JWT Reedmakers

'Tis the Season...

2011-12-16T14:24:00.000-08:00

Happy Oktenorfest!

2011-11-20T15:15:00.000-08:00

James P. Troy was pleased to be a part of Mayor Drum Supply's Oktenorfest just a couple of weeks ago. Hosting a full schedule of pipe band snare drumming, tenor and bass drumming, Oktenorfest featured a handful of the Spirit of Scotland drummers including James P. Troy, John Fisher, Tim Djursing, Amanda Shirley and Craig "Hoss" Colquhoun.
A successful weekend and lots of drumming (and some piping) to be had! Photos below are courtesy of Jamie Stewart from Mayor Drum Supply.

Mayor Drum Supply is committed to developing the Scottish art through workshops such as these and also through sponsorship. We have companies like this to be thankful for. Running since 2006 I believe, each year features different instructors of the highest calibre. This workshop weekend is one not to be missed. Keep your eyes peeled for the 2012 event and register early!
-JLT

GVPPB at the Vancouver Island Pipers Club!

2011-10-31T15:35:00.000-07:00

November 5th marks the start of the 2011/2012 Vancouver Island Pipers Club season. The Greater Victoria Police Pipe Band, under the direction of P/M James W. Troy and D/S Colin Magee will be the performers at the Club. The Club resumes this coming Saturday in the Sergeants' Mess at the Bay St. Armouries in Victoria, start time is 8pm.
Come one, come all! And support your local bagpiping community.

-JLT

GVPPB in Beijing

2011-09-26T10:46:00.000-07:00

After an eight day trip to Beijing, the members of the Greater Victoria Police Pipe Band are now back home and trying to get back on Pacific Time. They received great TV coverage during the Beijing International Culture Tourism Festival's Parade, complete with an interview with Doug and Shelley Thorsteinson; husband and wife members of the Police band.

One of the up and coming members of the GVPPB speaks Mandarin and roughly translated the commentary. Basically, the introduction from the commentators just said the name of the band several times, that they were good and Canadian!
Coverage of the entire Beijing International Culture Tourism Festival Parade can be found here: http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMzA1NjcxMTI4.html. It's about an hour long; the Police Band performance is at 80:48.
Enjoy!

-JLT

Beijing and Bagpipes

2011-09-23T10:18:00.000-07:00

The last rehearsal before their departure to Beijing...(wee Momma Troy is one of the banner carriers!)

The Greater Victoria Police Pipe Band actually arrived home to Victoria safe and sound yesterday. A visual account to follow....
-JLT

Police Band off to the Beijing International Cultural Tourism Festival

2011-09-14T08:45:00.000-07:00

The Greater Victoria Police Pipe Band (under the musical direction of P/M James W. Troy and D/S Colin Magee) is leaving for Beijing this morning to participate in the Beijing International Culture Tourism Festival. A spectacular gathering of international performers, this festival is hosted by the Beijing Municipal Government and National Tourism Administration.
The band performs a couple of times throughout seven days at various venues, including the Great Wall of China! Although there to play their pipes, they get a chance to do some sightseeing. Keep your eyes peeled here for pictures from the trip! They get back on the 22nd.

Photo courtesy of Victoria Times Colonist

Articles from the local Victoria newspapers:
Victoria Times Colonist
BC Local News

Safe travels!
-JLT

2011 World Pipe Band Championships - Qualifier

2011-09-06T15:45:00.000-07:00

Some snaps from the World Pipe Band Championships, Qualifying round.

78th Fraser Highlanders

LA Scots

Peel Police

Triumph Street

Cullybackey

Vale of Atholl

Torpichen & District

Dysart & Dundonald

The eventual 2011 World Drum Corps Champs - The House of Edgar Shotts & Dykehead

Oran Mor

Manawatu Scottish

Congrats to LA Scots, Triumph St., Shotts, Oran Mor, Cullybackey and Manawatu who all got through to the Final!
-JLT

RIP Alasdair

2011-08-29T13:42:00.000-07:00

Saturday, August 27, 2011 marked a sad day in the piping community: the shocking announcement of the death of P/M Alasdair Gillies. A tremendous bagpiper, Alasdair won almost every major prize in both piobaireachd and light music throughout his piping career.
Listen to a short radio interview with Alasdair at KPLU during the Mastery of Scottish Arts School in Seattle, WA (2009).
Not only a legendary player with an extremely successful bagpiping career, he was well loved and admired and served as major inspiration to numerous pipers and drummers alike. He will be sorely missed.
JWT Reedmakers extends our deepest sympathies to Alasdair's family and friends.
Watch a snippet from John MacDonald's On The Day where Alasdair speaks about his career:

-JLT

Watch It! Part Deux

2011-08-22T21:52:00.000-07:00

Another wee snippet from Maxville. (Good job to Oran Mor for making it through the Worlds Qualifier this year!)

Oran Mor

-JLT

Watch It!

2011-08-22T20:06:00.000-07:00

Here are some snippets from the Glengarry Highland Games (Maxville) where Peel Police took the overall prize for Grade 1. It was a scorcher so I couldn't stand being in the grandstands in the blazing sun for too long...I found a friend with a lawn chair and fresh grapes...all I needed was a giant palm leaf for fanning....

Peel Police

City of Chicago

78th Frasers

-JLT

A very Happy Birthday to Louise Troy!

2011-08-14T15:07:00.000-07:00

Piping Live!

2011-08-12T14:36:00.000-07:00

The week before the Worlds has turned into a major deal over the past few years with many many venues with many many artists from around the world performing throughout the city of Glasgow. For someone who is not scheduled to the ears with practices, performances and contests, it become a serious lesson in time management.
Inveraray & District was one of the performances on Wednesday and James P. playing with them this season, it was a must see. Too bad the weather was so bad (rainy, rainy, rainy) but with such a well run event they are always prepared and there was a tent FULL of people for the band to play in despite the heavy downpour.
We managed to get into the tent that they were tuning in beforehand to have a sneak preview and caught the end of P/M Stuart Liddell's pep talk before the performance - the last thing he said was 'Enjoy the music'.
Enough said.

-JLT

Mes excuses pour le retard postings...

2011-08-12T06:37:00.000-07:00

In a world that is hyper connected all of the time, one takes for granted the use of internet, WiFi and even a plug-in to charge the old computer....after spending 8 days deep in the woods of Quimper, Brittany, I now really appreciate the privilege that we have all maybe come to 'expect'. That is just a long way of saying that there was no internet connectivity where I was so please excuse the lack of posts...
So quick summary:
Peel Police are the 2011 North American Champions. Full result listings and videos can be seen on pipesdrums.com. Good representation of JWT reeds in the Professional prize list!
James P. has been overseas for weeks now and is going well with Inveraray. They took the top prize at Bridge of Allan on Saturday, August 7. Great lead up to the Worlds!

Also on August 7 while James P. was at the Bridge, I was in Lorient watching the Bagadou Championships which is held in FC Lorient's soccer stadium.

Having spent the entire week leading up to Lorient with Bagad Kemper, I was able to witness the undeniable musicianship but also the LOVE that these guys and gals put into their music. They are very proud to be Breton (not French) and are even more proud to carry on the tradition of the Breton music with bombards, bagpipes, drums and percussion.

Although Lorient is the contest to display the less traditional side of Breton music, one still feels the immense passion for the music throughout the entire city. Lorient is not big but is a quiet Breton town that has a great history. Being almost completely destroyed during World War Two, the architecture is of the 1950s so it's considered 'modern' and not a major attraction throughout the rest of the year. It is recommended in even the most widely known travel books to visit Lorient only during the week of the Festival Interceltique as upwards of a million people converge on the city to take in the music, culture and ambience.

You can see many things in a Bagadou contest complete with various percussion instruments, dancing and singing. Given a specific time limit for the entire medley as well as a time limit for sections of instruments, it becomes a display of creativity, professionalism and orchestral brilliance. The Bagads play for a panel of 12 judges: five for ensemble, two for bombards, two for bagpipes (cornemuse in French), two for snare drums (les batteries in French) and one for percussions (see entire result breakdown for Lorient 2011 at www.bodadeg-ar-sonerion.org.
Bagad Kemper came out a clear winner with an average of 17.6 out of a possible 18. WOW! This was their 19th title as Champion de Bretagne des Bagadoù). Remarkable.

Enjoy their championship performance:

-JLT

On The Road Again...

2011-07-28T09:49:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again...time to pack the bags in preparation for a journey away for weeks on end. Whether heading to Maxville, Seattle for the Enumclaw Games or overseas for the Europeans, Bridge of Allen and of course, the Worlds, we are all on the same page...
Similar to last year, I am headed over to Ontario in time for the 64th Annual Glengarry Highland Games - this time as a spectator. It'll be different not playing but at least I will have the day to catch up with some great friends while listening to all of the bands that have made the trip! The problem will be to coordinate the schedule in order to get the most out of each Grade's contests!
Stop by the Peel Regional Police Pipe Band tent if you're around as that'll be home base. In hopes of a repeat North American Championship, here is the 2010 medley performance (guess which one I am!):

(Video courtesy iainrm via YouTube)

Be on the lookout: 78th Highlanders Halifax Citadel is going to give everyone a run for their money if they continue to sound like this. Coming off a win at Kincardine this year, this band will be out for blood:

(Video courtesy of Scott Currie Ltd. via YouTube)

While I'll be enjoying the heat and humidity of Ontario, James P. will be preparing for the Glasgow weather. Not quite breaking news but James P. is heading overseas to join up with the Inveraray & District Pipe Band to play at Bridge of Allen, the Worlds and Cowal in addition to doing the usual solo piping circuit over there! Having great respect for the musicianship of P/M Stuart Liddell and D/S Stephen McWhirter, James P. is looking forward to 'playing the sweet music'. He's got quite the schedule and won't be back on Canadian soil for another six to seven weeks so If you run into Jamie Jr., hit him up - I'm sure he'll have a stash of reeds on him.
As a little taster, here is Inveraray at the 2011 Scottish Championships:

(Video courtesy of dronechorus via YouTube)

After this weekend, Aaron and I go straight to Quimper, Brittany to hang out with Bagad Kemper for the week leading up to the Festival Inter-Celtique. Not only will Aaron be playing with Peel at Maxville and the Worlds, he'll be on stage with Kemper for the Championnat National des Bagadoù. Although James P. was there last year competing in the MacCrimmon Trophy event (see August 28, 2010 post), this will be my first time attending the Festival. Everyone has told me that it is an experience of a lifetime so I have high expectations! Stay tuned for blog posts from Brittany AND Scotland!

P.S. Don't forget to set your alarm clocks to watch the live stream of the European Championships this weekend!

Fingers crossed that everything is packed...off to Ottawa in less than 12 hours.
-JLT

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T12:50:00.000-07:00

Just yesterday James W., James P., Ryan and I were judging at the Legion Highland Gathering hosted by the Pipes and Drums of the Pacific Gael in Ladysmith, BC. We were also joined by Uncle Colin (Magee) and Warren Fells, both founding members of the City of Victoria Pipe Band along with James W.
Taking a brief moment to look around the judging panel during the band contest, it struck me that these gentlemen (James W., Colin and Warren) have not only been pillars of the Vancouver Island bagpiping and drumming scene for double digit years but most importantly, have passed the love of the music down to each of their children. Each of us have done different things with that gift but either way, it's present. And funnily enough, we are ALL members of the Greater Victoria Police Pipe Band, which is the second pipe band on the Island that these fellas have built together. Amazing stuff thanks to some amazing fathers. But Thank You never really ever seems accurate enough.

Going for dinner in the sleepy little town of Duncan on our way home, James W. started talking about his Dad (John) working up there for years with the Canadian Pacific Railway as a dispatcher. Known as the E&N, freight trains no longer run that far up the island and the shacks that Dad used to stay in as a young teenager, working for the railway himself, are no longer there. Familiar landmarks were pointed out and stories were told - one of which had us in fits of giggles (not fit for internet consumption).
John Troy used to be a musician as well. Before his days on Vancouver Island, he was part of a traveling band that toured throughout the Prairies. Known as Mr. Bones, he was a banjo player and had an act similar to that of Al Jolson.
Obviously, music has played a significant role in the entire Troy family...from John to Jamie to Jamie to Jacquie....
James W. has not only passed the ability to PLAY an instrument down to both James P. and I but has managed to deeply engrain his passion and love for the music itself. Forever committed to playing 'the sweet music', James W. has taught us the art of appreciating what music is meant to do: stir up emotion. Conveying a message through music is what every musician is striving for, no matter the instrument.
I think the most important thing that I have learnt from James W. is that you can learn something from anybody; just as long as YOU know your stuff. That requires another art: listening. Having big ears and an open mind will go a long way to help develop and nurture your talent and have an positive impact on the product you produce.
For all of this, both Jamie and I are forever thankful.
We love you Walls!

