Northwest Junior Pipe Band started off the week learning they are the only youth bagpipe band from the United States scheduled to compete at the ultimate competition for pipe bands, the World Pipe Band Championships on August 16th, 2008. 33 youth pipe bands from around the world will compete, with the young band from Washington as the only US entry. The recent draw listing the order of play for the two 
qualifying competition heats puts NWJPB up first at 9:00 am.
Northwest Junior Pipe Band Grade 4 then went on to wrap up a two day competition at the sunny Skagit Valley Highland Games in Mount Vernon, WA on July 13th, winning the title “Washington State Grade 4 Pipe Band Champions.” The band placed 1st of 5 bands on Saturday and 1st of 3 bands on Sunday, winning best drum corps both days.
The Grade 5 band performed very well Saturday, turning in one of their best ensemble performances of the season and finishing with a first place award. The beginner drum corps wowed and surprised the crowd Sunday, winning the drum salute competition in a field of 3 drum corps entries from Grades 3, 4, and 5.
Solo competitions were a great success for band members as well, with many top placings in both piping and drumming.
During the upcoming trip to Scotland, the band will begin their two weeks in Scotland competing at the North Berwick Highland Games August 9th, followed by the Perth Highland Games August 10th. They will perform on the first day of the week long Piping Live! festival on August 11th. Saturday the 16th is the World Championships, followed by the Crieff Highland Gathering on August 17th before they return to the US.
Northwest Junior Pipe Band’s cast of Washington State Champions is 22 musicians between the ages of 9 and 18, who travel to Shoreline 2 to 3 times a week to hone their surprising skills from all around the Puget Sound including Auburn, Enumclaw, Marysville, Snohomish and beyond as well as those from Seattle and Shoreline. Experience on their instruments ranges from 18 months to one member with nine years playing bagpipes, but the average is about 2.5 years. The beginning band has a lower average age, with most having around one year of experience, but one piper with only 3 months playing the Great Highland Bagpipe.
2 Responses to “Washington State Pipe Band Champions–Grade 4”
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I applaud your performances this weekend. I do have one request though. When the National Anthem was being sung, a few of your members were playing on their side drums and were the only ones playing during the National Anthem out of any of the bands. Please ensure your chaperones maintain the high reputation of professionalism and “Leadership by example” that the kids need. Again, my congrats on the performance.
Thanks for your feedback. We definitely wish to be respectful of the anthems, and work with our band to ensure respect. I followed up offline about this and apologized to the Games organizers as well, but please accept our apologies and assurances that we will be more careful about this in the future.