It’s been a remarkable season for Northwest Junior Pipe Band. The Grade 4 band travelled to Gresham, OR for the Portland Highland Games on July 18th. Soloists won aggregate awards in Grade 4 piping and Grade 4 side drumming, and 1st in Grade 2 Tenor, 1st in Grade 4 side drumming 2/4 March, first in Grade 4 piping 2/4 March, 1st in Grade 4 Piobaireachd, Grade 4 piping 6/8 March, and Grade 2 piping Hornpipe & Jig; 6 first place finishes! In all, 21 top 6 solo placings, with total competitors in the events ranging from 5 to 20.
The nice thing about these games, is that even though it’s usually hot, there’s a breeze in the morning and in the evening. Unfortunately, it always seems to die, just about an hour, maybe two…before the band contests start. The NWJPB youth were fighting the heat, drinking lots of water and gatorade, and doing everything they could to keep their energy and spirits high. When time came for final tuning, they descended the steps to the competition arena and hesitantly stepped onto the red rubberized track, where the temperature probably rose by at least 5 degrees, and several people experienced the red surface melting slightly to their shoes.
Band Director Kevin Auld was very pleased with the tone coming from the pipers as they finished up final tuning, and the band was called to the line. Marching into the competition circle in front of a couple thousand Pipe Band fans in the stadium seats, they played remarkably well, a focused team really hitting a “groove” with the medley. Even those with no experience with pipe band music could tell by the expressions on all of the kids faces that the performance had gone very well. The smiles broke out immediately after the medley finished. Nearly everyone felt this was one of their strongest performancess yet. Four bands competed. Marching out of the competition circle at these games truly gives the band members a sense of what rock stars must feel, as the stands are mostly full, everyone cheering, and the sound projects very well from the grandstand to the track.
After a quick “debrief” and a 10 or 15 minute break, the band began preparing for the next big challenge; the Grade 3 competition. Five bands were competing, and the instructors and students of NWJPB hoped they could pull off another strong performance, back to back. The band took the start line again and played very well again, getting feedback from Kevin Auld that those were two of their best runs all season.
At the end of the day before massed bands, the Portland Games always stages the final “Caber Toss” on the main field in front of the grandstands, which usually causes delays to massed bands, but is an entertaining close to a fun day. The largest cabers and top athletes compete in the event; and only three times were they able to flip the caber the full distance required to score. Finally, massed bands were called and eventually gathered, marching and countermarching across the field. In the final results, NWJPB placed 1st in Grade 4 with two first places from piping, one from ensemble, and 2nd in drumming. The band didn’t get to hear their name called for the Grade 3 results, but did end up 4th of 5 bands in the grade and got a 2nd place from one of the piping judges. A day to be very proud of, holding their own in a higher level competition grade.
The band has now won five straight contests and hopes to continue playing well through the last two “season aggregate” competition opportunities at Enumclaw for the Pacific Northwest Highland Games. If NWJPB can hang on to first place both days, they could win the “Grand Aggregate” for the season, winning the most points overall in Grade 4, for the first time in the band’s relatively short history in this competition grade. A win Saturday would move them into first place, but placing 2nd on Sunday would leave them ranked 2nd for the season. Regardless of the outcome, NWJPB members will leave the season feeling proud of their accomplishments, and making history for the organization on several fronts, including never haven won 5 games in a row in Grade 5, never having an undefeated season going into the Pacific Northwest Highland Games, and never having more than 20 placings in the top 6 at nearly every event all season long.
Follow the band’s progress on Facebook this weekend, July 25th and 26th: http://facebook.com/nwjpb for live updates from the field.
Portland Highland Games solo results for NWJPB members:
- Piping: Grade 4, 2/4 March: Saul 1st, Elliot 4th, Devon 6th
- Piping: Grade 4, 6/8 March: Elliot 1st, Saul 2nd, Devon 5th
- Piping: Grade 4 Piobaireachd: Saul 1st
- Piping: Grade 3: 2/4 March, Aaron 3rd; Jig, Aaron 5th, Strathspey & Reel: Aaron 6th
- Piping: Grade 2: Hornpipe & Jig, Alexander 1st; MSR, Alexander 2nd
- Side Drumming: Grade 4 2/4 March: Bryce 1st, Steven 2nd, Morgan M. 3rd
- Side Drumming: Grade 4 6/8 March: Steven 2nd, Bryce 3rd
- Side Drumming: Grade 3; 2/4 March; Amber 3rd; 6/8 March; Amber 2nd
- Tenor Drumming: Grade 2 2/4 March: Alexander 1st, Ali 6th
There were several incredible stories we followed during our Scotland trip in 2008:
- Our own experiences winning two first place trophies at Perth and Crieff and 5th in the World
- SFU winning the World Championships for the 5th time, as well as best drum corps
- Besides SFU, there were three pipe bands from the Northwest and BC including NWJPB, the Keith Highlanders AND the White Spot Pipe Bands; taking on the worlds and placing in the top 6
- The story of the Spirit of Scotland Pipe Band.