Troy Reeds are Tweeting

2011-05-28T11:58:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's right. Jumping on the social media band wagon, we are on Twitter (@jwtreedmakers). Although we've been on there for a while, we just wanted to make sure you knew.

JWT Reedmakers is also on Facebook. We have made it easy to remember and easy to use with a vanity URL. : www.facebook.com/jwtreeds. 'Like' our page and get the most up to date activities from us in your News Feed!

(Technorati Blog Claim: 884G69W7NRTY)
-JLT

JWT Reedmakers Takes It To The Pub...

2011-05-27T11:37:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, James P., Ryan and I all ended up in Toronto at the same time. James P. was to play in the Livingstone Invitational, Ryan was there to participate in the Magnum Workshop and I was there to run the GoodLife Half Marathon. Alex Gandy was there for the Livingstone as well (winning it!) to complete the family circle.
After everyone had finished their duties, we all converged at The Caledonian, a lovely Scottish pub on College St. in downtown Toronto on Sunday afternoon. We were lucky enough to be joined by some good friends while making more friends with the locals, playing some tunes and of course, sampling the beverages.
Ryan, always equipped with her camera caught some great moments, including this one, featured on the Photographer Network as her Photo of the Week (05/23/2011)

See Ryan in action taking the exact photo you see above in this video, featuring Alex Gandy (who is clearly not impressing the cute old lady)...

-JLT

Victoria Highland Games, Past and Present

2011-05-26T11:18:00.000-07:00

Given that Nana was a collector of keepsakes, it is no surprise that a program from the 1973 Victoria Highland Games resurfaced days before the 2011 Victoria Highland Games. Interestingly enough, the Games were held in the exact same place in 2011 as it was in 1973. Interesting because throughout the years, the Games has moved venues but has ended back at Topaz Park due to its growing in size and popularity. Kudos to Jim Maxwell and the Victoria Highland Games Association who have all worked so hard to make this a prominent city event.

Looking through the 1973 program (in pristine condition, I might add) with the rest of the family drummed up a lot of memories for everyone. With the whole family (including aunts, uncles and cousins) participating in highland activity at some point, there are plenty of stories to tell. With their children being heavily involved in the highland dancing and pipe bands, of course Nana and Grandpa (Watling - Mom's side) were involved themselves in the Games itself. It is quite fitting that Nana (Ellamae Watling) was head of Publicity while Grandpa (Len Watling) was the announcer....all I can picture is that cute wee man on stage with a microphone as big as he was...

A lot of the names listed were consistently involved in the local piping and drumming community over many years and have also passed the music, the talent and the sense of community on to their children and in some cases, grandchildren. Circled below is Pipe Major Ray Gandy of the Canadian Scottish Regiment, father of Bruce Gandy. A last name that is well known and respected throughout the piping world due to the mega success of Bruce and son, Alex. (Speaking of which, check out pipes|drums for the 2011 Livingstone video highlights of Alex's win and James P.'s second place performance!)

Having been going to the Victoria Highland Games since the age of five first as an observer, then as a competitor and now as a judge, James W. Troy was the perfect candidate for Chieftain of the 2011 Games. Being an honoured guest plus a judge made for a busy day! Probably the sharpest dressed man on the field that day, James W. officially opened the Games on Sunday.

-JLT

2011 Livingstone Invitational

2011-05-13T16:33:00.000-07:00

Taking place tomorrow in Hamilton, Ontario is the William Livingstone Memorial Invitational contest. Amongst a great field of competitors, James P. is back for the third year in a row and vying for the coveted prize. Below is his stunning performance from 2010.

We also received news of the passing of Darleen Mijariha/Milloy after living with multiple scerosis for twenty years on May 11, 2011. Darleen was a prolific solo bagpiper in the 1980s and served as a member of the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band for many years. She was staple in the Vancouver piping community and a great friend of the Troys. She will be sadly missed. (pipes|drums article)

-JLT

Bringing Home the Bacon

2011-05-01T12:49:00.000-07:00

The Easter weekend always marks the BC Annual Gathering contest held in Vancouver. An institution in these parts since 1932, this prestigious event brings some of the best bagpipers and drummers from around the world to play, to judge and/or to observe. It also provides a perfect venue to catch up with family and old friends.
While Jamie was busy playing his guts out on the Friday, Ryan took the opportunity for a photo shoot with our lovely cousin, Dani Millar and her family. Lovely, beautiful people and a sunshiny day makes for some stunning images.
At the end of the day, James P. Troy came up successful with winning the MacCrimmon Memorial Cairn for Open Piobaireachd. (Read about this and other trophies presented at the Annual Gathering on the BCPA website). Also placing 4th in the MSR and 6th in the Jig, JP was the winner of the Mary McLeod Collins trophy for the Professional Piping Aggregate. These trophies are not foreign to this house...
As JP and Ryan headed back to the Island early, James W. was able to accept both trophies on his son's behalf presented by Andrew Wright (Senior Guest Judge) and Graham Davidson (BCPA President); a proud moment for James W. Congrats JP on another successful contest!
Photos are courtesy of Ken MacKenzie and the BCPA. More pictures can be found on the BCPA website.

MacCrimmon Memorial Cairn - Open Piobaireachd

Mary McLeod Collins Trophy - Professional Piping Aggregate.
-JLT

They Say It's Your Birthday!

2011-03-29T10:54:00.000-07:00

Saturday, March 26th marked the 69th birthday of James W. Troy. Although he'd like to avoid the whole occasion, we celebrated in true Troy tradition....a family barbeque. The evening was documented through the lens of Ryan MacDonald.
The evening started as most do around this place....

Appropriate.

The entertainment.

Pouring for the masses.

The big surprise....a bagpipe reed pinata made by the capable hands of Colin Magee...

Half the family was brave enough to be on the ground while JW was blindfolded and wielding a stick.

The smarter half observed from afar.

Clearly a dangerous situation.

JW makes contact.

The remnants.

Candy, do-rags, model cars, temporary tattoos...

JW = one happy badass.

JP gets in on the tattoo action.

JWT Reedmakers standard issue temporary tattoos.

I wholeheartedly enjoyed every minute of giving the wee ones their first tattoos.

Just before the brutalization of 'Happy Birthday' by the entire Watling clan. He wasn't smiling afterward. :)

Even Momma Troy gets inked for the evening.

What a fun evening! There was only one causality...a wine glass destroyed by yours truly....but all in all, the evening ended peacefully with tequila and whisky. Can't wait to see what Colin has in mind for next year!!!
-JLT

On The Day

2011-02-10T20:09:00.000-08:00

Back in 2008, James P. and I were honoured to be asked to play in the Spirit of Scotland Pipe Band (see original blog post). During the week of the Worlds, the band was followed around by John MacDonald and his film crew. With money from his own pocket and furious work to edit and produce this documentary, On The Day was finally released to Canadian audiences in 52 Empire theatres last night! Such a wonderful feat as there has never been a film of this subject featured at major movie theatres throughout an entire country before.
On The Day is about the Grade 1 Spirit of Scotland Pipe Band's lead up to the the 2008 World Pipe Band Championships which the band qualified for the Grade 1 final contests and finished eleventh overall. The band has not performed as a whole since. But thanks to the movie, it's like living it all over again!
The Victoria, BC showing of On The Day was well attended with SilverCity Tillicum being about two-thirds full of mostly pipe banders from in and around the Island. Everyone stayed rooted in their seats until the credits were done and pleasantly amused by the outtake from Simon McKerrell (did you see it?!). There was lots of great feedback, excitement and support. The movie aired at 7pm on the 9th throughout Canada and there will be a second showing on Sunday the 13th...check online for times and tickets.

-JLT

2010-12-24T17:25:00.000-08:00

from The Troys

Piper's Persuasion - Bruce Gandy Interview

2010-11-14T11:55:00.000-08:00

Piper's Persuasion is something that all pipers and drummers should be tuned in to. This blog is a collection of video interviews with the world's most influential players and is an important resource for anyone involved in the piping community.
Episode 10 features Bruce Gandy. He talks about his early piping days, schools, composing, winning the 1987 Worlds and Gold Medals, performance psychology, the mega important Bruce Gandy Bagpipe and Development Society and more.
Take some time to watch this. It'll be inspiring.

http://www.piperspersuasion.com/2010/10/17/bruce-gandy/

Jamie's Italy Part 1

2010-11-11T20:23:00.000-08:00

This is the first post written by JP Troy. I wanted to post a few memories and pictures from my great trip to the Bagpipe Italian Group Gathering held this year in Urbania, Italy. I was extremely fortunate to be invited to this event, and I had no idea what to expect when Duilio Vigliotti, the organizer, contacted me to be a part of it. I also had no idea that there was such an enthusiastic and passionate community thriving in Italy for the bagpipes and Scottish music.
When I first touched down in Italy, I was greeted by Duilio and Gino Schioppa, both very fine pipers and excellent tour guides. I was treated to an unbelievable lunch in Rome, and then a whirlwind tour of the major sights. After that, we made our way to Isernia, where both Duilio and Gino live. I was honoured to be a guest at Duilio and his wife Rita's home. I felt very welcome and their hospitality will be remembered forever. A few hours after getting settled, Gino and I managed to get in a few games of pool in the downtown of Isernia.
After a good night's sleep, Duilio was kind enough to take me on a tour of Isernia, stopping in at a chocolatier and a winery. We then made our way up to Urbania, where the Gathering was to take place.

Please stay tuned for Part 2 and for some exciting developments in the shop.

All the best,

Reed Manipulation by the PM Himself

2010-11-03T14:19:00.000-07:00

The beauty of Facebook allows the ease of networking, re-connecting with old friends, gaining new ones, sharing pertinent information as well as the minutiae of your everyday life. On occasion, you get a gem of a post...case in point...

Many thanks to Kevin Wisehart (currently Pipe Sergeant of the Grade 2 Stuart Highlanders Pipe Band from Wilmington, MA) for posting this 1992 article on Manipulating Reeds by none other than P/M Tom McAllister! This is just scratching the surface of the wisdom that was handed down by the McAllister boys to the Troy boys.
Thanks for the great post, Kevin!

Let me summarize for you...

2010-10-22T13:56:00.001-07:00

We are now just getting to some posts that are looooooonng overdue. Sincere apologies for being bad bloggers - definitely not for lack of postable material but with the traveling, contests, workshops, new machine parts in the shop and just trying to grasp time to relax, this sorrily fell by the wayside. James P. was the most traveled Troy in the last few months being lucky enough to go to Italy to teach the Bagpipe Italian Group as well as spend some time before that doing the Scottish solo contest scene. Below is a summary of Scotland Trip #3 this year for James P:

After two weeks rest from the madness of Worlds Week and the craziness of having to leave me in the Glasgow Infirmary, James P. returned back to Glasgow to start a ten day solo piping venture, starting with the Argyllshire Gathering. Day Two of the event saw great results for the West Coast/Pacific Northwest competitors including James P. placing first in the B Grade Strathspey and Reel. Nice work to Jack and Andrew Lee as well as Will Nichols!
Days before the Argyllshire Gathering was Crieff - although James P. was not there, JWT Reedmakers had great representation from Alex Gandy, coming out on top in the MSR. Many thanks to pipes|drums for being on top of the results, with a full listing of that contest. Jori Chisholm was included in that prize list as well. Alex also did very well on Day One of the Argyllshire Gathering with a 4th in the Silver Medal and later, a 3rd in the A Grade MSR (see full result listing link below) at the Northern Meeting! As stated in an earlier post, Alex won the 2010 Pipe Idol contest during the week of the Worlds. Check out his performance (thanks to piperbob2 for the footage):

Next up was the Cowal Highland Gathering. A full listing of A and B Grade results found here. - lots of great performances and results from the North Americans with James P. again pulling out a first in the Strathspey and Reel. A pattern started to emerge and his S/R playing was certainly shining....it must have been from playing for all of those highland dancing contests over the years!
The Glenurquhart Highland Games in lovely Drumnadrochit, Loch Ness followed. The hike in the Highlands must have proven beneficial as James P. gained prizes in each event played.

In this picture are good friends and fellow pipers, Sean McKeown, Andrew Hayes and James and Kylie MacHattie....seemed that the fresh air helped everyone as the results from the Northern Meeting indicated! Big congratulations to go to Andrew Hayes for winning the Gold Medal and to Andrew Bonar for taking the Silver Medal. Results again can be found on pipes|drums. Not shown are the results from the B Grade in which James P. once again dominated the S/R event.
Another great showing from the North Americans...way to go boys!!!

