Zee Grega posted a second blog about NWJPB after the Grade 4 band’s Whidbey Island Highland Games victory, and mentioned a very important part of what NWJPB does; almost unconsciously, as part of our mission to teach youth to play Scottish Bagpipes and drums. NWJPB and other similar youth music organizations give kids a place to belong, something that is more valuable than watching TV or playing a video game, and generally help combat the problems kid face when they’re “bored”. To be a very good piper or drummer takes significant practice, focus, and dedication. NWJPB members spend as much as two or three practices a week together (more during some weeks), most take private lessons besides that, and many practice daily. Since January, there has been 3.5 performances or competitions per month; almost every week. They meet other kids interested in similar things, and many of them visit piping and drumming camps such as the Highland Musical Arts school, Piping Hot Summer Drummer, the Couer d’Alene Summer School of Piping & Drumming, or the Mastery of Scottish Arts School coming up in February 2008. Many NWJPB members attended these schools in 2007. At these schools, you not only get to work with some of the best instructors in the world, who truly love teaching Scottish piping and drumming, but you learn that there are many more youth who love what you love, too.
Relief, exhaustion, excitement and pride are just some of the words that define the last competition of the season for the dedicated and talented youth of Northwest Junior Pipe Band. Besides placing first in band and 1st in drumming against 6 bands in a unanimous ranking by four judges, NWJPB volunteers ran a fundraising food booth selling Bangers, Hot Dogs, Burgers (Beef, Garden, and Turkey), and Root Beer Floats really chipped in and made it a successful fundraising event to support the band’s planned trip to Scotland in 2008. Band members gathered around to watch competitors, cheering them on and high 5’s were widely exchanged as many competitors ended up placing in their events. Enthusiasm and support ran very high as young pipers and drummers displayed their skill for the last competition of the season. There were several first time high placings for band members who have worked hard all summer to improve their art.
As predicted by many, the new Triumph Street Pipe Band won the North American Championshps in Maxville, Ontario at the Glengarry Highland Games on August 4th, 2007. Triumph Street Pipe Band is many talented members of the former Robert Malcom Memorial Pipe Band Grade 2, who took the World Championships in 2006. Northwest Junior Pipe Band congratulates Triumph Street Pipe Band, and especially the three Northwest Junior Pipe Band Alumni who play pipes and drums with the band. It seems likely that the 2007/2008 season will see a new Grade 1 band in the BC Pipers Association competition scene after the series of 1st place finishes Triumph Street has had.
Jim McGillivray has just launched a ground-breaking web resource for the bagpiping community. See his announcement here>> and visit Pipetunes.ca to sample hundreds of tunes, and if you like them, you can purchase the sheet music one tune at a time. Jim has big plans for new features, and has obviously worked hard to make the website a good experience and resource for the piping community.
 
From the description on the new web site:
“Download and print individual pipe tunes! On pipetunes.ca you’ll find superb settings of hundreds of traditional tunes, as well as authorized, copyright material from today’s best composers. Browse by listening to excerpts of the tunes. You can also download practice-chanter demonstrations of the tunes by leading piper and teacher Jim McGillivray, as well as by many of the composers themselves.”
Jim McGillivray bio, from Andrew Lenz’s Bagpipe Journey article, Who’s Who in Piping:
(1955 - ) Canadian. World level piper. Started piping at age 11. Author of “Rhythmic Fingerwork” Tutor and two bestselling DVDs, “Pipes Ready!” and “Pipes Up!” which cover pipe maintenance and tuning respectively. Winner of the Northern Meeting Gold Medal in 1985, the Inverness Clasp in 1987 and the Argyllshire Gathering Gold Medal in 1991, among other awards. In 2005, became the first Canadian ever invited to judge at Scotland’s premier Agyllshire Gathering, and in 2006 the first North American to judge at the Glenfiddich Championship. Since 1998 he has taught piping full time at St. Andrew’s College, a private boys’ school in Aurora, Ontario, where he lives. Also a respected player of Scottish Smallpipes, Border Pipes and Northumbrian Smallpipes. Pronounced “Muh-Gill-vree.” Moderator at the BobDunsire.com forums.
