MY PIPE BAND CAREER STARTED OFF BACK AT THE AGE OF 8, MY OLDER COUSIN WAS MY ROLE MODEL AND I WANTED TO FOLLOW IN HIS FOOTSTEPS SO I BEGAN CHANTER LESSONS WITH SANDY DAVIDSON UP TO THE AGE OF 11 THEN STOPPED. ONCE I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL I DECIDED TO START LESSON BACK UP WHEN I JOINED THE ARMY CADET FORCE IN DUNBLANE. WHEN I WAS HERE I WAS TAUGHT BY ANDY BOWIE AND A RANGE OF OTHER INSTRUCTORS.

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ONCE I HAD TURNED 17, I FANCIED A CHANGE BUT KNEW I WANT TO STILL BE A PART OF THE PIPE BAND WORLD. I WAS DRAWN TO TENOR DRUMMING - THE VISUAL SIDE WAS THE MAIN BIT THAT CAUGHT MY EYE. I WENT ALONG TO CENTRAL SCOTLAND POLICE PIPE BAND AND ABOUT THREE WEEKS LATER I FOUND MYSELF AT COWAL READY TO GO COMPETE. THIS WAS JUST THE BEGINNING.

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OVER THE YEARS FROM THERE I HAVE FOUND MYSELF PLAYING IN A FEW BANDS FROM CENTRAL SCOTLAND POLICE 3A, THE BURGH OF STIRLING 3A (WINNING THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS) TO DENNY AND DUNIPACE IN GRADE 1.

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OUTSIDE OF COMPETING I HAVE DONE A FEW TOURS OF GERMANY WITH THE SCOTTISH MUSIC PARADE. THE BASEL CHRISTMAS TATTOO IN SWITZERLAND THREE TIMES, AS WELL AS PLAYED AT THE FESTIVAL DE ORTIGUEIRA IN 2016 AND 2017. I HAVE ALSO HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF PLAYING FOR THE QUEEN AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY. WHEN PLAYING WITH THE CADET BAND I ALSO PLAYED AT THE PREMIER OPENING IN EDINBURGH FOR THE DISNEY FILM BRAVE.

I ALSO COMPLETED ALL THE PDQB LEVELS DURING MY TIME IN THE CADET BAND.

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WITH ALL MY EXPERIENCE I STARTED TEACHING, AND TEACH AT MORRISONS ACADEMY AND GLENALMOND COLLEGE, WITH OTHER SCHOOLS IN THE PAST.

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SOME OF MY STUDENTS OVER YEARS HAVE MOVED ONTO PLAYING FOR THE NATIONAL YOUTH BAND OF SCOTLAND AS WELL AS SOME REACHING FOR GRADE ONE PIPE BANDS.