Stay tuned for more including pictures and posts from JP's trip to Italy in September. Here's a taste from Urbania:

-JLT

The Piper and Dancer Bulletin, 1969

2010-09-13T23:37:00.000-07:00

Having an historian in the Police makes for some pretty interesting conversations at Monday night band practice. Wendell MacLean, a piper both with the Canadian Scottish Regiment and the Greater Victoria Police band, was a teacher back in Montreal a while back and has always been a keen observer, player and listener of bagpiping for years and years. He can recall events with accurate dates, tune names and placings at the drop of a hat...and even throws in some dry humour now and again!
Last Monday he handed James W. a copy of The Piper and Dancer Bulletin (excuse me, what about the drummers?!) from June 1969. A booklet comprising articles of various competitions, workshops, business etc. that was published in Ontario.
This particular bulletin had a summary from the Vancouver Indoor Games from April 11 and 12th, 1969 (what we know now as the BC Annual Gathering run by the BC Pipers Association). James W. was in print...

Below is the whole summary of the Indoor is below by Alex McNeill. Funny to see that Terry Lee won the Junior Marches and was named the Most Promising Piper...and Alex wrote "I nominated Terry Lee for the award as this boy has what it takes to become a very proficient player".
Think he nailed that one.

-JLT

Worlds Week continued...

2010-09-01T21:07:00.000-07:00

After Lorient and the Silver Cap, James P. was able to close out the week with an appearance with the Spirit of Scotland pipers, under the direction of P/M Roddy MacLeod as guest performers with CAPERCAILLIE! The Friday night concert, held at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, was definitely a highlight for James P. as we have grown up listening to Capercaillie. Being thought of as the band that brought traditional Celtic music to the world stage and aiding in its popularity, it was quite the honour to be able to share the night with such formidable musicians.....and not to mention to play with the SOS pipers!

As James P. and I were quite excited about spending some time with our fellow Spirit of Scotlanders, the plan was to meet at the Concert Hall so I could get my ticket, enjoy the concert and relax before the big Worlds day to follow. Sadly, that was not the case...I was admitted in the Glasgow Royal Infirmary at around 6pm Friday night to be kept in overnight and potentially until the Monday. Therefore, I missed the World Pipe Band Championships completely and the chance to compete in the Qualifier with the Peel Police. What a major disappointment BUT on the bright side, the doctors and nurses took great care of me and I am slowly on the mend. To be honest, I discharged myself against doctor's orders in order to fly home to get better on this side of the water...

While I was in the hospital spending time with probably the three funniest old ladies in Glasgow who just happened to be in my ward, the rest of you were playing your guts out...thank God for the BBC's coverage of the contest which I am just catching up on now! A big congrats goes out to St. Laurence O'Toole for putting in some beautiful performances. And a big thank you to Inspector Gavin Francis of the Peel Police and his wife, Diane who took great care of me during my hospital stay as well as the members of the Peel Police Pipe Band...your love and support meant a lot.
Another exciting Piping Live feature that I missed was the Pipe Idol finale. Held at the Street Cafe just outside the National Piping Centre and with the right weather, it's a lovely way to spend a FREE afternoon listening to the best young international pipers from around the world. With a number of heats involved throughout the week, the final came down to four outstanding players: Chris MacDonald, Alex Gandy, Steven Leask and Jamie Hawke. Alex took the distinction of 2010 Pipe Idol and the top prize of a set of Fred Morrison ReelPipes!
One of the final events of Piping Live is the Masters Invitational Solo Piping Competition held at the National Piping Centre. Being the day after the Worlds, it's a wonder that everyone is in fine shape to crank out some good tunes. This year's winner was Bruce Gandy, taking seconds in both the Piobaireachd and MSR. The Gandys - representing well in Scotland!
We sign off this post with a video clip below (courtesy of pipes|drums) of Bruce playing at the Todd Bar Recital at the University of Strathclyde earlier in the week.

James P. has been in Scotland making his way through Oban, Inverness and the likes winding up at the Northern Meeting for Thursday and Friday of this week. Best of luck to him there as well as all of the other competitors that have made the journey, near and far! Results from this and the other games to follow soon.
-JLT

Worlds Week

2010-08-28T20:54:00.000-07:00

The week of the World Pipe Band Championships has turned into a week filled with the best piping, drumming and celtic music going...thanks to the Piping Live - Glasgow International Piping Festival. With venues all over Glasgow and the music going at virtually any time of the day, it's hard to fit it all in between that and band practices...
Luckily enough, I was able to catch the CD release of Daimh's new-ish album, Diversions. These guys combine the Scottish, Irish and Cape Breton traditions creating a musically tight ensemble that is a such joy to listen to. So glad that I was able to see them perform live at The Piping Centre before heading to the Silver Cap Invitational contest at the Todd Bar to see James P. compete with the big boys (see previous pipes|drums article, James P. Storms into Silver Cap competition).
Organized by Richard King and Steve Foley of the Los Angeles Scots Pipe Band, this solo piping invitational is quickly becoming a popular event. Boasting some great prize money, all of the competitors have a chance to present a medley of tunes, one of which must be currently unpublished. This year's contest was adjudicated by P/M Iain MacLellan who was positioned behind a screen so as not to know who he was listening to. Eight contestants and eight very good performances with the outcome as follows:

1st Angus MacColl
2nd Stuart Liddell
3rd Willie McCallum
4th James P. Troy
5th Gordon Walker
6th Bruce Gandy
7th Jack Lee
8th Ken Sutherland

Way to go James P! Rob Wallace of the Piping Times gave a full review of each competitor (a little harsh on Bruce Gandy....) Read what he had to say.
And thanks to Jason Briscoe who managed to get a great recording of James P's performance. The unpublished tune Jamie chose to play was a hornpipe written by our uncle, Colin Magee (famous for composing Troy's Wedding) for the late and great Highland Dancing teacher, Mrs. Adeline Duncan. Download JPSilverCap.mp4 from our space on Box.net. Safe and easy to use!
More to follow...
-JLT

We Have Some Catching Up To Do...

2010-08-28T19:31:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since our last post - our apologies. Due to excessive traveling and one brief hospital visit, we have just now enough time to regroup and to start posting! Lots to report and lots to share...
First off, I was able to share in the success of the Peel Regional Police Pipe Band at Maxville. We were crowned North American Champions after an undefeated season in Ontario! With seven out of eight firsts between both the MSR and Medley contest and a beautiful day to play to boot, we definitely finished the Ontario season on a high note. It was a honour to be a part of a band that has come leaps and bounds in the last few years under the direction of P/M John Cairns and D/S Graham Brown. Check out the MSR performance from Maxville below:

A big congrats go out to Bruce and Alex Gandy for putting in some great playing during the day, resulting in Bruce being named Piper of the Day! A full synopsis of Maxville results can be found at pipes|drums online.
While I was enjoying the humid Ontario weather, James P. was basking in the sunshine at Lorient, France for the Inter-Celtic Festival. A prestigious event that attracts players and performers from all over the world, this festival has always been on the Places to Go list. James P. was playing for the MacCrimmon Trophy which required contestants to play a Breton piece, a Scottish piece and an Irish piece. Placing second overall, James P. can be seen at 8:50 mark of the video below while the results of the contest are being read. Minute 9:10 is when the announcer reads out his name!

Part of the festival includes the Breton Championship of Bagadoù featuring the best Bagad bands around. Such a sight to behold as these guys really know how to put on a show! Congrats go out to Cap Caval for capturing this year's Championship and then turning around to compete at the World Pipe Band Championships a week later! No small feat, my friends.
This brings us to Worlds Week....more posts to follow.
-JLT

How Do You Like Your MSR?

2010-07-10T23:24:00.000-07:00

Now for some MSRs...featuring the 2010 British Champions: Field Marshal Montgomery, the current World Champions: Simon Fraser University, the winning band from Costa Mesa Day #2: Dowco Triumph St. and the winning band from today's Ontario contest: Peel Regional Police.
As an outstanding MSR is required to qualify for the final at the World Pipe Band Championships, this becomes a major focus later in the season. Two of these fours bands need to qualify this year: Triumph St. and Peel. Can Triumph St. qualify two years in a row? Will Peel measure up? You decide...

-JLT

You Be The Judge...

2010-07-07T00:27:00.000-07:00

With pipe band season in full swing, we have been busy around here, not only playing but judging. And with two BCPA certified judges (and one apprentice judge at the moment), we have had an up close and personal view and listen to what's happening on the West Coast so far. Through the wonders of technology, we also have the capability of seeing and hearing what is happening overseas and everywhere else there may be a highland games and someone with a phone/camera.
Being on the current World Champions home turf, we have the chance to hear Simon Fraser University on a regular basis. They come out guns ablazin' every year and just get better and better as the season rolls on. Proof is in the multiple World Championships AND Sashes they have captured. Having Triumph St. riding right on their coat tails provides an interesting Grade 1 contest and a superb standard to adhere to.
As I am currently going through the BCPA Judges Application process, this requires me to shadow judge at a number of games, both solo and band events, drumming only at the moment (ensemble is to come later). This is such a wonderful exercise in my eyes as every judge has his/her own way of doing things (ie. administration etc.) and their own opinion. It opens up a conversation with the senior judge about not only their process but about the performance itself: technical aspects, musicality and overall enjoyment. As it is hard to pin down judges in the beer tent after the contest, this creates the perfect opportunity to get their thoughts in the moment and hopefully be able to dig out some golden nuggets of knowledge that will one day help in my own personal adjudicating. My father always taught us that you can learn anything from just about anybody. And damn it, he's right.
As this is always a lively conversation around the Troy Sunday dinner table, we've posted winning medley performances from some of this season's earlier contests. We want to hear from you! What are you liking? Who's making you tap your toes? Whose sound do you like? Whose tune selection do you enjoy? Whose drum sound makes you want to take up drumming? What about that backwards intro from Peel?! (now, I won't be offended since I am a Peeler once again!)
Stay tuned as we will post winning MSRs as well. This coming weekend is the first Grade 1 MSR contest for the Ontario crowd - hang on to your hats everyone, this could get interesting!

Enjoy!
-JLT

May 2-4

2010-05-26T18:13:00.000-07:00

Another long weekend long gone....
Congrats to James P. for gaining a 2nd and 3rd in the Pro contest at the Victoria Highland Games!
This Games has seen significant improvements over the years and this year was no exception. The attendance picked up dramatically in part to the Games being billed as hosting the World Heavy Events Championships this year. Mega huge guys from around the world throwing and chucking mega huge weights, breaking all sorts of World records...a sight to behold...along with music all day in the Entertainment Tent, the whisky school, high class vendors and of course, the pre-requisite highland dancing, piping and drumming. The two day event has risen as a high profile event within the community and huge recognition goes out to Jim Maxwell for his tireless efforts to gain such ground in so little time.
The Greater Victoria Police Pipe Band was grateful to participate in Saturday's activities. As a non-competing band, this was a great way for most of the members to gain performance experience as well as be part of such a great community effort. Here's a snippet of their performance:

-JLT

UPDATED: Livingstone Invitational 2010

2010-05-09T11:13:00.000-07:00

The winner of this year's Livingstone Invitational is Bruce Gandy - just like family and a great endorser for JWT Reedmakers.
Check out his winning MSR performance, thanks to pipes|drums and the lovely Andrew Berthoff.
James P. was back for a second year and received 3rd place in the MSR. His MSR performance can be found on the pipes|drums page along with 2nd place MSR winner, Michael Grey.
Congrats to all of the competitors and prize winners!
-JLT

Havana Radio and....Erotica?!

2010-04-22T20:22:00.000-07:00

A photo of James P. playing made the Havana Radio website!
He also is shown on this blog . Although it's dedicated to erotica, I suppose the authors figured it was a good way to share their photos from Cuba!

The pipes both Jamie and Ryan are pictured with came from McCallum Bagpipes. A huge thanks goes out to them for donating the pipes which were given to Alejandro Gispert Galindo of Banda de Gaitas de la Sociedad Agrupación Artística Gallega. A more detailed post on the presentation is to follow.
-JLT

Bagpipes and Tambourines

2010-04-21T22:25:00.000-07:00

Our Ryan MacDonald was photographed...finally!
Check out the full length article and more photos from the Havana Times!

-JLT

And The Winner Is...

