FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 23, 2008
Contact: Todd Schiele, Northwest Junior Pipe Band President
Phone: 206-508-1261
email: president@nwjpb.org
web: www.nwjpb.org
PRESS RELEASE
The only youth bagpipe band from the US at World Championships hopes to gain Top Scot Spot
The Northwest Junior Pipe Band won the 2008 Washington State Pipe Band Championships July 13th. The young band is a non-profit organization teaching youth bagpipes and Scottish drumming in the Seattle, Washington area since 1995. Band members worked with renewed purpose this season, meeting three days a week on top of often grueling individual practice schedules as they prepare to take a shot at the largest bagpipe band competition in the world. They are the only youth bagpipe band from the United States to compete at the World Pipe Band Championships in 2008.
Not short on historic achievements this year, the band will be the first youth pipe band from Washington State to ever go to the World Championships, and the kids have made this year the best season in the history of the band. Bagpipe band competitions in the Northwest are sorted by ability rather than age. The young band competes against several adult pipe bands as well as two youth bands in the Northwest region. Four first place finishes and one second this season give them some confidence as they prepare for the qualifying heat at the World Championships August 16th. Thirty-three youth bands will compete at the Championships with Northwest Junior Pipe Band the only US representative in either novice-juvenile or juvenile grades.
The bagpipe is one of the most physically demanding instruments, yet the band has several youth with such commitment that they’ve proceeded from beginner to competing with the band on the full Great Highland Bagpipe in 6 months; a feat which can take as long as two years normally.
“Music’s always been a huge part of my life. I love the people and the instructors and love being a part of something,” the band’s 17 year old bass drummer Brandon said in a radio interview. “I’ve built everything in my life around what I’m doing here … it’s like a big family.”
“This is an epic event drawing hundreds of bands from around the world yearly. We were surprised to learn we’re the only youth pipe band from the US this year. It’s a little overwhelming, especially in a year when the Olympics are happening simultaneously. This is the biggest event in the world for competitive bagpipe bands. I believe our members will be great representatives of American youth while we’re there, and regardless of the outcome, they’ll make a lot of people proud” said President Todd Schiele, a volunteer with the non-profit organization since 2005.
“This is an incredible opportunity for our talented musicians to join in the worldwide community of pipers and drummers.” Todd continued. “The top pipers and drummers in the world do this because they’re passionate about it, and they love to share that passion with youth.”
Supporting information:
Publicity photo: http://www.nwjpb.org/photos/albums/userpics/normal_NWJPBGroup.jpg
Other band photos: www.nwjpb.org/photos
Blog: http://insider.nwjpb.org
World Pipe Band Championships: www.theworlds.co.uk
World Championships Band list with countries: http://www.theworlds.co.uk/Bands.pdf
47.755953 -122.345826
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ONLY US PIPE BAND GOING TO WORLD PIPE BAND CHAMPIONSHIPS WINS WASHINGTON CHAMPIONSHIPS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 14, 2008
Contact: Todd Schiele, Northwest Junior Pipe Band President
Message: 206-508-1261
email: president@nwjpb.org Background info: www.nwjpb.org
photos & blog: http://insider.nwjpb.org/2008/07/14/washington-state-pipe-band-champions-grade-4/
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Northwest Junior Pipe Band won the Washington State Grade 4 Pipe Band Championships at the Skagit Valley Highland Games by winning two events during two days of competitions in a field of up to five bagpipe bands on July 12th and 13th, 2008 in Mount Vernon, WA.
The growing non-profit organization of talented youth and dedicated volunteers is the only youth bagpipe band from the United States competing at the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow, Scotland on August 16, 2008. “We were surprised to learn we’re the only youth pipe band going to Scotland from the US this year. It’s a little humbling…especially in a year when the Olympics are happening at exactly the same time. This is the biggest event in the world for bagpipe bands. I believe in our members. They will be great representatives of American youth while we’re there.” said President Todd Schiele, a volunteer with the non-profit organization since 2005.
The band leaves for Scotland on August 5th, attending pipe band competitions throughout Scotland, but their focus is the World Pipe Band Championships on August 16th. The band will compete in a class of 23 youth bagpipe bands who will take part in two separate heats to gain the right to take the field for the Championship event. Another 10 youth bands compete in a higher competition grade, but Northwest Junior is the sole representative of the US in juvenile and novice-juvenile competitions next month in Glasgow. 200 pipe bands from around the world travel to the Championships each year.
In the Northwest, the band competes against both youth and adult bands through the summer competition season and has placed 1st in three of four events with one second place at competitions between Coquitlam, BC and Mount Vernon, WA against a field of as many as seven bands, most with more experience and many with adult musicians.