This band included top soloists and instructors from all over the world who were not competing in bands. Several of those performers come from the Pacific Northwest / BC area. Now, a very talented documentary film maker is nearing completion of a story about the band, the obstacles they overcame to compete with the top bands in the world, make it through the qualifier round and ultimately win an incredibly respectable 11th place. NWJPB made a small donation to help John finish this important project, and we encourage our supporters to do the same.
Music, Piping and Drumming can be an incredibly healthy and meaningful activity for youth, and the more opportunities there are for people to become familiar with the superstars of piping and drumming, the more youth will consider this a reasonable option. Please check out the press release introducing you to John McDonald, the project, and please consider donating to the cause. Help us help John bring stories like this into the mainstream!
Emmy Award-winning filmmaker John McDonald, who also pipes with the Pasadena Scots in California, is still seeking enough funding to complete his feature-length documentary on the Spirit of Scotland Pipe Band.
Entitled ON THE DAY, the documentary follows the band of elite players during its one and only week together in August 2008, as the group of more than 40 pipers and drummers assembled and practiced for the Grade 1 World Pipe Band Championship at Glasgow Green. The film is set to premiere as part of the week-long Piping Live! festival at the Glasgow Film Theatre on August 14, the day before the Worlds. Adding another dimension to the story, McDonald will actually be competing with his Grade 4 band in the Worlds this year.
An initial donation from a private party enabled McDonald and a cameraman to travel to Scotland, and he has raised additional contributions from the piping and Scottish-American community. “I have given a year of my life working only on this film,” McDonald says. “It has been a labor of love for me, my dream project about the dream team of bagpipers. Every dollar I’ve received has gone directly into the film.” However, with a total budget for the film of more than $200,000, he says he still has a ways to go in order to finish the editing and audio mixing.
Each week McDonald has been offering short clips from the rough cut of the film that feature some of the musicians, such as Roddy MacLeod, Jim McGillivray, Angus MacColl, John Fisher, Niall Matheson, Alasdair Gillies, and Willie McCallum. These “clips-of-the week” are first launched in the ON THE DAY Facebook Group and then later go up on YouTube.
The project has non-profit status through a fiscal sponsorship with the International Documentary Association (IDA), making contributions tax-deductible for US residents. A $100 donation gets you a credit in the film’s titles and a special pre-released first-edition DVD, and for $200 or more you will additionally receive a collectable Spirit of Scotland cap badge. A preview of the film can be seen and donations can be made at www.OnTheDayMovie.com.
Saturday, July 11th. In 80 degree heat, the young members of Northwest Junior Pipe Band consumed over 10 gallons of water and nearly 4 gallons of Gatorade, just based on our coolers at the band tent. The morning started with solo competitions, with band members reaching another new milestone at a highland games competition. Soloists from NWJPB won aggregate awards (highest overall results across 2 or more events) in every piping event entered. Grade 5, Grade 4, Grade 3, and Grade 2 piping soloists brought home plaques commemorating their successes, and there was another in Grade 4 side drumming, for a grand total of five NWJPB members earning best overall in their grade level. Full results listed at the end of this post. In all events, there were 24 top 6 placings for band members, and nearly 90% of those were top 3 placings.
In band competition, the Grade 5 (beginning) band played one of their best performances of the season, winning best drum corps and 2nd place to the very talented White Spot Pipe Band Grade 5. The band felt proud of their performance and have worked very hard to improve each week, and it’s really showing.
The Grade 4 competition band competed using the Medley Selection seen in this video from the BC Highland Games.
The band’s music selected, arranged, and taught by Kevin Auld, Band Director, Snare scores and instruction by Steve Roy, Snare Drumming Director, and Tenor and Bass scores and instruction by Marcie MacRae, Mid-section Director. In a field of four bands including White Spot, the Keith Highlanders, and the new talented youth piping organization, Portland Metro Youth Pipe Band, NWJPB placed first and won best drum corps.
