A youth bagpipe band is always working to teach, develop, and build the next generation of pipers and drummers, while hoping to build an appreciation for talented piping and drumming in our community and beyond. We encouraged our band members and families to be up in the wee hours last weekend on August 14th to see the top bands in the world compete, broadcast live worldwide for the second year in a row. In this 12 part post, we’re pleased to link to videos by the BBC of the top 12 bands in the world. We’re especially proud that two of the twelve bands are based in our competition region (both are in BC, but our region runs through Oregon), and several musicians from both Simon Fraser University and Dowco Triumph Street live in Washington.
Many of these bands have incredible histories, and are made up of some of the most talented and dedicated musicians (of any kind) in the world. The piping and drumming community knows, but many in the public may not realize that memorization of this music is required, unlike many orchestra and many other competition based music events. Not only do they have the multiple tunes in these medley selections memorized, but they have a 2nd medley selection and two different March, Strathspey & Reel selections that are chosen at the start line. As the bands are preparing to compete, they have no idea what music they will be playing, so all 4 music selections have to be mastered to ensure a chance at success.
12th place, Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band, Vancouver, BC. Pipe Major David Hilder, Drum Sergeant Andre Tessier. After winning the World Championships in Grade 2 while part of the Simon Fraser University organization 3 years ago, the band was promoted to Grade 1 and then re-formed with a new name after the former Triumph Street Pipe Band asked the band members to take on the name, returning to the forefront as a Grade 1 band. Triumph Street Pipe Band, under the leadership of Pipe Major Hal Senyk, placed 5th in the World Championships in 1979, winning the Sash for best drum corps…the first band outside of Scotland to ever win a top prize in the major championships. DTSPB has made it through the qualifier each of the last two years and then competed in the final 14 bands. This year, there were 18 bands in the qualifier, and only 6 came through. A remarkable achievement for a new band in Grade 1 to place in the top 14 two years in a row, this year is one placing higher than last.
We have seen many examples of the positive impact our program can make in kids lives. NWJPB has the biggest fundraiser in our history coming up on May 8th, and it’s important to know that with the number of students in the program now (more than 40) it costs nearly $100,000 per year to keep the organization successful and thriving. Our $55 dinner/concert/auction tickets and your support will provide an important part of the income that helps make our 15 year anniversary a successful year and helps provide stability for the future of a number of youth from the Puget Sound region.
The impacts of music are many and varied. A supportive, nurturing and challenging environment where youth can learn to be leaders, grow their talents as musicians and travel are all things we consider critically important, and this video reminded us of just some of the benefits of the work so many of us do on a daily basis to keep the organization growing and successful.
Please visit http://nwjpb.org to purchase tickets for our 15th Anniversary Mothers’ Day Eve celebration at Lynnwood Convention Center. The deadline to purchase dinner tickets is April 25th.
We found this video on IrishClub.org that has shots of almost every entry in the 2010 St. Patrick’s Day parade, including NWJPB. Thanks Irish Club of Seattle and Laura (Cosacchi) Adams Guy!
The North American season end is drawing near for Northwest Junior Pipe Band. The Grade 4 band went to the Portland Highland Games at Mt. Hood Community College on July 19th. The drum corps placed first, the ensemble judge placed the band first, and the band tied with White Spot Pipe Band in another close contest between these bands this year. The points were tied, but NWJPB won on ensemble preference. The victory at Portland makes 4th straight first place finish for Northwest Junior Pipe Band.
Two competitions remain before the band leaves for Scotland. NWJPB’s Grade 4 and 5 bands will perform at a free concert on Friday evening at 7:00 PM at the Pacific Northwest Highland Games in Enumclaw Washington, then both Grade 4 and Grade 5 bands will compete both Saturday and Sunday July 26th and 27th. The band has signed up two bagpipe quartet competition groups, the Grade 5 drum corps drum salute and a bunch of solo competitors as well.
Here’s a shot of the band leaving the competition circle in front of the packed grandstands at Portland:
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.
Posing with the Grade 4 Trophy at the BC Highland Games.
Northwest Junior Pipe Band Grade 4 won best drum corps and first place of seven bands at the British Columbia Highland Games on Saturday June 28th, 2008. 2008 marks only the third season of competing at this level after receiving a promotion from Grade 5 in 2005, and this is the first first place victory in a BC Pipers’ Association sanctioned Highland Games.