“‘I love it when a plan comes together’” Band Director Kevin Auld said, jokingly borrowing a quote from the ’80s TV action series the “A-Team” . “We’ve been working toward this for the past several years. It’s incredibly rewarding for me to see them playing this well, all while having fun and picking up on all of the little things that will help them play better together.” The band was promoted to their current competition grade in 2005 and has worked their way from the bottom to the top of the standings since then, all while growing from less than 20 to more than 50 members from throughout the Puget Sound region.
“Music’s always been a huge part of my life. I love the people and the instructors and love being a part of something,” the band’s 17 year old bass drummer Brandon said recently in a radio interview. “I’ve built everything in my life around what I’m doing here…it’s like a big family.”
The band has two major events left in the Northwest before boarding the flight for Scotland; July 19th in Portland, Oregon and July 26th and 27th in Enumclaw at the Pacific Northwest Highland Games, which draws tens of thousands of spectators each year. The youngest member the group going to Scotland to compete is a 9 year old girl. The oldest is 18 with an average age of 14 among the traveling competitors. The band’s competition season runs between June and August, but they practice and perform throughout the year. The band spends more time together than most youth sports teams and competes with bands of all ages. The band meets in Shoreline, WA but attracts youth from as far north as Anacortes and as far south as Olympia.
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More about NWJPB at the Washington State Championships: http://insider.nwjpb.org
Skagit Valley Highland Games: www.celticarts.org
BC Pipers’ Association: www.bcpipers.org World Pipe Band Championships: www.theworlds.co.uk
Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association competitor draw: http://www.rspba.org/html/contestdraw.php?contest=World%20Championships
Band list with countries: http://www.theworlds.co.uk/Bands.pdf
Northwest Junior Pipe Band: www.nwjpb.org
Band Director Kevin Auld: www.seattlepiper.com
Mid-Section Director Marcie MacRae: www.macraedrumming.com
Drumming Director Steve Roy www.steveroydrumming.com
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FIRST SEATTLE AREA YOUTH BAGPIPE BAND TO TAKE ON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, ANNOUNCE BENEFIT DINNER MAY 10th
OVERVIEW: Non-profit bagipe band for kids from Puget Sound region travels to Scotland to compete in World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow, Scotland August 5 through 19th, 2008. Benefit dinner, dance, performances and auction announced to help raise the final 25% of their goal.
LOCATION:
Date:Saturday, May 10th, 2008
Lake City Elks Club, 14540 Lake City Way NE, Seattle
Auction open 5:30, dinner and entertainment 6:30
CONTACT:
Todd Schiele, NWJPB President
206-508-1261 message
president@nwjpb.org
website www.nwjpb.org
PHOTOS:
http://www.nwjpb.org/photos/albums/userpics/normal_NWJPBGroup.jpg
http://www.nwjpb.org/photos/albums/userpics/normal_ceilidhcollage3.jpg
Previous Media Coverage: http://insider.nwjpb.org/nwjpb-in-the-news/
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This August, for the first time in history, Washington State will send a youth pipe band to the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. Between August 5th and 19th, more than 30 girls and boys, ages up to 18 from the Northwest Junior Pipe Band (NWJPB), will compete and perform in solos and with the band in various competitions around Scotland including the competition that draws 200 international pipe bands yearly. The competitions will mark the conclusion of more than two years of intense preparation and growth of the Northwest Junior Pipe Band. The last time a youth band from the Seattle area visited Scotland was 1969, when the Seattle Scottish Boys Pipe Band won the Scottish Championships at Edinburgh.
The NWJPB is a non-profit organization founded in 1995 by Charlie McNeil, a Scottish emigrant passionate about teaching Scottish musical traditions to young people. Today’s band, which started with a group of eight children in 1995, consists of nearly 50 youth and boasts several notable alumni who have won national and international awards.
The NWJPB is the only youth bagpipe band in western Washington. Its immediate goal, to teach Scottish bag piping and drumming to children, nurtures and develops many desirable traits, such as perseverance, practice, teamwork, tradition, respect, responsibility, and community service. These will serve the children well as they become adults. This summer’s long-anticipated international competition will offer yet another constructive experience to these young performers - one which they will never forget.
Youth work together with talented and widely respected volunteer instructors at 2 hour, twice weekly band practices to master the uniquely challenging music and instruments. Most are also engaged in private or group lessons and practice on their own regularly to prepare them to compete against adults and youth alike, in varying competition levels divided based on skill and competition success, rather than age.
The band finished the 2007 season winning first runner up in the Washington State Championships at the Skagit Valley Highland Games, and was ranked 4th of 18 pipe bands who competed at eight events between Portland, OR, and Courtney, BC. The band also fields a beginning level group, which was undefeated in all of their 2007 competitions.
The band has announced their final fundraiser, having successfully met 75% of their goals to help offset the cost of the trip for its members.
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.
Tickets available by calling 206-508-1261 or visiting the website. http://www.nwjpb.org.
