Grade 5 Piping – 6/8 March

1. Stewart MacDonald – Northwest Junior Pipe Band
2. Liam Cunningham - Northwest Junior Pipe Band
3. Connor Tappa - Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Adult Piping – 2/4 March

1. Gary Taylor
2. Cleda Thompson – Kenmore & District Pipe Band
3. Kenneth Robinson

Adult Piping – Slow Air

1. Gary Taylor
2. Cleda Thompson – Kenmore & District Pipe Band
3. Kenneth Robinson

Grade 4 Piping Piobaireachd Ground & 1st Variation

1. Katrina Jones – Northwest Junior Pipe Band
2. Diane Axworthy
3. Karl Stahlfeld - Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Grade 4 Piping 6/8 March

1. Katrina Jones – Northwest Junior Pipe Band
2. Kyle Gaul – Northwest Junior Pipe Band
3. Karl Stahlfeld – Northwest Junior Pipe Band
4. Diane Axworthy

Grade 3 Piping 6/8 March

1. Alexa Boss

Grade 3 Piping Jig

1. Alexa Boss

Grade 1 Piping 2/4 March

1. Aaron Stone – Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band
2. Alexander Schiele - Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band

Grade 1 Piping 6/8 March

1. Alexander Schiele - Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band
2. Aaron Stone - Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band

Grade 4 Drumming 6/8 March

1. Lauren Gaul – Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Grade 1 Drumming March Strathspey & Reel

1. Amber Stone - Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band
2. Bryce Kreger - Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band

Grade 2 Tenor Drumming – 2/4 March

1. Megan McCrea

Grade 1 Tenor Drumming – 2/4 March

1. Alexis Hagen - Northwest Junior Pipe Band

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.

Grade 5 Piping – 6/8 March

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

Adult Piping – 6/8 March

1. Diane Axworthy
2. Cleda Thompson – Kenmore & District Pipe Band

Adult Piping – Piboaireachd Ground & 1st Variation

1. Cleda Thompson – Kenmore & District Pipe Band
2. Diane Axworthy

Grade 4 Piping Strathspey & Reel

1. Liam Bacon – Portland Metro Youth Pipe Band
2. Megan McCrea – Northwest Junior Pipe Band
3. Logan Chavez – Portland Metro Youth Pipe Band

Grade 4 Piping 6/8 March

1. Megan McCrea – Northwest Junior Pipe Band
2. Logan Chavez – Portland Metro Youth Pipe Band
3. Liam Bacon – Portland Metro Youth Pipe Band

Grade 3 Piping 2/4 March

1. Matthew Alger -  Northwest Junior Pipe Band
2. Matt Rucker – Portland Metro Youth Pipe Band
3. Alistair Ramsay – Portland Metro Youth Pipe Band

Grade 2 Piping March, Strathspey & Reel

1. Aaron Stone – Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Grade 2 Piping Jig

1. Aaron Stone – Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Grade 1 Piping 6/8 March

1. Alexander Schiele – Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Grade 1 Piping Hornpipe & Jig

1. Alexander Schiele – Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Season Aggregate winners:

• Grade 1 Piping:  Alexander Schiele
• Grade 2 Piping Aggregate: Aaron Stone
• Grade 3 Piping Aggregate: Matthew Alger
• Grade 4 Piping Aggregate: Paul Vegors
• Adult Piping Aggregate: Diane Axworthy
• Grade 5 Piping Aggregate: Karl Stahlfeld
• Chanter Aggregate: Stuart MacDonald
• Grade 2 Drumming Aggregate: Amber Stone
• Grade 3 Drumming Aggregate: Bryce Kreger
• Grade 4 Drumming Aggregate: Morgan McCullough
• Bass Drumming Aggregate: Morgan Schiele
• Tenor Drumming Aggregate: Ali North

WPA had reduced attendance this year, and moderately increased the amount we provide to judges for their time to help us attract some of the best in the region to our events.  This meant that we were unable to provide as many scholarships as in past years, but we did believe it was important to increase the amount of the scholarship we provided to $450.00 from $250, because there are few week long camps where tuition isn’t greater than $450.00.  Thanks to several Pipe Bands for their membership, and especially the Seattle Scottish Highand Games Association for their continued support and donations to our programs, as well as the generosity of the Grace Fellowship Church, we were able to make one award this year.  Further, the generous support of the Coeur D’Alene Summer School of Piping and Drumming and Celtic Arts Foundation Winter School means three great awards for those eligible for the drawing.

• Tuition Schoarship to the Celtic Arts Foundation Winter School, donated by the Celtic Arts Foundation:
  • Katrina Jones
  • Alternate:  Morgan McCullough
• Tuition Scholarship to the Coeur D’Alene School of Piping and Drumming, Donated by the Coeur D’Alene School of Piping and Drumming
  • Morgan Schiele
  • Alternate: Matthew Alger
• Grace Fellowship Church Washington Pipers’ Association Schoarship: $450.00 to piping / drumming school of recipients’ choice, made possible through members and donors support, as well as reduced rental rates for our competitions.
  • Alexander Schiele
  • Alternate: Robert Graham

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 

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

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!

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

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

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!

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