piping:

Daniel Stewart
Joseph Stewart
Aaron Stone

Grade 4 to Grade 3 Drumming:

Amber Stone

Thanks again to our judges Will Nichols and Stephen Farrell for ensuring a successful competition today.  It was great to see Elliott Bay Pipe Band and Kenmore and District Pipe Bands performing for us, donating their time to support WPA audiences and providing us with some great music in the morning and afternoon.

In addition, enough cannot be said about our many volunteers who ensure all the pieces are in place.  Angie Maier; our membership database board member has been taking on preparing the registration forms and competitor sheets in advance for everyone that needs them.  Without this information, our events would fall apart.  Johnathan Farrell has been bringing in the top talent from our area and beyond to judge our competitions every month.  Thanks to Diane Axworthy for helping ensure financial stability and all payments are made on time.  Thanks to Doug Stone and Joe Alger today for Stewarding (and Doug, thanks for introducing drummers as well!) and thanks to Alex MacLeod and Steve Wheeler for stewarding at prior events this year.  Thank you so much Rochelle Wheeler and Jody Horn for doing Registration today.  Rochelle has led our registration this year has figured out the role quickly!  Thanks also to Sadrina Dorn for helping with registration at our first two events.  Thanks to Weatherly Schiele for all the amazing photos (photos from this event coming soon) and helping plan the season at our meetings before the season started.  Kudos to Michelle Makinson for volunteering to fill our open Secretary position on the Board of Directors.  The huge outpouring of support…people willing to roll up their sleeves and make our events continue to thrive…is what will keep our organization a fixture in our community. 

Chanter (Slow Air):

1. Paul Vegors (Northwest Junior Pipe Band)  

Grade 5 Piping (Slow Air)

1. Sean Sele
2. Russell Prewitt
3. George Meier (Elliott Bay Pipe Band)
4. Karl Stahlfeld
5. Stewart Nevling (Olympia Higlanders)
6. Malcolm Roux (Elliott Bay Pipe Band)

Adult Piping – Any March

1. Diane Axworthy
2. Allan MacLeod (Washington Scottish Pipe Band)
3. Rochelle Eldridge
4. Cleda Thompson (Kenmore and District Pipe Band)

Adult Piping – Slow Air

1. Diane Axworthy
2. Allan MacLeod (Washington Scottish Pipe Band)
3. Cleda Thompson (Kenmore and District Pipe Band)
4. Rochelle Eldridge  

Grade 4 Piping – 6/8 March (12 competitors)

1. Megan Rogers (Sir James McDonald Pipe Band)
2. Sophie McDuffey (Sir James McDonald Pipe Band)
3. Sam Horn (Northwest Junior Pipe Band)
4. David Pollock
5. Eric Roux (Elliott Bay Pipe Band)

Grade 4 Piping – Strathespey & Reel

1. Aaron Stone (Northwest Junior Pipe Band)
2. Jan Begg (Elliott Bay Pipe Band)

Grade 3 Piping – 6/8 March

1. Alexander Schiele (Northwest Junior Pipe Band)
2. James Makinson (Keith Highlanders Pipe Band)
3. Alex MacLeod (Washington Scottish Pipe Band)
4. Chris Cahoon (Keith Highlanders Pipe Band)

Grade 3 Piping – Jig

1. Alexander Schiele (Northwest Junior Pipe Band)
2. James Makinson (Keith Highlanders Pipe Band)
3. Chris Cahoon (Keith Highlanders Pipe Band)
4. Alex MacLeod (Washington Scottish Pipe Band) 

Grade 1 Piping - March, Strathespey & Reel

1. Jonathan Farrell (Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band)
2. Christopher Donald (Keith Highlanders Pipe Band)

Grade 1 Piping – Jig/Hornpipe

1. Jonathan Farrell (Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band)
2. Christopher Donald (Keith Highlanders Pipe Band)

Beginning Drumming (Drum Pad)