2010-04-17T21:27:00.001-07:00

The Vancouver Island Pipers Club has always been a big part of our family's life. Ever since James P. and I were born...and believe me, we were there in our baby seats...we have attended the Pipers Club on the first Saturday of the month from October to May for YEARS!

James W. was a founding member and went on be President for a stint. I have followed in his footsteps and have been the President for four seasons now. The Club has been around since 1968 and was near extinction in 2006. I felt that with it being such a big part of my life and such an important vehicle for local musicians, both young and old - I could not let the Club disappear. With a great executive behind me, we have managed to increase attendance in small increments and gain some enthusiasm and support from the local musicians and lovers of Scottish music once again.

One thing that we've been trying to do is re-instate the importance of supporting and encouraging the young up and coming musicians. The Club was formed based on the notion that it would be a non-competitive environment yet it has been hard to break the impression from many of the local organizations that they must be up to competitive standard. Even though Victoria is a small place, there are many pipe bands, mostly militarily connected, that we have not seen at the Club in a long while. Slowly but surely and one by one, we are convincing them to participate and to help feature young players within their organization that otherwise might not have had the chance to play the Club.

One tradition the Club used to have was competitions. We haven't seen this at the Club in years but out of the archives, these photos surfaced! Thanks to Richard and Lorraine Collett for these!

Best Pupil of the Month - Marches

The Lieutenant-Governors Challenge Cup Awarded to the Champion Pupil of the Year

Best Pupil of the Month - Strathspey and Reel

Look at some of the names! P/M Terry Lee!

Best Pupil of the Month - Marches

Bruce Gandy - two years in a row! He actually won the Strathspey and Reel trophy from 1975-1978 as well.

The last time these trophies were awarded were in the 1980s. Some great trophies with some great names on them!

-JLT

Easter etc...

2010-04-12T15:54:00.000-07:00

Easter weekend means bunnies, chocolate and the BC Pipers Annual Gathering. This year the BCPA was lucky enough to get Stuart Liddell and Steven McWhirter as judges - both have done fabulous things solo and band wise but have recently turned out a wonderful band in the Inverary and District Pipe Band. Both outstanding musicians and knowledgeable individuals, it's always a pleasure to have guys like that around.

Speaking of outstanding musicians, Bruce Gandy was also a judge at the Indoor which also means a visit to Victoria in order to see his family and spend some time drinking red wine with us Troys! Considered 'Uncle Bruce' in this house, there is never, ever enough time with him.

The day after the Indoor, James P. and Ryan headed off to Havana, Cuba to participate in a Cuban Celtic festival modeled after Celtic Colours in Cape Breton. To get in the spirit for their trip, James P. posed for a photo session hours before he played - resulting in a 2nd in the Piobaireachd and a 3rd in the MSR....see the photo as Ryan's Photo of the Week on the Photographer Network! Full solo and band results from the Indoor can be found at the BC Pipers website.

Stay tuned as there will be video, pictures and stories straight from Havana posted in the coming weeks right here on the JWT Reedmakers blog!

-JLT

Do You Like Jazz?

2010-03-09T09:37:00.000-08:00

It has been almost a year since we visited Boston and our friends, Ivonne Hernandez and Ben Powell at the Berklee College of Music. A lot has happened since then with graduations, prize winnings and tours...

Most recently, Ivonne won the London Fiddle Convention competition in England - bringing home another Gold Medal for Canada right around the same time the hockey boys and girls did!

Ben, whose 2009 EPK (musician speak from Electronic Press Kit) features some photos from Ryan MacDonald Photography, recently released an updated version (below). It gives you an inside view on his style, inspirations and the influence on his wonderful playing. One of the best jazz violinists out there, he is also a fabulous person. His Canadian tour dates for this coming summer are yet to be announced but keep your eyes peeled because this is something you shouldn't miss.

Congrats to both Ivonne and Ben for having such a successful year!

-JLT

Nana Banana

2010-02-20T12:26:00.000-08:00

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our Nana - Ella May Watling. The undeniable matriarch of the family, she went peacefully on February 19, 2010. With sixty years at 612 Kelly Road under her belt plus countless family dinners for birthdays, Thanksgivings, Easters and of course the epic Christmas celebrations, it was time for her to pass the traditions on.

She may have been small but sure was mighty - making an impact and leaving quite the impression on whoever met her with her spirited warmth, love and laughter. Known as 'Nana' to just about everybody, she will be sorely missed. Survived by her four children: Louise (James W.), Gerri (Colin), Margaret (Vic) and David, grandchildren: Gordon (Lil), James P. (Ryan) and Jacquie and great grandchildren: Kendyl and Callum, we will make sure that we keep our glasses at least three fingers full of rye.

We love you, Nana.

-JLT

Alex Gandy Cleans Up

2010-02-17T10:04:00.001-08:00

For those of you who were lucky enough to get to California last weekend, it was the Queen Mary Scottish Festival. Alex Gandy, a brand new member of the LA Scots Pipe Band, was down there representing Canada and JWT the best he knew how: sweeping the Professional piping contest with all firsts! That's our boy!

For a complete breakdown of results, we are providing the link juice to www.pipesdrums.com.

If you are a member of the JWT Reedmakers Facebook Group, take a moment to listen, watch and enjoy the clip of Alex and soon-to-be-winning-the-prizes drummer, Brennan Foley (son of LA Scots bass drummer extraordinaire, Steve Foley and probably one of the most elegant and beautiful highland dancers out there, Natalie Hall-Foley) in their kitchen piping performance! Super cute.

-JLT

CHEK Jamie Out!

2010-02-02T16:32:00.000-08:00

Go to Island 30 for Monday, February the 1st to see television coverage of 'serious' James P. recently aired on CHEK 6.

-JLT

Sweet Sounds of Success

2010-01-26T23:22:00.000-08:00

Check this news story from the local Victoria News!

And be sure to check out Chek 6 News tomorrow (27th) as there will be another feature with coverage on James P. and his success at Kansas City.

-JLT

More footage...

2010-01-22T19:49:00.000-08:00

These videos are closer and not so sideways...

See these and more performances from Winter Storm at Phogfan86's YouTube Channel .

-JLT

Give Us a Tune!

2010-01-22T12:41:00.000-08:00

Want to hear some music you can tap your toes to?

Check it out: James P.'s Gold Medal performance at Winter Storm!

(be warned: it literally goes sideways half way through...)

AND Alex Gandy with his light music performance:

Thanks to gsmithscot for the recordings.

-JLT

Weathering the Storm

2010-01-18T13:15:00.001-08:00

Back from Kansas City and the prestigious Midwest Highland Arts Fund Winter Storm, James P. brings with him 1st place in the Gold Medal Light Music! Plus a new Fagerstrom Electronic Bagpipe. A perfect way to ensure no crunluaths will be missed!

Felicitations go out to all of the prize winners but more specifically, Alex Gandy (and faithful Troy reed advocate) for gaining a second place prize in the Gold Medal Piobaireachd!

Full results can be found at www.pipesdrums.com. Audio files will be posted here in the near future - put us in your RSS reader so you won't miss out!

-JLT

Starting the Year Off With a Bang!

2010-01-13T10:50:00.000-08:00

January 9, 2010 was the first Vancouver Island Pipers Club of the new year. In preparation for the Midwest Highland Arts Fund's Winter Storm contest in Kansas City, Missouri, we were lucky to have both James P. Troy AND David Bowman (Simon Fraser University) performing for the evening.

These boys used the Club as a testing ground for their contest material and wowed the audience with wonderful music, fabulous technique and smooth presentation. Not only was it perfect timing with Winter Storm in the coming week but with the recent launch of Bowman Percussion and the very handy Rad Pad!

Visit www.bowmanpercussion.com for details and join the Facebook group to keep up to date with news, events and product information.

Being the President of the Pipers Club, I get the pleasure of securing the entertainment and setting the program for the season. This is a great opportunity to feature local talent and stay true to the premise of the Club in the first place: nurture and support the young players in an encouraging and non-competitive environment. It also gives us a great excuse to see, hear and hang out with old and new friends.

It also provides a platform to launch workshops and various other events. We took the opportunity with Dave to conduct an afternoon drumming workshop at the Bay St. Armouries. He did so with enthusiasm and finesse and was well received by the small yet passionate group of players that turned out. Dave's direct yet patient approach to teaching, his detailed analysis of the process, his John Fisher influence plus his experience with SFU provides players with a fantastic perspective on technique, motion and musicality.

Never far from a perfect photo opportunity, Ryan took Dave's visit and the haunting backdrop of the Bay St. Armouries as a chance to snap a couple of photos of yet another photogenic musician. Go to Ryan's Photo of the Week on Photographer Network to see the result. As with Ryan's shots of Jori Chisholm and James Laughlin taken last year, there is a bit of a contest to see if Dave can gain the most number of views to bump these guys out of the running...

A couple of other shots from the evening:

As JWT Reedmakers host a lecture series on various bagpiping topics throughout the year, the VIPC hopped on that band wagon to host this first drumming focussed afternoon. As the response was favourable, VIPC and/or JWT Reedmakers will be pushing to host these kinds of afternoons on a more regular basis. Stay tuned.

Thanks to David Bowman, Bowman Percussion and James P. Troy for an evening full of good music, laughs and of course pints.

-JLT

Happy New Year!

2010-01-02T00:56:00.001-08:00

From all of the Troys...

2009-12-22T21:48:00.000-08:00

Ghosts of the Past...

2009-12-19T19:18:00.000-08:00

The picture below is a gem.

Taken in Victoria in the early 1970s, the pipers are Hal Senyk and Rich Collett, both playing with the Canadian Scottish Regiment at the time. Behind them, is Pierre Elliott Trudeau and his wife, Margaret marching up to the legislature.

Both Hal and Rich are still part of the bagpiping community today. Hal, a lawyer in Vancouver, is heavily involved with the White Spot Pipe Band as an instructor and mentor. His intense knowledge and musicality is being passed down to these kids that are working hard and reaping the benefits. His daughter, Fiona is a fabulous drummer who is a musical force to be reckoned with. Her teacher, Kyla MacNeil Richdale is a dear friend of mine and has done an outstanding job of nurturing her into a fine young player.

Rich Collett is a mainstay at the Vancouver Island Pipers Club, proudly supporting the Club, the local talent and helping out whenever he and his wife, Lorraine can. He has recently confessed that he must dust off his pipes and has agreed to be part of the May Pipers Club which will feature some of the 'founding' members! It is amazing to have those that were there at the start (1968) still in attendance and recognizing the importance of such an organization.

-JLT

Joe Hewitt (August 31, 1946 - November 25, 2009)

2009-11-29T14:26:00.000-08:00

The Troy family extends our deepest sympathies to the Hewitt family of Portland, Oregon USA. We have had the honour of working with Joe in both the Oregon and B.C. pipe band communities and can honestly say that he leaves big shoes to fill.

Joe has touched a great deal of pipers and drummers throughout the years with his involvement with various pipe bands throughout the Oregon area but more specifically, the Sir James MacDonald, Portland Metro and Portland Metro Youth pipe bands. His generous, encouraging and extremely supportive demeanour and gentle teaching manner will be missed.

He has helped shaped many young drummers into not only outstanding musicians but well-rounded individuals and his legacy will live on with every note that they play.

With love,

James W., Louise, James P. and Jacquie Troy and Ryan MacDonald

The Portland Metro Pipe Band will accepting donations in honour of Joe Hewitt as he was a founding member. Please visit Joe's page for contribution information.

Photographing the Art, Part 3

2009-11-29T14:16:00.000-08:00

The third installment of Ryan MacDonald's Photographing the Art for pipesdrums.com is now up! Subscribers, go check it out.

-JLT

George Sherriff Invitational

2009-11-27T12:23:00.000-08:00

On November 21, 2009, the George Sherriff Memorial Invitational Amateur Solo Piping Championship was held in Hamilton, Ontario. This contest gathers ten of the top Amateur players in North America and is organized by Bob Worrall and the Niagara-Hamilton Branch of the Pipers and Pipe Band Society of Ontario. This year's judges were Stuart Liddell, Reay MacKay and Jack Lee.

The overall winner of the Sherriff was Richard Gillies from Portland, Oregon. He won the Piobaireached and 6/8 marches and was third in the MSR to gain the overall prize. A studious young man, great player and loyal customer of JWT Reedmakers, Richard is really the epitome of determination and hard work. We are proud to have him playing our product. Well done Richard!

Watch a short video of Richard interviewed by Bob Worrall and see the breakdown of results at www.pipesdrums.com.

