Posted by Todd Schiele in Newsletters

I wanted to write up a quick note really long blog…introducing myself and thanking some people that have been critical to the success of NWJPB over the past few years.  I’ll post updates here throughout the season. 

First, a round of recognition for some really important volunteers for the band, both outgoing and incoming… 

• Thanks to Stephanie Sprinkle.  Stephanie was granted “lifetime membership” in NWJPB last year because of her unfailing dedication to NWJPB and the youth that it has served over the past decade.  She’s still offering to help us with our Whidbey Island fundraisers, and will help out in other ways when needed, but she’s very busy working with Washington Scottish and has stepped down from the Trustee position.
• Charles and Ginny Simontacchi (past President, Treasurer, and Vice President “2″).  These two took on a very small, struggling organization about 4 years ago.  We had around 5 band members in 2003, 7 to 10 in 2004, and Charles and Ginny continuously worked to encourage growth and structure in the organization; donating an incredible amount of time and energy.  In our 2005/2006 season, we had a pretty large turnover in Board positions, and Charles and Ginny made the right decision to encourage others to take over the reins, but when we needed help, Ginny stepped up and continued helping us…championing an incredibly successful silent auction at our March concert last year, as well as continuing to work on getting “gigs” for the band.  The success we continue to build is largely due to the foundation that they began laying several years ago.  We miss their daughters, our “lead stick” and Pipe Major last year, but wish them the best as they move on to school in Chicago; and their membership in the City of Chicago Pipe Band.  We wish them the best!
• Mark Sullivan, last year’s president.  Running a quickly growing, energetic and exciting organization such as NWJPB is not without its challenges.  I really appreciate Mark’s sense of getting business done, as well as his amazing ability to work toward common ground, and help identify the ultimate goals. 
• All of our volunteer instructors have been donating an amazing amount of time to our kids over the last several years.  Special thanks to Kevin Auld, Steve Roy, and Marcie MacRae, our lead instructors for pipe, snare, and bass/tenor.  Thanks also to Steve Campbell, Nicci Stewardson, Holly File, Sarena Hyman, Marie Salmi, and Sarah Young, who have all donated a varying amount of time to our kids over the last few years.  Without these very talented musicians and instructors, we recognize that we wouldn’t have any success as a pipe band (let alone have grown from 5 to more than 30 members in 3 years).  I strongly believe that while they gain the rewards of seeing the amazing progress our youth have made, I believe we need to move to the next phase as an organization and find ways to reward them financially, as well as continue to improve and grow our growing teaching program.  With this in mind, our highest priority this year is to implement a scholarship program; we’ve had a lot of success with fundraising over the last year, and really need to take this next step to providing funding to pay for individual or group lessons to help them advance their piping and drumming skills quickly.  Secondarily, we will begin growing a program for teaching that will best support our kids, called “Pipe Band School”.  Watch for news about this over the next couple of months, but Kevin and Steve have started group lessons based on this model (which is their concept and creation) on their own, and we plan to eventually grow that into a NWJPB sponsored school for pipers and drummers.
• Deb MacLeod, last year’s treasurer.  We owe Deb a huge debt of gratitude.  She jumped into the Treasurer role last year with a lot of trepidation, but she did an amazing job.  At the same time, she continued supporting the band’s uniform needs as instrument Quartermaster, and acted as the Producer for our first ever NWJPB concert as if she’d been doing it for years.  Thanks Deb for your amazing dedication to the band.  I hope your new volunteer job with Masters of Scottish Arts is as rewarding and fulfilling, but hopefully a little less work (and stress) for you! 
• Thanks to Angie Maier who served as our Secretary last year.  We had a great time working with you Angie!  You did everything you could, when you could, and that’s the best we could have hoped for.  You did exactly what we needed you to do, even though it was hard! When the year started you had no idea how busy life would become while you were working to send your daughter off to her first year of college!!
• Thanks to Jennifer Stone, our new Treasurer, and Julie Alger, our new Secretary.  These two are very enthusiastic in their support of the pipe band, and hopefully they don’t know how much work they’ve got in front of them yet…because I know they won’t let me forget I was one of the folks who talked them into these roles. 
• Thanks to all of the volunteers who are too numerous to name, but at our concert, our competitions, performances and other events, our members / parents are always willing to pitch in and do what needs to be done.  That’s why we feel like a family.  We really can count on each other to do what needs to be done….even with very short notice sometimes. 
• Special thanks to our “Director’s Assistant” (new title, same role), Weatherly Schiele.  Weatherly spends a lot of time working with the instructors to coordinate practice nights, group lessons, music production, and is a steadfast champion of our newest members.  Additionally, she takes most of the amazing pictures you see in our Media Gallery.  Beyond that, she writes most of our monthly newsletter, and has been working on the calendar production and Band Handbook.  Weatherly brings a ton of enthusiasm to the band.  As if all that wasn’t enough, she has the herculean task of being my wife.  In her spare time, she’s a homeschooling teacher for our children.  “phew!”  Just writing it all down wears me out.  Thank you so much, Weatherly.

About me:  I’ve got two kids in the band, Morgan (Side Drummer, learning Bass) and Alexander (Piper, learning Tenor drum).  I served as the Quartermaster for instruments last year (a position that still needs a volunteer!!) and even got to play bass (not that well) in the Redmond Derby Days parade this year (know any kids who want to play bass?).  My wife Weatherly is the Director’s Assistant (see above).  We’ve chosen to donate so much of our time on this organization for a few reasons;

1. It’s very important to continue to encourage traditional music development and history.  While I don’t have much Scottish heritage in my background…Weatherly does, but regardless…it’s an amazing thing to see the interest in music and an instrument that has been around for around 500 years.
2. Because I believe in our instructors; specifically, I believe our instructors are among the best instructors for youth in the Northwest (among all youth music instructors).  
3. When our kids first started to join NWJPB, there was no clear path to success, or feeling involved and supported as a “band member”.  Kids basically had to “master” the instruments with their own instructor, and then they would be invited to join the band when they were good enough.  I believe that the best way to support youth musicians is to involve and include them “in the band” at the beginning and give them a clear picture of how they become a “competing” or “performing” member down the road, but invite them to participate in most of the band activities.  Of course, the more instruction they receive and practice they accomplish, the faster that can happen, so every opportunity to provide education (back to my thought on scholarships) should be a priority for the band.
4. Finally; and maybe most importantly:  the amazing sense of pride seeing our kids succeed (”our” being both my 2, as well as ALL the kids in the band) consistently overwhelms me.  To see how much work the kids put into this activity (some practice more than 5 hours per week, have weekly instruction AND pipe band practice on top of that, along with all their other activities), and the joy on their faces when they “get it right” or get to march in massed bands for the first time, get a placing in solo competitions, or when the band does well…that never leaves me.  Every time I think about the many “firsts” I’ve seen with so many of our members…I get choked up.  I’ve seen many parents have the same response when their kids perform in a uniform for the first time.  These kids are just so fun to watch, and their dedication is amazing!

Finally, I just want to thank the traditional Scottish music community in the Northwest for always being willing to help, to offer advice, and to support our organization whenever requested;  BC Pipers, Washington Pipers Association, St Andrews/Caledonian Society, The Celtic Arts Foundation, Keith Highlanders Pipe Band, White Spot Pipe Band, Sir James McDonald Pipe Band, Washingon Scottish…and many more. 

 NWJPB now has over 30 members.  If you haven’t looked lately…check out the media gallery.  Thanks for taking the time to read through all this!!

 Todd Schiele, president@nwjpb.org

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