Snohomish Piper

2011 George Sherriff Memorial Piobaireachd Winner

2011-11-21T09:17:00.001-08:00

The top 5 at the 2011 George Sherriff

Alexander traveled from the competition at the Balmoral Classic last weekend to Hamilton, Ontario for the 16th annual George Sherriff Memorial amateur invitational bagpiping competition with three team mates from Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band, and in the end, he won the Piobaireachd contest with the performance below, recorded by Ken Eller. Joe Stewart won the championship with a first in the MSR, and a first in the 6/8 march competition, and Scott Wood won 3rd place with 2nd in the MSR and the 6/8 march competitions. This is the first time three players who all play with the same band have swept the top three spots at the event. The full results are available on Pipes|Drums.

Download the MP3 of Alexander's Piobaireachd and play in your music player>>

Alexander with the Piobaireachd trophy from the 2011 George Sherriff

US Junior Solo Bagpiping Champion

2011-11-15T19:00:00.000-08:00


Alexander with trophies for MSR, Piobaireachd and overall Championship and donated McCallum bagpipes

Aaron Stone - 2nd, Amber Stone - 2nd drumming, and Alexander at the Balmoral Classic

Alexander was invited to compete in the Balmoral Classic in Pittsburgh, PA for his third time this year. He placed 2nd last year and was excited to have another opportunity to play with many of the top juvenile pipers in the US again.

Adjudicated by Brian Donaldson of Fife, Scotland, Scott Walker, and Donald Lindsay, the event is a highlight and celebration of the talented youth musicians the US is generating, and is widely attended in the area, culminating in a concert by top Scottish Folk and Bagpipe bands regularly. In addition, the US Junior Solo Drumming Championships are held, and Alexander was able to attend the event with his good friends and band mates Aaron and Amber Stone.

Alexander placed first in both events, Aaron placed second in both events, and Amber tied for first in her first MSR event, forcing a "drum-off" because the MSR is considered the tie breaker. In the end, she placed 2nd overall with the tie, a 2nd in the MSR, and a 2nd in the Hornpipe/Jig.

The piping news has featured this and other accomplishments, with the story of the event appearing on Pipes|Drums, as well as news of the George Sherriff Memorial Invitational, which Alexander remains on the East coast to compete in on Saturday November 19, 2011, a mention of his invitation to the BCPA Pro Knockout, which conflicted with the Balmoral Classic, and a quick blurb in the Pittsburgh newspaper. The Celtic Arts Foundation also interviewed Alexander before the event and posted this blog update covering the weekend.


Alexander with his McCallum bagpipes, donated to the winner of the MSR event and the Inveran bagpipes donated to the winner of the Piobaireachd contest.

Below is a recording of Alexander's 3rd place MSR performance from the Nicol-Brown last month (where he placed 3rd overall), in "audio mode" because the video was taken from a funny angle.

Nicol-Brown results

2011-10-12T11:47:00.000-07:00

Nicol Brown Overall winners: 4th - Scott Wood, 3rd - Alexander Schiele, 2nd - Ursa
Beckford, 1st Joseph Stewart, photo by Weatherly Schiele

Alexander had a very enjoyable trip to the Nicol-Brown Amateur Invitational in Albany, New York on October 8th, placing 2nd in the 6/8 march competition (playing Trees of North Uist & Invercharron Highland Gathering), 3rd in the March, Stratshpey & Reel competition (playing 93rd Argyll at Modder River, Islay Ball, and Major David Manson), and 4th in the Piobaireachd competition (playing The Kings Taxes), for 3rd place overall. In addition, four friends and bandmates competed at the event with him. Joseph Stewart (who also began lessons with Kevin Auld) won the overall event, Scott Wood won the Dress and Deportment category and placed 4th overall, and Marshall German ended up 5th in the 6/8 marches.

This was the first time anyone could remember having this many competitors invited from the same pipe band (Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band), and it's quite an achievement to have them all placing so well at the event. During and after the competition, most of the competitors got to know each other, hanging out and having a good time. They're looking forward to seeing each other again at the George Sherriff Memorial amateur invitational in November in Hamilton, Ontario, where the same competitors are invited, plus an additional invitee. The full results are available on the Nicol-Brown website, and was covered in Pipes|Drums.

Alexander is looking forward to the Balmoral Classic in Pittsburgh November 12th where he'll be joined by band mate & great friend Aaron Stone, followed by the George Sherriff Memorial in Hamilton, Ontario on November 19th.

Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band Members contemplating the evening, photo
by Weatherly Schiele

Summer, Scotland, and more Solo contests

2011-09-16T13:28:00.000-07:00

A very busy season playing with two pipe bands (at least 3 competition circles per contest) and keeping up with solo competitions came to a close recently with a trip to the Caledonian Club of San Francisco 146th annual Highland Games in Pleasanton, California. This is a summary of what has happened since the Pacific Northwest Highland Games in Enumclaw.