-JLT

This Weekend's Pipeline

2009-11-09T14:49:00.001-08:00

This weekend's Pipeline on BBC Radio Scotland features some of the winning performances from the Glenfiddich - Stuart Liddell, Roddy MacLeod and a 'fine and moving' performance from Bruce Gandy. Hearing the best solo pipers present their tunes is a wonderful way to spend an hour in the morning!

While trolling around the internet for some footage from the contest, I came across this video from the past summer at the MidWest School of Piping and Drumming featuring John Fisher and Bruce. Guaranteed the grooviest 6/8 around....

-JLT

Happy Hallowe'en!

2009-11-02T14:59:00.001-08:00

Although it's over....in the spirit of Hallowe'en, I've posted a picture of James W. in his last year's Hallowe'en costume which resulted in scaring the living daylights out of EVERYONE at the party.

Slowly ascending up the stairs playing Black Donald's March, this is what came out of the mist....

On a lighter note, another well known event was taking place on October 31, 2009: the Glenfiddich. With Stuart Liddell taking away the overall prize, JWT Reedmakers wants to give a round of applause to not only a loyal customer but a dear dear family friend, Bruce Gandy who came out second in the Piobaireachd and fourth overall! Congrats go out to Roddy, Willie, Gordon, Angus and James as well.

Full results can be found on the pipes|drums website.

This photo was taken a while ago on Bruce's visit out west to see his mother. Photos courtesy of Louise Troy.

Speaking of photos, you should have received your copy of Piping Today (the National Piping Centre's bi-monthly mag) by now. Jori Chisholm graces the cover supported by a wonderful article headlined 'A Thoughtful Approach' with all photo credit to Ryan MacDonald!

Taken at Gas Works Park in Seattle during the summer, Ryan posted one of the many photographs she took of Jori on Photographer Network - a blog where five photographers post weekly pictures. Ryan's photo of Jori spawned over 400 views. This was soon to be overtaken by over 700 views of Ms. MacDonald's session with James Laughlin....pretty impressive.

-JLT

What Do You Play?

2009-10-28T12:24:00.001-07:00

Earlier this month, pipes|drums released results from a survey taken from the Premier and A Grade pipers from the entries at the Argyllshire Gathering and Nothern Meeting contests regarding the types of products they use...chanters, drones, pipe bag, moisture control system and of course, chanter reeds.

Amongst the survey, Troy reeds held good standing with both groups (19% and 16%) and overall with 17%, consistently ranked second in line with Shepherd reeds and behind the Donald MacPhee make. Interestingly enough, there was a mention of one piper still playing a McAllister reed from the 1990s! This was before our purchase of the business and holds testament to the quality and structure of the McAllister chanter reed model, which remains unchanged to this day.

Also, the survey explored the various makes of drone reeds which the top players are using. With only one player incorporating an all cane set up, many were using a combination of cane and synthetic.

(NOTE: This article is only accessed through a subscription to www.pipesdrums.com.)

On that note, there has been talk about re-introducing Troy cane drone reeds into the product offer from JWT Reedmakers. James W. has been involved with drone reed making for years but put it on hold in order to focus on perfecting the Troy bagpipe chanter reed. With a new model in the works with that as well, the inspiration to produce a quality cane drone reed once again came. The drone reeds will feature a new spring (paperclip) which has been master-minded in conjunction with Dr. Gordon Pollock, a former member of the City of Victoria Pipe Band.

Feedback has been positive and this will be in the works shortly. Be on the look out for new product soon!

-JLT

A Trip Down Memory Lane

2009-09-29T16:55:00.001-07:00

As it's always fun to surf YouTube for various videos, I managed to stumble across this oldie but a goodie: Toronto Police Pipe Band at the Alma Highland Games in 2001.

This was the year that James P. and I joined the band...Jamie as a piper and myself as a tenor drummer to fulfill the life long dream of playing in the MIDDLE of the circle! Needless to say, it only lasted a season but this contest was particularly memorable. The first contest of the season actually and the band was lacking a bass drummer. Dave Fenton, a drummer in the snare line (now with the 78th Frasers) jumped in and WOW! Being a great drummer plus an accomplished bass guitar player, he had a lot to contribute. The music, lift and passion that came out of that fella that day was spectacular.

Enjoy!

-JLT

The Art of Reed Manipulation

2009-09-22T17:39:00.000-07:00

Parade to Mossfield

2009-09-22T13:31:00.000-07:00

Can you spot James P.?

-JLT

Bits and Bobs

2009-09-07T12:29:00.001-07:00

This last week has been a flurry of contests overseas so we've been receiving phone calls on a regular basis for various updates.

Here are a quick recap of the last week's events.

Cowal Highland Gathering:

B Grade Piobaireachd

1 - Alasdair Henderson

2- Tom Glover

3- James P. Troy

4- Keith Bowes

B Grade March

1- Alasdair Henderson

2- Alastair Lee

3- James P. Troy

4- Greig Canning

B Grade Strathspey and Reel

1- James P. Troy

2- Alasdair Henderson

3- Keith Bowes

3- Alastair Lee

Good showing for the Canadians! Check out www.pipesdrums.com for the results from Birnam where James P. came away with a 5th in the March and 2nd in the S&R. Another good showing from the Canadians (and of course, Jori Chisholm!) at that contest as well!

Inverness was the last competition on the agenda. A big congrats goes out to our friend, Glenn Brown for snagging the Gold Medal. Other kudos go to Iain Speirs and Willie MacCallum, fellow Spirit of Scotland-ers!

Day Two at Inverness saw the big win go to Stuart Liddell who has been having a fine season not only with his solo piping but with his band, Inveraray and District who ultimately took home the Grade 2 World Pipe Band Championships. Take a listen to both Glenn and Stuart's Piobaireachd performances on BBC Radio Scotland's Pipeline.

Alasdair Henderson was dominate in the B Grade while James P. came away with a 5th in the Strathspey and Reel. A big pat on the back goes to all of the competitors as it is a very intense couple of weeks, jam packed with all sorts of opportunities to play, compete and socialize!

James P. made out great at the end of the day and we are all very proud of him. Glad to have him home....just in time for a quick barbeque and then I'm off for two weeks in Toronto! My old home.

-JLT

The Argyllshire Gathering

2009-08-27T10:48:00.000-07:00

The results are out and were published as they were announced on the trusty piping and drumming online news publication, www.pipesdrums.com.

Nice representation of the Canadians in the prize list with big congrats going out to Alastair Dunn for winning the Gold Medal, Angus MacColl for taking the Senior Piobaireachd and Cameron Drummond for the Silver Medal.

Day Two in Oban brought some different prize winners with Glenn Brown, Niall Stewart and Simon McKerrell taking the A Grade categories. Congrats to Alastair Lee and Willie McIntyre for taking the B Grade top prizes with a special mention going out to James P. Troy for securing a fourth in the Strathspey and Reel!

No rest for the wicked as Cowal is this weekend....roll on Dunoon!

-JLT

The Worlds!

2009-08-24T12:28:00.000-07:00

Unless you have been living under a rock for the last week, you now know that the 2009 World Pipe Band Championships have come and gone. Congrats go out to the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band for another Championship win, as well securing the coveted drumming Sash for the second year in a row.

Although none of the Troys were over for the contest this year, we did have one family member in amongst the winners! Dani Millar (formerly Brin), married to Duncan (a fab drummer with SFU's corps), is a cousin of ours. Dani, one of the few female pipers in the band, has been involved in every one of SFU's six World Championship wins! At the top of the game to say the least.

Photo courtesy of Ryan MacDonald Photography, of course.

Check out the breakdown for the Worlds results.
Kudos go out to the BBC for airing live streaming video of the Grade 1 events! James W. and I were up bright and early at 1am in time to see the entire Grade 1 Qualifier. There were very few technical interruptions and Bob Worrall did a fantastic job as the commentator, inserting diplomatic comments where necessary.

As we are usually on the field playing, this was the first time in ages that I was able to see the entire Qualifying contest to be able to make a reasonable assessment of the results. With a cup of tea in hand and keeping warm and dry, it was almost better than being there! JW and I pretty much agreed with the outcome from the morning Qualifier with a small discrepancy. Tough contest.

Congratulations go out to Triumph Street for qualifying! Again, with that band in our backyard we have the pleasure of hearing them on a regular basis and as they were playing quite quite well, we were not surprised at all that they got through. Also, another congrats goes out to the New Westminster Police - another band from B.C. with a fantastic showing at the Worlds with a 6th place.

Now that the excitement of the Worlds is over....we are on to some of the major solo events around Scotland. James P. left on Sunday for the Argyllshire Gathering and will be competing in the Silver Medal this week and Cowal on the 29th.

The lineup for the Silver and Gold Medal contests can be found at www.pipesdrums.com. We wish James P. all the best over there! Stay tuned for those results.

-JLT

La Bertholdia

2009-08-11T17:49:00.001-07:00

The North American Pipe Band Championships were held in Maxville, Ontario at the beginning of the month. James W. had the pleasure of judging the two day event. The Amateur events were on the Friday with the rest of the solos and the band contest on Saturday. The Montreal Highland Games were held on the Sunday despite horrendous weather! Thanks to the PPBSO for organizing both events and for hosting James W. and Louise for the weekend.
These types of judging gigs facilitate the opportunity to travel in and around the area where the Games are held. Montreal and Quebec City were visited during the following week; taking in the sights, dining in the fine restaurants and seeing some interesting things along the way...such as La Bertholdia Fife and Drum Corps all the way from Fribourg, Switzerland! The recognizable wide collars and mega plumes out of their hats could only mean one thing: awesome Basel drums!

The Bertholdia Association of Fifes and Drums, founded in 1986, gets its name from Duke Berthold IV of Zaehringen. History determines that Zaehringen took in his group of musicians and had them play at leisure time as well as parties and religious gatherings. The musicians were also paid by the authorities who outfitted them in black fabric uniforms to give them an official, yet solemn appearance. Fife and drums corps were, and continue to be, an essential feature to public festivals.
This group continues to develop and promote the art of fife and drum all over the world.

It is said that the Swiss were responsible for the advent of rudimentary drumming. Around 1386, the Swiss used fifes and drums to signal troops in battle. This type of signalling was used by the Swiss continually and since they were deployed throughout Western Europe as mercenaries, it was quickly adopted by the locals, spreading throughout Europe.
In the mid 1920s, Dr. Fritz Berger, a Swiss drumming legend, was responsible for devising a new notation system and thus, revolutionized how drumming was communicated. With great influence on the likes of Jimmy Catherwood and Alex Duthart as well, he had a major impact on pipe band snare drumming as we know it today.
(Read a detailed explanation on how Swiss drumming influenced us pipe banders on www.pipebandarticles.com.)

Neutral or not, let us take a moment and thank the Swiss for all they have given us...
And just in case, the secret hasn't been let out of the bag for you yet, watch this.

-JLT

Blast From The Past

2009-08-03T11:38:00.000-07:00

The Celebration of Life for Mrs. Duncan that was held on Friday saw an outstanding turnout of family, friends, ex-students, their parents and anyone who truly loved her. Her family did a wonderful job of hosting the afternoon with dancing, piping and paying tribute to a true Highland Dancing legend.
Dad was sent this picture below from Heather (Mrs. D's daughter) via Terry Lee. In the middle is Ian Duncan (Adeline's husband). To the left is James W. and to the right of Ian is our late Uncle Pat, Dad's brother.

Seeing this picture sparked me to rifle through some of the old pictures we have around the house. Below is when Dad was a bit younger with Ian tuning his pipes! Ian played a major role in Dad's piping career - read JW's full bio to learn more.

This newspaper clipping is with a much older James W., playing alongside Ian with Premier and Mrs. Bennett behind them.

Not only did the Duncans have an influence on the Troy's musical career, dancing was involved too! Third from the left is our Uncle Pat. Right beside him is Angus McKenzie who went on to be a World Championship and a very close friend to Mrs. Duncan. Dad is not pictured in this one but certainly went through the rigours of dance class with Mrs. D as well.

Probably close to the time of the newspaper clipping above of James W. and Ian, this was published in the local Victoria paper. Funny how they celebrated the locals back then (even published the address!). James W. won the Junior Under 16 Championship at Portland while Heather Duncan is listed for bringing home some dancing prizes.

Mrs. D's influence extended right to our aunts and uncles as well. From the left: Gerri, Margaret and Dave - all superb dancers who took home plenty of hardware in their dancing days.

