Bass Drumming, Both Solo and Band -- April 16, 2025, 7:00pm

Ben Elkins is the bass dummer with Grade 1 City of Dunedin of Florida, taking over the position in June, 2024.

Ben is a two-time North American Gold Medal Bass Drumming Champion at Winter Storm and was previously bass drummer for Grade 2 MacMillan of Maryland. He joined the City of Dunedin Pipe Band in 2018 as a snare drummer under Leading-Drummer Eric MacNeill.

(video link coming soon)

Ben Elkins 

How to improve your band's ensemble performance -- March 18, 2025

Bob Worrall is one of North America’s leading teachers, adjudicators and performers. Bob is a respected composer, having published three successful collections of bagpipe music. He is featured on three solo piping recordings and was a member of the folk group “Scantily Plaid”.

After a piping career with a number of Ontario’s leading pipe bands, including the City of Toronto Pipe Band and the General Motors Pipe Band, Bob retired from competitive piping in 1983.  His solo accomplishments are extensive, both in North America and Scotland.  He won the North American Professional Championship an unprecedented 7  times and the Ontario Professional Championship Supreme title for 12 of his 13 years in the professional class.  He was also the 1977 winner of the March and Strathspey/Reel events in Inverness.

A member of North American and the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association’s judging panels, Bob has been selected to judge the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow on fourteen occasions.  For the last twelve years he has been the colour commentator for the BBC’s broadcast of the World Pipe Band Championships.

Bob Worrall

How to prepare for an upcoming solo piping contest -- Feb 18, 2025

Nick Hudson teaches piping at St. Thomas’ Episcopal School in Houston, Texas. He holds a BFA in Music Performance from Carnegie-Mellon University, where he studied under Alasdair Gillies and Jimmy McIntosh.

Nick’s solo piping highlights include the Clasp, Gold Medal, A MSR, B MSR, and Overall Quaich at the Northern Meeting; 3rd Overall at the Glenfiddich; the Silver Medal at the Argyllshire Gathering; the London Ram’s Head Snuff Mull for A-Grade Piobaireachd; twice the Overall A-Grade Winner at the SPSL Contest in London; the Braemar Gold Medal; the Piobaireachd Society Gold Medal (Canada); the US Piping Foundation Overall, Piobaireachd, and MSR on multiple occasions; the Gold Medal MSR at Winter Storm; the Kemble Star for Marches and Peter MacFarquhar Star for Strathspeys & Reels at Skye Gathering in Portree; overall winner of The Livingstone Invitational; and overall winner of The Metro Cup.

Nick has recorded a BBC “Pipeline” session and has played at the Piobaireachd Society's annual recital in Edinburgh, and the Capt. John MacLellan Memorial Medal Competition Recital in Edinburgh.

Nick Hudson

Piobaireachd for Amateur Grades -- May 20, 2024

Geared to all amateur grade pipers.

For nearly forty years, Jack Lee of Simon University Pipe Band has been ranked among the world’s most accomplished pipers. He has won all the top solo prizes available: The Glenfiddich Championship, Gold Medals at both Oban and Inverness, the Clasp at Inverness (2), the Silver Star at Inverness (4), the Bratach Gorm at London (3) the Open Piobaireachd at Oban (2), the Silver Star at Oban and the Masters Invitational (2). Jack teaches many piping schools and workshops each year as well as numerous private students around the world via Skype.

Jack recently achieved a lifetime goal of recording the entire Piobaireachd Society Collection (Books 1-16).

Jack Lee

How to set up your band on the day of a contest -- May 12, 2024

Geared to all band grades 2-5.

Ben Elkins is a two-time North American Gold Medal Bass Drumming Champion at Winter Storm and was previously bass drummer for Grade 2 MacMillan of Maryland. He joined the City of Dunedin Pipe Band in 2018 as a snare drummer under Leading-Drummer Eric MacNeill.
Richard has always put the band first, but he also managed to win seven All Ireland Senior Solo Championships, eight Northern Ireland Piper of the Year titles, nine Ulster Senior Championships, as well as winning the Strachan in London, the Jig in Inverness and a number of other prizes at major solo competitions.

Richard Parkes, MBE

Improve Your Drum Corps -- March 25, 2024

Geared to all band grades 2-5.

J. Reid Maxwell is in his 30^th year leading the SFU Pipe Band drum corps. He is certainly one of today’s most decorated drummers, having captured nine World Pipe Band Championship titles and ten Drum Corps titles – most recently winning the Drum Corps title in 2022.

Prior to joining the SFU Pipe Band, Reid was Lead Drummer of the 78^th Fraser Highlanders and captured his third World Pipe Band title and first Sash in 1987. All this was preceded by two World Pipe Band Championships and four World Drum Corps Championships as a teenaged member of Scotland’s Dysart & Dundonald Pipe Band.

J. Reid Maxwell

2-parted strathspeys and reels -- Feb 21, 2024

Geared to the recently introduced Strathspey & Reel event for Grade 4 solo pipers.  

Bob Worrall is one of North America’s leading teachers, adjudicators and performers. Bob is a respected composer, having published three successful collections of bagpipe music. He is featured on three solo piping recordings and was a member of the folk group “Scantily Plaid”.

After a piping career with a number of Ontario’s leading pipe bands, including the City of Toronto Pipe Band and the General Motors Pipe Band, Bob retired from competitive piping in 1983.  His solo accomplishments are extensive, both in North America and Scotland.  He won the North American Professional Championship an unprecedented 7  times and the Ontario Professional Championship Supreme title for 12 of his 13 years in the professional class.  He was also the 1977 winner of the March and Strathspey/Reel events in Inverness.

A member of North American and the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association’s judging panels, Bob has been selected to judge the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow on fourteen occasions.  For the last twelve years he has been the colour commentator for the BBC’s broadcast of the World Pipe Band Championships.

Bob Worrall

Tenor Drumming -- Jan 22, 2024 

Geared to all amateur grade pipers.

Owen Russell plays with Grade 1 Simon Fraser University pipe band, and came to SFU from the City of Chicago Pipe Band in 2011. He travels from St. Paul, Minnesota to play with the band.

Owen began playing at age 7 under the instruction of Joe Hickey.His career highlights include winning the North American Pipe Band Championships in Maxville, Ontario and winning the Gold Medal Tenor event at Winter Storm in 2015.

Owen's previous Grade 1 bands include the Windsor Police Pipe Band and the 78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band.

Owen Russell