Mitchell, Thank you so much for adding so much to our wedding. As always, I continue to look forward to what the future holds in my piping journey!ĭear Mr. My first composition, 'The Rock,' was even played by a pipe band at the World Pipe Band Championships.Īt the end of 2004, after nine years, I left The Rogues to begin my solo career where today I find myself very busy with weddings, funerals, church services, golf tournaments, cultural events, anniversary and retirement parties, just to name a few. This is also when I started composing tunes, several of which are on The Rogues' albums. At this time I also started teaching the bagpipes and several of my students have won trophies and awards in competition.

After this accomplishment I decided to leave the Hamilton Pipe Band, and competition, to focus on playing with The Rogues full-time.ĭuring my years with The Rogues we made five albums, toured throughout the United States, and performed in Canada and Scotland. We returned again in 1998 to place 3rd in the Grade II World Championships. In August of 1997 the Hamilton Pipe Band, now headed by Doug Frobese, once again traveled to Scotland where we won the Grade IIIA World Pipe Band Championship. For the next four years I would divide my time competing with the Hamilton Pipe Band and playing with The Rogues. It was at this time I knew piping was what I wanted to do full-time. Upon our return to the states, the band would also finish first in the Celtic Classic competition in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and first at the Santa Rosa Highland Games in California.Īfter college, my focus shifted from strictly competition to include entertainment where I would help build what would become a very successful Celtic group, The Rogues.

In 1993 the Hamilton Pipe Band traveled to Scotland to compete in the World Pipe Band Championships where we won best overseas band in Grade II. With continuing success we would go on to win the Grade III and Grade II United States Championships in Alma, Michigan, where I would once again win solo awards. In 1991 the band returned to Stone Mountain and again won first place in Grade III. In addition to this accomplishment, I competed solo and won the Grade I trophy and Amateur Piper of the Day. Our Pipe Major, Donald MacPhee, focused heavily on competition and almost overnight turned us from a street band to Grade III champions at the 1990 Stone Mountain Highland Games in Atlanta, Georgia. I came away from this trip with an even stronger desire to become the best player I could be.ĭuring college I joined the Hamilton Pipe Band, playing once again with many former St. It was during this time I learned more about the origin of the bagpipes and gained much of my knowledge of Scottish culture. During our month in Scotland the band toured the country competing at various Highland Games. This marked the first time an American band had ever won a World Pipe Band Championship. Thomas' placed 1st in the Juvenile Division. While the senior was adding my name to the list I remember asking him, 'By the way, what is a bagpipe?' So this is how my piping journey began.īy 1985, under the expert leadership of Mike Cusack, we had progressed to the level where we were ready to compete at the World Pipe Band Championships in Scotland, where St. A couple of my friends raised their hand so I did as wellÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã‚Â¦peer pressure at work. About the third week of school one of the seniors came to our classroom and asked who might be interested in joining the pipe band and learning the bagpipe.

Thomas' Episcopal School in Houston, Texas. My piping journey began in 1981 as a 4th Grader at St.

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