The Duncans held a lot of influence in so many ways. It was amazing to see it all gathered in the same room this past Friday. Heather continues that influence in her dancing students, producing world class dancers time after time.
Cheers to such a wonderful family!
-JLT

Mrs. D

2009-07-28T14:20:00.000-07:00

With great sadness, we are reporting the death of a true inspiration and mentor, Mrs. Adeline Duncan. A superb, dedicated and passionate Highland Dance teacher here in Victoria, Mrs. D taught every single one of the highland dancers in the Watling/Troy clan, spanning a number of generations.
James W. started taking highland dancing as therapy for an operation which turned into a long standing relationship with both Mrs D and her husband, Ian - eventually resulting in piping lessons from Ian. That spawned many years spent in her studio playing for her dancers as well as a formation of a true friendship.
Her spirit, candidness and pure honesty were always appreciated and have influenced our lives in many, many ways. We can only thank her for the number of years of lessons, encouragement, strength and tenacity.
She will be missed.

-JLT

2009-07-20T15:03:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about Portland, Oregon is the music scene. There is always something going on, a band to check out, a 'fest' of some sort or live music at the bar down the street...and tons of record shops as well as the one of the greatest places to shop for something new (or old) to add to your music library: Everyday Music.
I used to have a roommate when, every time we went to the grocery store, he would 'choke' as he put it. Basically, he panicked since there was so much to choose from...you had a list in your head before you walked through the door but with those long aisles bursting with goodness, you can't think straight. That is exactly how I feel walking into a music shop...I need to spend hours and hours in there flipping through all of the titles because I know there is something I'm forgetting I wanted to hear.....and there is something SO good waiting for me in amongst those jewel cases.
I fought through that panic a couple of nights ago and came across recordings of Ustad Zakir Hussain. This man is a wicked Tabla player as well as a film actor, musical producer and soundtrack composer. He was considered a child prodigy and was touring by the age of twelve.
Check out his concert dates....and go!
These Tabla players are true masters of their art. They study for years and learn to sing everything before they even get to touch a Tabla drum (imagine that!). Their playing abilities are always well presented and very impressive...add the vocables into the mix and guaranteed, you'll gain a new found respect for Indian music.

-JLT

School's....not out!

2009-07-20T13:50:00.000-07:00

Now is the time of year when not only are the contests in full swing, but the schools/workshops kick it into high gear as well.
CeltFest Vancouver Island (FYI: the Pause button is at the top of the content area and you'll have to press it every time you visit a new page....) has come and gone already with James P. part of the drumming staff, along with the almighty John Fisher. This school manages to bring in instructors from all over in various Celtic disciplines: Bob Worrall, Ken Eller and Alan Walters to name a few for the piping; four time World Champion David Wilton for the highland dancing and this year THE OLD BLIND DOGS, who were on staff teaching Celtic song, bodhran, guitar, penny whistle and piping amongst other things. Check out Ali Hutton, the band piper with his lightening fast fingers playing Gordon Duncan's Thunderstruck.
Keep your eyes peeled on youtube for clips from the CeltFest 2009 concert as there were many performances worth checking out!
Sound Advice, run by Iain MacDonald, has also ended for another year with James P. and Ryan both on the piping faculty. Also on staff were: Doug MacRae, Garth Neel, Graham Brown, Tyler Fry and Doug Stronach. Thanks to the MacDonalds for hosting a wonderful week in Saskatchewan. Seeing as though James W. was born in the Prairies and we still have some of the family living there, it gave James P. and Ryan a chance to spend some time with them!
Of course, Ryan also managed to squeeze in some photo shoots as well.
Both Ryan and Jamie have gone from Saskatchewan to Portland, Oregon (thanks to the PHGA for hosting James P. as a judge this past weekend) where this week will be spent teaching the beginning pipers of the Sir James MacDonald Pipe Band. Thanks once again to Jeff and Robbi Brewer for their wonderful hospitality.
Speaking of Portland, a huge congrats goes out to the Portland Metro Pipe Band for their winning performance in the Grade 3 medley contest as well as challenging up to Grade 2 and placing a well deserved 2nd place. Hear that performance here.
I have been spending some time in the States this week or so and had the opportunity to get some time in with the Keith Highlanders Pipe Band. This band has been in the Seattle area since 1952 and are currently cranking out a competitive Grade 4 and Grade 3 band. Gracious and fun folks, these guys and gals were a pleasure to work with. Thanks for the great day!
Everybody's back at the end of this week on home turf....probably celebrating with a barbeque while awaiting the results from the European Championships on Saturday. Good luck to all!
-JLT

Round Up!

2009-07-13T15:05:00.001-07:00

Man, how the weekends roll by quickly when you're having fun!
The BC Highland Games have come and gone and hosted an outstanding Grade 1 contest this year. Alberta Caledonia made the trek westward to delight us with a nice sound and very dynamic drum corps. SFU is gaining momentum as the season progresses with Triumph Street so close behind, it's not funny. Triumph Street are going to do quite well in the Qualifying Round of the Worlds this year if they continue playing this well.
James P. had a great showing in the solos that day with two 2nds in the Piobaireachd and H/J and winning the March contest. Full results for all solo events that day can be found at www.bcpipers.org.
Canada Day passed without much bravado at the Troy household but James W. and I ventured overseas to Port Angeles with the GVPPB for July 4th. The band was hosted by the MV Coho and participated in the local parade. Thanks to the Coho and the city of Port Angeles for such great hospitality.
That same weekend was the Kincardine Highland Games out in Ontario. Hamilton Police pulled out another win in the Grade 2 contest. Congrats guys! They are well on their way to putting in a great performance at the 2009 Worlds.

-JLT

Balagan Pipe Band

2009-06-30T23:36:00.000-07:00

Enjoy a clip of the Balagan Pipe Band (Copenhagen, Denmark) playing a crackin' hornpipe. The band is led by our friends, P/M Bernard Bouhadana, D/S Anders Jensen and lead tenor, Tim Djursing. The Balagan band keeps the hands going during the winter months while the summer brings the contest season with Field Marshal for Bernard and Triumph Street for Anders who spends the summers in British Columbia. James P. and I had the honour of playing with Tim in the Spirit of Scotland last year and hope to re-unite soon!

-JLT

And we're off...

2009-06-23T15:11:00.000-07:00

The outdoor games season has officially begun with the Bellingham Highland Games the first for us out west. Due to an oversight in the judging allocations, James P. was forced to withdraw from the Professional Piobaireachd since James W. was allocated that event. Playing two out of the three events he originally entered for, James P. managed a fine performance in the MSR, resulting in a 2nd place.

The Pro drumming saw the usual competitors - with pretty much everyone having a good play - despite massed bands going on behind us and the random man yelling at us to stop playing...

A full summary of the solo results can be found at www.bcpipers.org.

Georgetown marked the first of the Ontario outdoors. Hamilton Police Pipe Band, near and dear to JWT Reedmakers, went about winning the Grade 2 class. Watch their performance at this youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCxfOuxgOSA

Toronto Police Pipe Band brought out their newest medley, Idiomatica. Check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiU4LT_-VAw. With yet again pushing the 'pipe band' boundaries, these guys will certainly make a wonderful showing in Lorient this summer.

-JLT

A Night in Victoria

2009-06-02T12:31:00.000-07:00

There's nothing better than live music. Especially when it's your friends...

The Folk Arts Quartet was finishing off their West Coast tour here in Victoria on Saturday night and of course, we went to support! They have been on the road for a while now promoting their new CD, which can be found on CD Baby.

We had the honour of being at their official CD release in Boston in March and still were blown away with the composition of this 'not so typical' string quartet. It was also nice to finally be able to share it with the rest of the family! If you're looking for new and wonderful, toe tapping music to enhance your CD library, I would suggest checking the FAQ debut album out....and keep your eyes and ears open, they might be in a town near you soon!

With that show over, Jamie and I headed over to Logan's Pub to attend the CD Release party of Leeroy Stagger, a local alternative country rocker, whom James P. has played and toured with over the years. Leeroy, now based in Lethbridge, Alberta, has a newly formed band featuring drummer Pat Steward (Brian Adams, The Odds), Tyson Maiko (my old hairdresser and bassist for Gob) and Kevin Kane (formerly of Grapes of Wrath), who all played on the new album 'Everything is Real' (available on eMusic).

Tight, energetic and well worth listening to, these guys are touring from the West Coast right through to Ontario throughout the summer. Check out the tour schedule and if they are rolling through your city, GO!

Speaking of music...if you're a fan of John Mayer (oh man, even if you're not!) check out his Live in Los Angeles DVD 'Where the Light Is' (nominated for a 2009 Grammy). It showcases the three incarnations of the musician...acoustic, trio and full band. The trio is the BEST part, featuring two of the best studio musicians you can get - Steve Jordan on drums and Pino Palladino on guitar. When you hear the way he can crank out a blues tune, you'll forget that poppy, commercial stuff he's released and appreciate him for the soulful musician he actually is.

The film is done by Danny Clinch, who is another wicked music photographer. He runs a NYC-based film company called Three on the Tree and has produced numerous EPKs, music videos, documentaries and music films.

Another piece to add to the library!

-JLT

The Inner Game...

2009-05-26T22:25:00.000-07:00

From one marathon weekend to the next....this time, it was literal. The Subaru West Coast Triathlon Series was held in beautiful Shawnigan Lake over the weekend and we were there to cheer on Travis who has been training hard for this, the first of the season.

Walking into a park with hundreds of triathletes is mighty different than walking into a park with pipe banders, in so many ways. But there are similarities as well - to see top athletes hammer out Sprint, Olympic and Half Iron distances one after the other is truly inspiring, much like listening to a top musician spin out a well played set, it just makes you want to be better. It got me thinking of the time we all put into these things we do for fun and how we train for them. Or do we?

Ever read The Inner Game of Music? Barry Green took the 'natural learning' principles from Timothy Gallwey, who wrote the Inner Game for tennis, golf and skiing and applied it to music. We've all felt the nervousness, self doubt, fear of failure and distractions at some point on the boards or on the field....this book teaches how to acknowledge and overcome those feelings which in turn, enhances the experience as well as the learning.

I witnessed the Inner Game in practice at the Tri park this weekend on a number of different levels: Para-Olympians ahead of the pack, first timer Triathletes giving it their best, racers not finishing at all and one person blowing away the self doubt when it mattered the most. That last outcome was pure victory and proof that trust is a powerful tool.

How much of that is due to training? Or in a musician's terms, practice? Are there equal parts physical and mental preparation? On the day, does it just come down to shear determination and mental toughness?

-JLT

Marathon Weekend

2009-05-18T20:50:00.000-07:00

May Long weekend is most definitely a long one for us around here...starting with the Comox Valley Highland Games on the Saturday. James P., Ryan and I headed up island early that morning to play at the first outdoor contest of the season. We all made out okay....Ryan with two 3rds in H/J and MSR, me with two 3rds in MSR and H/J and James P. with a 1st in the H/J, 2nd in Piobaireachd and 6th in MSR. It was nice to see the bands from the mainland out and playing at this one! James P. judged the bands in the afternoon while Ryan and I enjoyed the first ever Mexican food booth at the highland games!

While we were up island, James W. was leading the Police band at the Victoria Highland Games. That games has expanded into a two day affair with Saturday being more of a festival with an entertainment tent, whisky tasting, haggis hurling etc. The Police band was the guest band and debuted the brand new full dress.

Sunday at the Victoria Games is when the piping and drumming contests are now so once again, early morning. Ryan came away with a 4th in the H/J while James P. won that event, and a 6th in the MSR with James P. winning second. Both James W. and James P. were on the judging panel for the band contest. The bands seem to be working hard early in the season as everyone was sounded pretty decent for the start of the outdoor season.

Ryan and I had a pleasure of sitting with two friends during the contest. One is a fabulous guitar player, channeling Stevie Ray Vaughan in a seriously scary way...and the other is a wicked photographer who was documenting her first time at the highland games. Neither one has ever been involved with any of this but both were making acutely valid comments and exceptionally relevant questions. I found it interesting to be in the middle of two extremely creative and sharp individuals who actually were making an effort to understand the little musical world we immerse ourselves in every weekend - and to my delight, were catching EVERYTHING and got the end result spot on. Talk about an unbiased opinion.

Monday is Victoria Day which means the Victoria Day Parade. Although it's not the most fun thing to do after two days of highland games, we geared up and played with the Police band...there's nothing like marching behind a bunch of buses breathing in their exhaust and in front of ambulances with their sirens going. Despite all that, it went well and we wrapped up the day with a barbeque (in the rain). A nice end to the longest weekend of the year. Literally.

-JLT

Audio Files!

2009-05-11T11:24:00.000-07:00

Thankfully someone recorded the contest!