The band Saturday consisted of 8 side drummers, 3 tenor drummers, a bass drummer, and 10 bagpipers. The age range is from 9 to 18, and includes the adult band director Kevin Auld.
The Northwest Junior Pipe Band – Grade 4 members will be the first youth band from Washington State to ever compete in the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow, Scotland in August, and only the second youth band from Washington to travel to Scotland for any competition since 1969. The band is growing to a crescendo of membership and talented bagpipers and drummers 18 and younger.
Seven pipe bands competed, three focused on youth pipers and drummers, and four bands either focused on adults or largely or with a majority of adult members. Two Canadian youth pipe bands; Robert Malcom Memorial, and White Spot Pipe Band Grade 4 joined the Keith Highlanders from Bellevue, the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada- a Canadian military pipe band founded in 1910, the Kamloops Pipe Band Society from British Columbia, and the Bellingham Pipe Band from Washington. During bagpipe band competitions, four judges critique piping, drumming, and ensemble, or how well the pipes and drums perform and sound together.
In the Northwest (British Columbia, Washington and Oregon) pipe band competitions are based on skill rather than age. Youth bands compete against adult bands, and are judged by the top pipers and drummers in the world who provide valuable feedback to the bands to help them improve their skills. Northwest Junior Pipe Bands; Grade 4 and 5 travelled north to Coquitlam British Columbia, into the heart of piping and drumming in the Northwest, where the largest numbers of talented pipers and drummers hone their skills, supported by a long tradition and celebration of Scottish culture and pipe band competitions. Northwest Junior Pipe Band Grade 4 won first place overall and received recognition for fielding the “Best Drum Corps” at the British Columbia Highland Games on Saturday June 28th, a major milestone for the Seattle – area youth pipe band founded in 1995.
Northwest Junior Pipe Band youth were enthusiastic about their performance on Saturday, but are maintaining laser like focus on their ultimate goal of performing well during their August trip to Scotland. The band will compete in 4 competitions throughout their two week stay, but the World Pipe Band Championships is the biggest challenge for any bagpipe band, attracting the most talented bagpipe bands in the World, who travel to Scotland every year for this event.
Band Director Kevin Auld is a full time performer and instructor of the Great Highland Bagpipe, and begain working with the band in 2002. After Saturday’s performance Kevin told the band “Regardless of the outcome, you performed your best today, and that’s what makes me proud of our performance.” Mid Section Director Marcie MacRae was one of the founding instructors with the band, and was thrilled with the performance. Drumming Director Steve Roy leads a large snare drum corps of 8 members, who performed in near-perfect synchronization Saturday. The youngest snare drummer in the Grade 4 band is 9, and the oldest is 16. Steve is a full time percussionist and instructor who has been volunteering with Northwest Junior Pipe Band for four years. Other volunteer instructors include Rick Rich, working with our Grade 5 snare drummers, and Ben Little, who graduated from the Northwest Junior Pipe Band in 2007 and has been working with the Grade 5 competition band as leading the band as Pipe Major at Highland Games competitions this year. Former band members often return to help teach the members of Northwest Junior Pipe Band.
The next competition for the band is in Mount Vernon at the Skagit Valley Highland Games on July 12th and 13th. The band’s full schedule is available on www.nwjpb.org/schedule.
5/3 Update: Sold Out!
Click Here for the 2009 event info>>
Northwest Junior Pipe Band members are building a new future and history of competitive youth pipe bands in Washington State. They have worked feverishly over the last year to raise over $24,000.00 to travel to Scotland while honing their skills to compete in the World Pipe Band Championships this August. With less than $10,000 to reach their goal and fly to Scotland in August, the band can almost hear the crowds at Glasgow Green urging them toward the finish line.
The community is helping these prize winning young musicians join 200 bands from all over the world in Scotland this August. Help them meet their goals by attending a benefit dinner with entertainment, dancing, drink and auctions.
Entertainment will include Northwest Junior Pipe Band, Pipers’ Creek Celtic Ensemble, Scottish Dancing, the Bucketmen and more to be announced. The Northwest Junior Pipe Band has grown to nearly 50 members and started new educational and scholarship programs, reaching out to youth who want to have unique and incredible experiences, while learning to play their traditional instruments to the highest standards.
Act quickly for reserved seating by purchasing a table of 8 for $280.00 until April 30th.