Sunday, July 12th: a later start in the morning, and those of us who weren’t awoken by the lightning and thunder overnight were surprised to wake to cool grey skies reminiscent of Scotland. Anticipation was in the air, as the Grade 5 drum corps, who won 1st place at Skagit both of the last two years, would be competing again, with a Grade 4 drum corps feeling a little more confident. In the end, both drum corps performed incredibly well, wowing the crowds who braved the early afternoon rain. Smiles and fist-bumps all around after the competition completed as both groups felt pretty good about their progress and their performances. The band then got to watch the Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band drum corps perform in the Grade 1 fanfare.
Shortly afterward came the Quick March Medley competition, and the weekend aggregate “Washington State Grade 3 and 4 Pipe Band Championships”. NWJPB performed a Quick March Medley that they will only compete with at the SkagitValley Highland Games, and the Pacific Northwest Highland Games in Enumclaw the weekend of July 25th and 26th. Moisture and cool air can play havoc with the wood and reeds of bagpipes, so it takes extra care and caution to prepare the pipers during rainy weather. Luckily, the rain eased up shortly before the competition, and the band performed very well.
Finally, the highlight of the day; Northwest Junior Pipe Band instructors decided the time was right to offer NWJPB students a new challenge and opportunity, to compete at the next competition level in pipe bands, Grade 3. The competition level is very strong in Grade 3, but the band members have been practicing together 3 hours on Sundays and 2 hours on Thursdays almost all year, and all of the new pipers and drummers in new positons have all shown great progress. There were 5 pipe bands in Grade 3, including Northwest Junior.
Massed Bands started a bit early, around 4:10, trying to beat the next raincloud. The announcements the band had worked so hard to hear came next:
Saturday Grade 5 Quick March Medley:
- White Spot Pipe Band 5
- Northwest Junior Pipe Band 5, Best Drum Corps
Saturday Grade 4 Medley Competition:
- Northwest Junior Pipe Band Grade 4, Best Drum Corps
- White Spot Pipe Band
- Keith Highlanders Pipe Band
Drum Fanfare:
- NWJPB Grade 4
- NWJPB Grade 5
Quick March Medley, and Washington State Grade 4 Pipe Band Championships, 3 competitors
- Northwest Junior Pipe Band Grade 4, Best Drum Corps
- Portland Metro Youth Pipe Band
- Keith Highlanders Grade 4
Grade 3 Medley Selection, 5 competitors:
- Portland Metro Pipe Band, Best Drum Corps
- Northwest Junior Pipe Band Grade 4
- Keith Highlanders Grade 3
The band took a quick photo and quickly started tearing down the new band tents to try to avoid the next rainstorm. The talented musicians of NWJPB thank their incredible instructors, the community of supporters, judges, other bands, and volunteers who work so hard to give us the opportunity to perform, compete, and improve at these events. It provides a meaningful experience for youth and greater opportunities than many other activities youth could choose to be involved in.
Solo Placings from Saturday:
Grade 4 Side Drumming – Aggregate winner: Bryce, 6 competitors
- 2/4 March: Bryce 1st, Steven 2nd, Morgan M 3rd
- 6/8 March: Bryce 1st, Robert 3rd, Steven 4th
Grade 3 Side Drumming, 5 competitors
- 6/8 March: Amber 2nd
- 2/4 March, Strathspey & Reel: Amber 3rd
Grade 2 Tenor Drumming, 8 competitors
- 6/8 March: Ali 3rd, Alexander 5th
Grade 5 Piping – Aggregate winner: Megan, 13 competitors
- 2/4 March: Megan 1st, Marcus 3rd
- Slow Air: Marcus 1st, Megan 2nd
Grade 4 Piping - Aggregate winner: Devon, 15 competitors
- 2/4 March: Devon 1st, Elliot 3rd
- 6/8 March: Saul 1st, Elliot 2nd, Devon 6th
Grade 3 Piping - Aggregate winner: Aaron, 19 competitors
- 2/4 March: Aaron 1st
- Strathspey & Reel: Aaron 1st
Grade 2 Piping - Aggregate winner: Alexander, 15 competitors
- Piobaireachd: Alexander 1st
- Hornpipe & Jig: Alexander 1st
- March, Strathspey & Reel: Alexander 2nd