Click on these links below to listen to James P's winning performances (and the other prize winners) from the William Livingstone Sr. Invitational in Hamilton, Ontario:

MSRHJ: www.pipesdrums.com

Piobaireachd: www.thecaptainscorner.com

Thanks to Andrew and Ken for posting these files!

-JLT

James P. Sweeps the Livingstone

2009-05-09T23:09:00.000-07:00

James P. walked away an undisputed winner Saturday at the Livingstone with first in the Piobaireachd and first in the MSRHJ, gaining the overall prize! Congrats to Alex Gandy, Sean McKeown and Andy Rogers who were also in the prize list. Judges were Andrew Berthoff, Ed Neigh and Donald Lindsay.

Check out www.pipesdrums.com for audio files of the performances of all of the prize winners in the MSRHJ event. We will be celebrating upon James P's return on Monday!

Speaking of celebrating, we are wishing all of the Mothers out there a Happy Mothers Day! I know that I own a bunch to my Mom for putting up with all sorts of antics, weird decisions and those conversations that begin with "So...I've been thinking..." which usually result in a massive upheaval of my life. She has been a solid support and super understanding...couldn't ask for anything better. Much love to Momma Troy!

-JLT

Wrap-Up

2009-05-05T23:08:00.000-07:00

Lots has gone on in the last couple of weeks....starting with shocking news from down Portland way. Days after I returned from my trip down south, we found out that our good friend, Joe has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. It happens to be the same kind of brain tumor Ted Kennedy has, which is operable, albeit risky. Joe is an art director, artist and illustrator and has been for some time. Check out some of his work here...apparently even with his current situation, he is still producing some great pieces. Our thoughts and hearts go out to the Hewitts and our fingers are crossed for our buddy.

Another trip to the States was in order last weekend - this time for James W. and James P. They participated in a weekend that happens once every couple of years. Our friend, Dan Deissner puts together a full three day stint with the legendary, Andrew Wright. James W. has been friends with Andrew for years and cherishes any opportunity to pick his brain since he knows every piobaireachd known to man. Armed with only a chanter, Andrew went over the Gold and Silver Medal tunes from memory (including the different variations of the tunes) with the talented group of individuals that gathered to share in his knowledge. Thanks to Dan for making the weekend happen.

Nothing like three full days of piobaireachd to get you geared up for the contest season!

And that's exactly what's happening here....James P. was the featured guest at last weekend's Vancouver Island Pipers Club and was also joined by Ryan MacDonald who played her small pipes. (I had made a promise earlier this season that we'd feature the winner of the BCPA Final Knockout and it was James P.!) It's really too bad that the turnout was quite small because these two are at the top of their game and among the VERY few individuals actually competing from the Island. I figured that there would be a bit more support for them.

As the President of the VIPC, I'm trying to brew some interest amongst younger players to either come to the Club to listen or to play. It's amazing the lack of enthusiasm to participate either way. The Club has always promoted a non-competitive environment with the hopes in providing a venue where people find it comfortable to play. With not many young students - piping or drumming - coming down the pipe (no pun intended!), what will the piping community look like years down the road? Am I missing the mark here? Or is there really not many young people interested in doing this anymore?

Regardless of that, James P. is headed out to Ontario on Friday to compete at the William Livingstone Sr. Memorial Invitational over the Mother's Day weekend (you didn't forget, did you?!). We are rooting for him all the way of course and will be blogging the results once we hear word.

Until then - make your Mother something nice....

-JLT

What Happens in Vegas...

2009-05-04T22:23:00.000-07:00

On the same weekend as the Las Vegas Highland Games, Momma Troy lived out a dream....although in Vegas, she was NOT there for the highland games (shocking, I know!) but there to see one of her favorite musicians, Elton John. He's on his last performances at Ceasars Palace (sharing the stage with Celine Dion on alternate nights), making way for Bette Midler. Cher is also next to come...Mom HAD to see Elton live and Vegas was the place to do it.

Elton John's The Red Piano was directed and designed by David LaChapelle, photographer and video/film/commercial director...best known for his humour and surrealism. He has worked on videos for The Dandy Warhols, Robbie Williams, Joss Stone, Norah Jones and of course, Elton John - and his photos are really amazing.

Mom and her good friend, Jo thoroughly enjoyed the concert and cried like teenage girls in between the whistling, catcalls and yelling. Two costume changes, imagery designed by David LaChapelle, brilliant band and songs such as Tiny Dancer, Candle in the Wind, Bennie and Jets and Your Song, it couldn't have gotten any better for Mom!

Ever walked around the Bellagio? Remember all of the glass flowers on the ceiling? That is the work of Dale Chihuly, originally born in Tacoma, Washington. His works of art are seen all over the world, including in his hometown where the walkway to the Museum of Glass houses his Bridge of Glass. As I spend a lot of time in Tacoma, I have seen this bridge up close and personal and let me tell you, it's outrageously gorgeous.

Ever seen anyone blowing glass? Spending time in the Hot Shop at the Museum is an awesome way to see guest glass blowers or the Museum of Glass team form chunks of glass into beautiful objects and a great way to appreciate the methodical process of glass blowing.

Dale Chihuly, interestingly, works with a team of artists, choreographing and directing the outcome...in the late 1970s, he was in a car accident where his face was severely cut by glass and was blinded in his left eye. After dislocating his shoulder in a bodysurfing accident years later which left him no longer able to hold the glassblowing pipe, he started hiring artists to do the work. Today, Chihuly lives and works in his studio on Lake Union. I'm hoping I run into him on the streets of Seattle or Tacoma one of these days...

-JLT

Rip City!

2009-04-23T15:39:00.000-07:00

Portland - one of my favorite cities - nicknamed Rip City - a term coined by NBA announcer, Bill Schonely during a Trailblazers game against the LA Lakers in the Blazers first season. A three point play by Blazers' player, Jim Barnett, caused the net on the basket to rip and Schonely to yell "Rip City!". He was encouraged to use the term as a rallying cry for the then young team.

That being said, I have just returned from yet another trip to Portland with Travis to a) hang out and visit his family; b) for Travis to attend a band practice and c) for me to teach some lessons. After the longest trip ever via ferry, bus and train, we were welcomed at the home of Joe Hewitt for the weekend.

Joe, a pivotal member of the Portland piping and drumming community, is one of the nicest fellas you will ever meet and a gracious host. He, along with Jeff and Robbi Brewer, nurtured the bagpiping and drumming youth around Oregon and formed the Sir James MacDonald Pipe Band organization that has been running strong for years. Unfortunately, due to a variety of reasons, Sir James will not be competing this season...although Joe is now a part of another youth movement with the Portland Metro Pipe Band. In the past few years, I have had the pleasure of working with some of the kids that are now part of the Portland Metro Youth drum corps and was able to see them again on this trip. I was astounded at the leaps and bounds of improvement they have made in a short time. A lightbulb must have went off somewhere because these kids have matured rapidly and are having piles of fun! Nice to see.

The other part of my weekend was spent with the Clan MacLeay drum corps. This band is one of the oldest running pipe bands in North America, mainly being a performance band. This season, they will not be fielding a competition band but the drummers that attended Saturday's session were enthusiastic and willing to apply new tunes and concepts. A really nice group of people - I think it's safe to say that we all enjoyed ourselves!

Thanks to everyone who made the trip to PDX a great one!

While I was in Portland and the boys were at home preparing for this weekend - their annual Piobaireachd weekend with Andrew Wright in Washington - Mom was in Vegas....more on that soon.

-JLT

Happy Easter! (a bit late....)

2009-04-14T21:17:00.000-07:00

Easter weekend means one thing in our household: the BC Pipers Annual Gathering. Unfortunately, my work responsibilities are dictated by the weird timing that the fashion industry brings so I had to stay behind (the first time in a while shipment was delayed = the first time in a while I missed the Indoor) while James P., James W. and Ryan headed over to Vancouver.

The Indoor used to be the first gathering of the season that brought people from all over the piping world to B.C. It has dwindled in popularity in the recent years for competitors and bands abroad but they still manage to bring out some big name judges. This year for piping it was Alasdair Gillies and Ken Eller. For drumming, Eric Ward had the honours as well as his wife, Lynn judging the midsection stuff.

It was a momentous occasion as Ryan was 'coming out of retirement' in order to represent the female side of things in the Professional Piping! Something that will hopefully continue on throughout the games season.

All said and done, James P. came away with a 3rd in the Piobaireachd and 2nd place in the MSR. Job well done! Congrats to Alastair Lee for taking home the Pro aggregate of the day. A full breakdown of all of the results for both Friday and Saturday events can be found on the BC Pipers website.

As I was surveying the results on the BCPA site, I found this photo, courtesy of Ken McKenzie.

-JLT

P.S. Check out JWT Reedmakers on Facebook now!

2009-04-06T14:13:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday marked the first of the JWT Reedmakers Spring Lecture series. James P. and James W. shared their wisdom with regards to making the bagpipe work effectively and efficiently to the players advantage. We were extremely pleased with the turnout and I think all attendees walked away with not only some important information but a little inspiration as well. We thank everyone who attended, especially those that travelled far distances! The next installment of the series will be announced shortly.

That night was the Piper's Club with the Canadian Scottish Regiment Pipes and Drums as the entertainment. Some of the fellas that travelled from Campbell River to attend the JWT lecture were there which was nice to see! It was a smaller than normal attendance but those that were there thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The May Club is scheduled for May 2, 2009 and James P. will one of the guests.

Look for the launch of the Vancouver Island Pipers Club website in the near future!

-JLT

Trip Photos...

2009-04-04T12:46:00.000-07:00

Head on over to www.ryanmacdonald.blogspot.com to see some photos from our brief trip to New York City via Boston. Not your average holiday pics! There's some from the World Trade Centre site, atop the Empire State Building, the Dakota Apartments (where John Lennon lived...and where Yoko is still), Grand Central Station and the inside of the NY Public Library. We packed a lot in in two short days.

Enjoy!

-JLT

2009-03-29T09:02:00.001-07:00

The last three days have been filled with sight-seeing and concerts. Thursday night was Berklee's International Folk Festival. It featured a number of different countries that were represented amongst the students here...Dominican Republic, Portugal, Middle East, Japan, Scotland and of course Canada. Ivonne, Kimberly Fraser (Nova Scotia) and Trent Freeman (another Vancouver Islander!) represented Canada - along with special guests Ryan and Jamie! Interesting to note, Roy Haynes, legendary jazz drummer was honoured that night with the Berklee International Award for "supporting international understanding, goodwill and education". We were lucky enough to catch a show a couple of years ago that he played at in Vancouver.....he has played with ALL of the great jazz musicians past and present and is considered a grand master of the genre. Such a surprise to be in the same room and watch him be presented with such a grand award.

Friday was the last day of the Photoshop Conference so while Ryan and I were wrapping that up, the boys went on a tour of Fenway Park. We met up in the late afternoon to prepare for the next concert on the schedule. Benny Golson, another jazz legend, was performing a FREE session with the Berklee Jazz Orchestra. This was the fellow that taught the Master class that Jamie was able to attend with Ben - he's 80 years old but could pass for 45 easily. A legendary composer, arranger and lyricist, he was great friends with John Coltrane and has played with the likes of Art Blakey, Dizzie Gillespie and Benny Goodman to name a few. The place was packed and right enough, Benny plays a mean tenor sax! Truly another unbelievable experience that we were able to witness.

Jamie, Travis and I went to the Museum of Fine Arts yesterday while Ryan was on another set of photo shoots. This place is AMAZING...and had everything that each of us was interested in: Egypt, fashion/textiles, Venetian painters and the list goes on. A room full of ancient musical instruments was one highlight...where Benjamin Franklin's armonica was on display. I had no idea that he invented it and that Mozart actually composed for this particular instrument at one point. And here we thought we were being clever playing the glasses after a night of wine drinking!

Last night saw the last of the concerts....the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Considered one of the top orchestra's in the world right now, it was a treat to hear! Ravel, Prokofiev and Stravinsky's Petrushka was the program of the evening. A young violinist by the name of Lisa Batiashvili was the featured performer who blew everybody away with her superb playing. Again, what a great way to spend the evening!

Today is the last full day here in Boston and I think we all are a little sad to be leaving. Ivonne and Ben have been outstanding hosts and we appreciate every bit of floor space that they have provided. A HUGE thanks to them.

Today we are going to try to pack everything that we haven't seen yet in....good luck to us!

-JLT

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAMES W!

2009-03-26T12:36:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's right. It is James W.'s birthday today...just don't tell him I told you....

