Having a routine and a set schedule on competition days is one of the most underrated aspects of pipe band competition. When band members know where they have to be (and when), the day becomes much easier to navigate. The…

In a couple of days, both Dartmouth and District Pipe Bands (grade 5 and 3) will be presenting a joint concert with the grade one 78th Highlanders (Halifax Citadel). This concert is one in a series of steps to prepare…

On August 2, 2019, the Dartmouth and District Pipe Band from Nova Scotia won the North American Pipe Band Championships in grade 4. I am fortunate to be the lead drummer. We won every judging category (1,1,1,1) against some very…

A drum corps is composed of three types of drummers, none more important than the others. The bass drum provides the rhythmic and harmonic foundation for the band as a whole, the snare drummers provide the drive and dynamics and…

Photo Credit: Rugged Motor Bike Jeans

Unison problems plagued my drum corps for my first six years as lead drummer. In my seventh year, however, I discovered (upon much reflection) that there was a solution to my unison issues sitting…

For any of you that follow this blog on a regular basis, you will know that I am an avid NBA basketball fan--specifically the Toronto Raptors. I have been watching the Raptors since the inception of the franchise and have…

After reading an article recently by Pipes|Drums called "The Drummer's Dilemma" I got to thinking about the issue of lead drummers passing on their skills to younger players. This is a difficult and complex issue but it begins…

Two decades ago, a peer to peer file sharing program called Napster changed the music business. With the advent of Napster the music you used to have to pay for was, all of a sudden, free for the taking. All…

Even with all the ups and downs that come with this gig still I enjoy the many challenges of being a lead drummer. As a musician, the playing, rehearsing and music writing are the parts of the job I look…

Trying to balance my work, pipe band, gig schedule, website maintenance and personal life can be challenging at times. September is the busiest time of year as I start a new term teaching drum kit, begin the process of writing…

A competitive pipe band is a very strange thing. You work hard with your band all year improving the fundamentals, learning music, improving reading skills, battling attendance and other personnel issues until the summer comes and your season begins. Then…

Cutting drummers on competition days is one of the most controversial subjects in the pipe band drumming world--everyone has an opinion. In the world of competitive pipe bands, many lead drummers cut members of their drum corps on the day…