NEW! Download the flier here: Northwest Junior Pipe Band Ceilidh Flier Help get the word out! Download and print a flier, cut it in half and distrubute to your friends and family: Do it yourself NWJPB Ceilidh FlierNorthwest Junior Pipe Band “Mothers’ Day Eve” Ceilidh/Party Benefit Dinner
Saturday, May 10th, 2008
Lake City Elks Club, 14540 Lake City Way NE, Seattle
Doors open for auction 5:30, dinner and entertainment starts 6:30
Silent Auction, Dessert Auction
38.00 adult, 33.00 17 and under
Tables of 8: $280.00 until April 30th, $304 after.
Italian Chicken or Lasagna dinner, with salad, bread, and non-alcoholic beverages.
No-host bar.
Entertainment includes dancing, Northwest Junior Pipe Band and Pipers’ Creek Celtic Ensemble.
Table and half table purchases will receive reserved seating.
email concert@nwjpb.org for more info, or call 206-508-1261
Gung Haggis Fat Choy, Seattle; an inter-cultural mash-up event in Seattle on February 24th celebrating Robbie Burns Day and Chinese New Year is a week away, but the event is nearly sold out, even though the seating was expanded to 340!
The entertainment at the event includes Northwest Junior Pipe Band, “Gung Haggis Rap Choy” (Robbie Burns Address to the Haggis performed as a Rap), Traditional Chinese orchestral music by Washington Chinese Youth Orchestra, Don Scobie; bagpiper, Scottish Fiddling, Sing Alongs, Chinese Dancers, and some surprises! Sure to be a memorable evening, make sure to plan ahead and purchase tickets early next year.
See more information on the event, sponsored by Bill McFadden and the Seattle Caledonian/St. Andrews Society here>>. See news coverage of the event here>> and in the Seattle Times “Best Bets for the Weekend” here>>.
The event is a fundraiser for Northwest Junior Pipe Band and the Washington Chinese Youth Orchestra. Northwest Junior Pipe Band is in the final stretch of their fundraising to travel to the World Pipe Band Championships in Scotland this August. NWJPB is the first youth band from Washington State to go to Scotland since 1969.
Yep, you read that right. And you don’t want to miss it!
Seattle’s second annual, unforgettable mash-up of Scottish Robbie Burns and Chinese New Year celebration returns February 24th at Ocean City Restaurant, 609 S. Weller in Seattle’s International District. A fundraiser for Northwest Junior Pipe Band and the Washington Chinese Youth Orchestra hosted by the St. Andrews/Caledonian Society of Seattle, this event was one of the highlights of our year in 2007. Gung Haggis Fat Choy has a wildly successful history in Vancouver, BC starting 10 years ago in a living room with 16 attendees and growing into a week-long festival of events with hundreds of attendees.
Visit www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com for more history of the Vancouver events.
The Seattle Event includes performances by the Chinese Youth Orchestra, Northwest Junior Pipe Band, Don Scobie-Bagpiper, Toddish McWong’s Gung Haggis Rap Choy, Robbie Burns Poetry readings, Melody Dance Group youth Chinese dancers, door prizes and raffles. Singalongs of traditional and culturally-tweaked familiar songs, such as “When Asian Eyes Are Smiling”, and “My Haggis Lies Over the Ocean, My Chow Mein Lies Over the Sea.” Traditional Chinese and Scottish Dress, sometimes on the same people.
Northwest Junior Pipe Band will be selling a limited number of tickets. Contact us soon! $35.00 for dinner and show. info@nwjpb.org or 206-508-1261.
More tickets available from the Caledonian Society.
“Blood on the Flat Track; The Rise of the Rat City Roller Girls” premiered Thursday night to a near-capacity crowd in the Neptune Theatre. We only saw about 20 open seats. What an exciting organization the Rat City Roller Girls are, completely volunteer run, all “business” positions taken on by women, incredible characters, from the “star” of the Blue Moon Tavern sign (and still their bartender) to scientists and mathematicians and women from all walks of life, one thing was certain–they’re passionate about their sport, working 20 to 40 hours a week on their organization and training.
Northwest Junior Pipe Band did make an appearance in the film, appearing on screen for around 5 seconds, but the tune that was played leading the team onto the flat track played through the next 30 seconds or so. What an entertaining show! There is a bit of language and some “adult themes” that may be objectionable to parents, but it was a great grass-roots movie about a fun grass-roots organization!
See reviews in the Stranger and the Seattle Weekly.
