AFTER PICKING UP DRUM STICKS AT THE AGE OF 15, GRAEME BEGAN PLAYING THE DRUM-KIT AT SCHOOL, STUDYING UNDER JAZZ DRUMMER DAVID SWANSON.  SOON AFTER, HE WAS INVITED TO LEARN PIPE BAND DRUMMING AT THE LOCAL PIPE BAND; PRESTONPANS ROYAL BRITISH LEGION.  ALTHOUGH CARRYING ON WITH DRUM-KIT LESSONS, IT WAS WITH PIPE BANDS THAT GRABBED GRAEME’S ATTENTION.

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UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF JOE STOCKMAN, GRAEME WAS PART OF THE BAND THAT WON THE ‘BEST DRUM CORPS’ IN GRADE 4B AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2005.  AFTER ANOTHER 2 SEASONS IN THE BAND TRYING TO REPLICATE HIS ACHIEVEMENTS, GRAEME DECIDED THAT IT WAS TIME TO MOVE ON AND TAKE HIS PASSION TO THE NEXT LEVEL BY STUDYING MUSIC.

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STARTING OFF AT DUNDEE COLLEGE, GRAEME BEGAN HIS JOURNEY IN FURTHER EDUCATION BY STUDYING AN NC IN MUSIC PERFORMANCE, FOCUSING ON THE DRUM-KIT.  THIS WAS THEN FOLLOWED BY A HNC IN SOUND ENGINEERING/MUSIC PRODUCTION AT ADAM SMITH COLLEGE IN GLENROTHES.  DURING THIS TIME HE STUDIED UNDER LEADING DRUMMER JOHN MONEAGLE AT TAYSIDE POLICE PIPE BAND IN GRADE 2 AND SUBSEQUENTLY GRADE 1 WHEN THEY WERE PROMOTED, ALTHOUGH HE DIDN’T PERFORM WITH THE BAND IN COMPETITION.

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IN 2009 GRAEME MOVED TO GLASGOW TO CONTINUE HIS STUDIES IN MUSIC PERFORMANCE WITH A HNC IN POPULAR MUSIC PERFORMANCE WHERE HE FOCUSSED HIS ATTENTION ON PERFORMANCE AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP.  DURING HIS TIME IN GLASGOW HE WAS INVITED TO JOIN THE TERRITORIAL ARMY WITH 7 SCOTS PIPES AND DRUMS WHERE HE WAS IMMEDIATELY APPOINTED AS THE LEADING DRUMMER. 

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IN 7 SCOTS PIPES AND DRUMS, AS WELL AS GAINING QUALIFICATIONS IN PIPE BAND DRUMMING, HE WAS GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRAVEL THE WORLD, PERFORMING IN MILITARY TATTOOS AND ROYAL EVENTS AS WELL AS THE ODD CONCERT FOR CELEBRITIES SUCH AS STING’S 60TH BIRTHDAY CONCERT WHERE HE PLAYED ON STAGE ALONGSIDE STING, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, STEVIE WONDER, BILLY JOEL, MARY J BLIGE, WILL.I.AM AND LADY GAGA.

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GRAEME THEN MOVED TO PERTH TO GAIN A HND AND DEGREE (BA) IN POPULAR MUSIC PERFORMANCE. HERE, HE STUDIED UNDER DRUMMERS SCOTT DONALD AND RONNIE GOODMAN, GAINING A VARIETY OF SKILLS IN MANY GENRE’S AND STYLES.  GRAEME ALSO JOINED THE COLLEGE’S SAMBA BAND ‘RHYTHM WAVE’ RUN BY RONNIE GOODMAN, REGULARLY PERFORMING LOCALLY AS WELL AS FESTIVALS SUCH AS BELLADRUM AND GLASTONBURY.

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GRAEME WAS OFFERED THE CHANCE TO LEAD HIS OWN DRUM CORPS IN GRADE 3B WITH THE VALE OF ATHOLL PIPE BAND WHERE THE BAND WERE REGULARLY IN THE PRIZE LIST IN GRADE 3B AND 3A.  GRAEME SOON GAINED A PASSION FOR TEACHING AND WAS SOON OFFERED THE CHANCE TO TEACH IN THE VALE OF ATHOLLS SCHOOLS PROJECT. THIS LED TO GRAEME BEING OFFERED JOBS IN OTHER SCHOOLS SUCH AS JAMES GILLESPIES HIGH SCHOOL AND GLENALMOND COLLEGE.

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GRAEME IS NOW A SERGEANT MAJOR INSTRUCTOR (SMI) AS PART OF THE NATIONAL TRAINING TEAM IN THE ARMY CADET FORCE WHERE HE IS PART OF THE TEAM THAT RUNS NATIONAL PIPING AND DRUMMING EVENTS WHILST ASSESSING THE CADETS ON THE PIPING AND DRUMMING QUALIFICATIONS BOARD (PDQB) SYLLABUS.

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GRAEME IS NOW THE DRUM MAJOR OF QUEEN VICTORIA SCHOOL IN DUNBLANE.  HE PLAYS DRUM-KIT WITH SOME LOCAL CEILIDH AND COVER BANDS. AS WELL AS THIS, HE IS DEVELOPING A SYLLABUS FOR DRUMMERS TO DEVELOP THEIR SKILLS