James P., Ryan, Travis and I have been out east for about a week now. First of all, we landed in Boston and Jamie was whisked away by the Stuart Highland Pipe Band for a two day workshop. A big thanks to those guys for the hospitality and warm welcome! The rest of us explored downtown Boston for the weekend before heading off to NYC for two days.

New York was a whirlwind trip but we managed to pack a lot of stuff in. We were lucky enough to be in town to see The Roots play at the Highline Ballroom in Chelsea. Check out some of the video footage! It was an informal jam that brought in some local hip-hop dudes, Citizen Cope, Alison Smith and some other local musicians. So smooth and so tight!

Jamie and Ryan managed to get tickets to the Dave Letterman Show! Travis and I took that time to wander around Greenwich Village (which I fell in love with), SoHo, Chelsea and the Meatpacking District, off the beaten path of every other tourist there. I tend to compare every other city to Toronto since I've spent a lot of time there....and NYC is Toronto on drugs, wearing a Yankee hat.

Yesterday, today and tomorrow, Ryan and I are at the Photoshop World Conference learning all sorts of nerdy computer things. We have the honour of staying with our friend, Ivonne Hernandez. She's a fellow Victorian in her last year at the Berklee College of Music and is a wicked fiddle player. Check her out here.

Her apartment is in the midst of Berklee, Boston Conservatory, Symphony Hall and the Boston Performance Centre, where everyone is carrying some sort of instrument on the way to some sort of music class or rehearsal or practicing up in the cute little brownstone apartments that line the streets of the neighbourhood. It's such a cool environment to be in. There is always something happening - some sort of show, recital or concert and our timing was just right - we were able to catch Ivonne's CD Release Party for her Folk Arts Quartet last night. These girls (all Berklee students) combine folk and classical to create a super wicked mix with a lot of groove, innovation and passion. Her boyfriend, Ben Powell, a fabulous jazz violinist was the opener. Wow! What a treat! His debut CD, Light (Ryan did the photos!) was just released and can be found on iTunes. Visit www.ben-powell.com. Since Jamie is a big jazz fan, he was able to attend a Master Class with Ben this morning!

That's it for now. After this afternoon's session at the Photoshop Conference, we are all headed out to yet another concert - more on that tomorrow!

-JLT

The Start of Something New...

2009-03-17T17:50:00.000-07:00

JWT Reedmakers is hosting a series of lectures beginning Saturday, April 4, 2009 at 1pm. The first topic is The Bagpipe: How It Works and How To Make It Work. James W. will be heading up the talk which will probably be held in the shop, numbers permitting.

Visit the contact page at www.jwtreeds.ca to either send us an email or give us a call to reserve your spot! The price is $20 per person, $15 for Vancouver Island Piper's Club members.

The Piper's Club will be held later (8pm start) at the Bay St. Armouries where the Canadian Scottish Regiment Pipes and Drums will be performing. What better way to spend a Saturday than filled with piping!

-JLT

BCPA Knockout Final

2009-03-16T13:26:00.000-07:00

James P. adds another prize to the growing list...winner of the BCPA Knockout Final! The judges were Peter Aumonier, Rene Cusson and Jim Barrie. The other competitors were Jori Chisholm (who is the Photo of the Week on www.photographernetwork.com - taken by Ryan MacDonald), Andrew Bonar and Andrew Lee. Good job Jamie!

Photos from the final can be found here. Also, a list of previous winners and other information on the Knockouts can be found here.

The days leading up to the Knockout, Jamie and Ryan attended the Lunasa concert in Seattle AND Mount Vernon, Washington. Ryan is their biggest fan ever. And this coming week, we are all headed out to Boston, MA to see some friends, attend a Photoshop Conference, explore a new city or two (we're headed to NYC for a couple of days too) and just to enjoy some time off!

-JLT

Marianas Trench

2009-03-02T21:46:00.000-08:00

No, I do not mean the deepest location of the Earth's crust...

My good, dear friend Ian Casselman is the drummer for the Vancouver based band, Marianas Trench. They have just released a new CD called Masterpiece Theatre and it's worth giving a listen to. You can hear the record in it's entirety here for the rest of this week. It's streaming audio and there are some clips from their recent appearance on MuchMusic's On Demand. If you miss it there, it can be downloaded from iTunes along with their other album, Fix Me.

Ian Casselman used to be a snare drummer with the Abbotsford Police in his teenage years. He was the bass drummer for the same band when I was in the snare line...he also played bass for SFU for a season (2001 I believe) then went on to pursue his rockstar-dom. He played a huge role in my drumming career - focussing my attention on technique, feel/groove and probably is the only person ever to get a group of people to march along to Toto's Rosanna. I love him dearly and we are still good friends to this day.

For more information on Marianas Trench, visit their website. They could be coming to a town near you!

-JLT

Turntable Treasures

2009-02-19T23:28:00.000-08:00

On a recent trip to Tacoma, Travis and I stopped in at a record shop - Turntable Treasures. This place was filled with old San Francisco gig posters, electronic equipment and of course, LPs. Walking down the never-ending isles of records, I came across the 'Bagpipe' section. Small in size but I knew, just knew, that there were going to be some gems waiting to come home with us. Turntable Treasures did not fail me.

Amongst the usual riffraff of Scottish ceilidh music, Triumph Street Pipe Band's first album (released in the early 1970s) was sitting there for $3.00. But my excitement skyrocketed when I flipped to Strathclyde Police Pipe Band Champion of Champions. For $3.00 too!

I told the shop owner that these were legendary albums and because he thought I was crazy and probably just wanted to get rid of his bagpipe record collection....he swung Travis a deal (he was also buying a turntable and a lot of vinyl).

Once the player was set up back at Travis', the first LP to go on was of course, Champion of Champions! Oh, the crackle of the needle hitting the vinyl, the snappy snare drums, the brisk tempos and the brilliant playing - I was in heaven. Talk about inspiration.

That band has played a big role in the development of the Troy family as players. Our cousin, Gordon Magee, was lucky enough not only to get on the force over there but be a part of the Band Division. First class group of people with top shelf professionalism that produce quality playing and are of legendary status amongst us players.

It's a damn good thing we bought that album when we did with the recent news of the fate of the Strathclyde Police Pipe Band. Read the full scoop on www.pipesdrums.com. To think that an institution such as the Polis might be axed is heartbreaking and would leave a huge hole in the pipe band community. Please show your support and add your name to the ever growing online petition: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/strathclyde_police_pipe_band/?

-JLT

Happy Birthday to James P!

2009-02-09T11:08:00.000-08:00

In honour of James P's birthday (which was yesterday), I have posted a gem of a picture, circa 1998. This was taken just shortly after all of the original machines arrived from Scotland and the shop was set up.

Jamie's birthday weekend got off to a great start on Friday, the 6th after a great performance at the semi-finals of the BCPA Knockouts in Vancouver. Along with Andrew Bonar, Andrew Lee and Jori Chisholm, he advances to the final round which will be held at the Scottish Cultural Centre on March 14th, 2009.

On Saturday the 7th, back in Victoria, the Vancouver Island Piper's Club (look for the website coming soon) hosted Dr. Gordon Pollock and the small pipes group that he belongs to up island. It was a night filled with Northumbrian and Irish pipes as well as flute and some guitar. Playing to a full house, they put on a fabulous show. The next meeting for the Piper's Club will be on March 14th at the Bay St. Armouries, with Cowichan Pipes and Drums as the entertainment.

Something to keep in mind.....JWT Reedmakers is going to start a Spring series of mini workshops, starting April 2009. They will be held in the shop and will cover a different topic each month - bagpipe maintenance, reed manipulation, ensemble issues and more. Stay tuned for more details.

-JLT

And now for something completely different....

2009-02-01T16:04:00.000-08:00

Ryan and I headed over to Vancouver yesterday to attend a book launch for the much anticipated Penguin and the Cupcake, written by my good friend, and former tenor drummer, Ashley Spires. She has illustrated a number of books but this is the first she has entirely written and illustrated. The launch was hosted by the beautiful children's book store, Once Upon a Huckleberry Bush (28th and Main St.) and was packed to the ceiling with Ashley's adoring fans, friends, family and of course, cupcakes.

Ashley and I used to play in the Vancouver Ladies together when we were in our pre-teen and teenage years. These years were pretty integral, not only within the pipe band, but in the sense that I formed some of the best friendships I could ask for. 'The girls' were there yesterday to support Ashley, spend some time together and have a little fun. We all live in different places and it takes a lot of planning to get us all in one place at the same time but at the end of the day, it's well worth it.

Ashley's book can be found at Chapters.

-JLT

Snazzy Photo

2009-01-26T10:55:00.001-08:00

Having a photographer in the family requires us to participate in a number of photo-related activities and experiments, which result in such stunning photos as the one above.
Courtesy of Ryan MacDonald Photography.
-JLT

Back in the Day....

2009-01-26T10:39:00.000-08:00

As I was flipping through Book One of the RSPBA's Structured Learning Manual, I came across this old advertisement for WarMac Chanters and McAllister Reeds. Although there is a slight mistake in the spelling of the McAllister name, it is neat to see the old Shotts address in print! This book was in its second edition, published in 1993, roughly five years before we acquired the reed business.

-JLT

Winter Storm Results

2009-01-17T10:59:00.000-08:00

A full breakdown off all of the events that were held yesterday in Kansas City can be found at: www.pipesdrums.com
A big congrats go out to Jori Chisholm, Alex Gandy and Glenn Brown who were all big winners in the piping contests! Jori has also recently released a solo album, Bagpipe Revolution. All info can be found on his website.
-JLT

Audio File of James P!

2009-01-16T16:16:00.000-08:00

Click on the post title to download an audio clip of James P.'s November Knockout performance. This clip is hosted by Box.net (try it out - super easy to use and great for file sharing!)
ENJOY!
-JLT

Housekeeping

2009-01-15T15:15:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!
We have changed a few things around on the blog as you might have noticed....cleaned it up a bit, refreshed it and made navigation easier. Links are now in a light grey colour and will change to an orange once rolled over. Subscribing to the blog is easier than ever with the Subscribe to Posts and Comments buttons at the top. Put the URL into your Google Reader (or another RSS reader) and you'll be updated every time we update!
JWT Reedmakers send out the best of luck to all of our friends who are traveling to and competing at Winter Storm in Kansas City this weekend. James P. will be there and we will be posting results as we find them out!
Keep your eyes peeled to www.pipesdrums.com for the next installment of Ryan's piper and drummer series. You will have to be subscribed to the site in order to view the photos.
As Robbie Burns dinner season fast approaches, we hope that you have bought tickets to a dinner near you. The Greater Victoria Police Pipe Band is hosting their 6th annual dinner on January 24th. Info on tickets can be found at http://www.gvppb.ca/ticket_sales.htm. The band had a practice run of their full program recently as they were the guest pipe band for the January meeting of the Vancouver Island Piper's Club (website to come). The dinner is usually a sold out event and guarantees an evening of traditional Scottish entertainment.
More posts to come - including a long awaited audio clip of James P. at the BCPA Knockout, which granted him through to the final round in February.
-JLT

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T14:50:00.000-08:00

The whole Troy family is wishing everyone a safe and Merry Christmas! And a successful 2009!

THE NEW SITE IS LIVE!

2008-12-09T14:13:00.000-08:00

Our new website is up and running.....please go to www.jwtreeds.ca to see the new and improved look!
-JLT

It's funny what you find on the Internet...

2008-12-02T21:32:00.000-08:00

Low and behold, another video of the Spirit of Scotland at the Worlds.
Enjoy!

Speaking of funny and the Internet, the JWT Reedmakers site has been undergoing a bit of a face lift. Keep your eyes peeled in the coming weeks for a brand new website. Launch date will be announced on this Blog.
-JLT

On The Day

2008-11-13T09:02:00.000-08:00

Please visit this YouTube link and see the trailer for the documentary on the Spirit of Scotland Pipe Band...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtqgC13eXhY
If you are so inclined, please become a sponsor so we can get this as a full feature documentary. Info is at the end of the video.
-JLT

It's a Knockout!

2008-11-12T10:46:00.000-08:00

On November 7, 2008, the British Columbia Piper's Association hosted the Professional Knockout at the Scottish Cultural Centre in Vancouver. James P. triumphantly made it through to the next round! He also judged the drumming portion along with Duncan Millar, who just happens to be married to a family member, Dani Brin (now Millar). Both are members of the SFU Pipe Band and have just come off their World Championship win.
There are pictures of the event on the BC Piper's website (click on the link above). If you are interested in information about the next Knockout, please click here.
A recording of James P. playing his selection on the evening will be posted soon! Please stay tuned!
-JLT