1. Colin Jones  (Northwest Junior Pipe Band)

Grade 4 Drumming – Any March

1. Amber Stone (Northwest Junior Pipe Band)
2. Bryce Kreger (Northwest Junior Pipe Band)
3. Morgan Schiele (Northwest Junior Pipe Band)
4. Steven Wheeler (Northwest Junior Pipe Band)
5. Brady McMahon (Washington Scottish)

Tenor Drumming – Any Tune

1. Kendra MacLeod (Washington Scottish Pipe Band) 
2. Colleen Salmi (Northwest Junior Pipe Band)

 Thanks to Micah Babinski (listed in “Who’s Who In Bagpiping”, SFU member, composer, instructor, former NWJPB and Northwest MacGregor Pipe Band member) and John Scullion (4 time World Solo Drumming Championship winner, leader of several drum corps championship seasons) from Northern Ireland.

Thanks also to John for leading an impromptu workshop for drummers to give a little more understanding of what some drumming comments mean, and to explain that the judges are there to help you learn how to win, not just to point out your mistakes.

Reminder: WPA does not follow BCPA rules for placings at these events.  We believe it’s valuable for competitors to get a clear understanding of their placing, so even when there are less than 10 competitors, you will see placings all the way out to 6, except in the case of “break down”.

Keep this in mind as you go to BCPA sanctioned games and competitions, the general rules for placings based on the number of competitors are listed here>> 

Chanter (Slow Air):

1. Paul Vegors (Northwest Junior Pipe Band)
2. Katrina Jones (Northwest Junior Pipe Band)

Grade 5 Piping (Slow Air)

1. Malcolm Roux (Elliott Bay Pipe Band)
2. Sean Sele
3. Stewart Nevling (Olympia Higlanders)
4. Karl Stahlfeld
5. Gareth Jones (Northwest Junior Pipe Band)
6. David Wilkie

Adult (Any March)

1. Diane Axworthy
2. Rochelle Eldridge

Adult (Piobaireachd Ground)

1. Rochelle Eldridge
2. Diane Axworthy

Grade 4 Piping (2/4 March)

1. George Perantatos
2. Aaron Stone  (Northwest Junior Pipe Band)
3. Peter Jayne (Peninsula Pipes & Drums)
4. Devon Mercurio (Northwest Junior Pipe Band)
5. Ray Marocco (Elliott Bay Pipe Band)
6. Aaron Haley

Grade 4 Piping (Piobaireachd Ground)

1. George Perantatos
2. Aaron Haley
3. Eric Roux (Elliott Bay Pipe Band)
4. Ray Marocco (Elliott Bay Pipe Band)
5. David Keachie (Elliott Bay Pipe Band)
6. Peter Jayne (Peninsula Pipes & Drums)

Grade 3 Piping (Piobaireachd)

1. Alex MacLeod (Washington Scottish Pipe Band)
2. Matt Maier (Northwest Junior Pipe Band)

Grade 1 Piping (March, Strathespey and Reel)

1. Patrick Downing (Simon Frasier University Pipe Band)
2. Teddy Krogh

Grade 1 Piping (6/8 March)

1. Teddy Krogh
2. Patrick Downing (Simon Frasier University Pipe Band)

Drum Pad/Beginner

1. Colin Jones (Northwest Junior Pipe Band)

Grade 5 Drumming (Any March)

1. Robbie Graham (Northwest Junior Pipe Band)
2. Thomas Horn (Northwest Junior Pipe Band)
3. Josie Dorn (Northwest Junior Pipe Band)

Grade 4 Drumming (Any March)

1. Amber Stone (Northwest Junior Pipe Band) 
2. Morgan Schiele (Northwest Junior Pipe Band)
3. Bryce Kreger (Northwest Junior Pipe Band)
4. Brady McMahon (Washington Scottish)
5. Steven Wheeler (Northwest Junior Pipe Band)

Tenor Drumming (Any Tune)

1. Kendra MacLeod (Washington Scottish)
2. Alexander Schiele (Northwest Junior Pipe Band)
3. Colleen Salmi (Northwest Junior Pipe Band)