After a successful Friday night Pub Piping performance, Alexander had a good weekend, placing 1st in Jig, 2nd in Piobaireachd, 4th in MSR, and 4th in Hornpipe & Jig. This was a fun competition season in Grade 1 piping, and the results were pretty exciting, with DTSPB band mate Joe Stewart winning the Grand Aggregate for the season, and with Alexander tying with the exact same number of points overall for the season with DTSPB band mate Scott Wood.

NWWSUPB won their 2nd MSR contest and finished as runner up for the Grand Aggregate; just shy of the grand aggregate championship, a great boost before their upcoming trip to Scotland, and DTSPB placed 1st in ensemble for the 2nd time this season, another great confidence boost for the band.

After Enumclaw, Alexander traveled to Scotland to lead the Northwest/White Spot United Pipe Band at the North Berwick and the Bridge of Allan Highland Games before the World Pipe Band Championships. Northwest/White Spot tied for 2nd with Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia Juvenile, placing 3rd overall on the day.

NWWSUPB at North Berwick

The following day, the band competed at the Bridge of Allan Highland Games and placed 1st in piping and 2nd overall in Grade 3, placing ahead of the uber-talented George Watsons college, who had won every major championship in Juvenile in 2011. There were 15 bands in the Grade 3 contest, so the team felt really great about the day.

NWWSUPB winning 1st in piping, 2nd overall at Bridge of Allan

Dowco Triumph Street members began arriving that day, and practices started up Monday morning, so a week of twice a day practices with DTSPB and practices as often as possible with NW/WSUPB began, and the week before the worlds was mostly filled with music and practice, prepping for the World Championships.

On the day, NW/WSUPB took the field and played what many in the band felt was their best MSR performance of the season. All of the band members were smiling and happy with their music when leaving the competition field. Alexander handed off his bagpipes and ran to the Grade 1 final tuning area, where he was to meet up with Dowco Triumph Street to play in the qualifier. DTSPB had encountered some delays getting to the final tuning area, so weren't there...and Alexander began running outside the grounds to find the band, but on his way out, the band arrived at final tuning. Thankfully, a friend of the band was keeping his DTSPB pipes warmed up, and when he got back, the band had entered the final tuning area, Alexander walked in, grabbed his pipes, took a couple quick breaths and began tuning up with the band. The MSR qualifier went very well, and the band anxiously awaited the results; learning they had qualified for the final events and moving on to prepare for the next MSR event. Later the band learned they had won the qualifier round. At the end of the day, NW/WSUPB had placed 5th in Juvenile and Dowco Triumph Street had placed 6th in the Medley and 9th overall, cracking into the top 10 best pipe bands in the world.

Alexander attended the Pleasanton Highland Games for the first time in his piping history, placing 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th in his competitions. Alexander is now preparing for the Nicol-Brown Amateur Invitational in Albany, NY on October 8th, as well as the George Sherriff Memorial Invitational in Hamilton, Ontario on November 19th, where he will compete again with three of his band mates; Joseph Stewart, Scott Wood, and Marshall German.

PNW Highland Games Hornpipe/Jig - Pub Piping

2011-07-30T00:39:00.000-07:00

Pub Piping is a fun and free event Friday night in front of the beer tent at the Pacific Northwest Highland Games, the largest and last event of the season in the Northwest. The event is divided into Open, consisting of Professional, Amateur Grade 1 and Grade 2; and then a class for Grades 3 & 4. There were 12 entries in the Open class, but only 6 showed up to play.

Hornpipe: The Moving Cloud
Jig: Old Woman's Dance

1st place: Andrew Bonar, $150 prize
2nd place: Alexander Schiele, $125 prize
3rd place: Andrew Lee, $100 prize

Smallpipe Duet with Aaron Stone at Skagit Valley Highland Games

2011-07-12T19:21:00.000-07:00

Duet with Aaron Stone at Skagit Valley - featuring music from Simon Blackshaw of Melbourne, Australia, a piper with Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band recently featured in Piping Today issue 51, and Micah Babinski, a former piper with Simon Fraser Universty Pipe Band and Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band and instructor with Northwest Junior Pipe Band, as well as a couple well known tunes by P/Ms Angus MacDonald and John MacLellan.

This event was a great new feature on the main stage at the Skagit Valley Highland Games, a duet performance with feedback from Fred Morrisson and his wife Deirdre.

Tunes & Composers:
Ancient Regime - Simon Blackshaw (arr. A Stone)
Highlanders Hybrid Dance - Simon Blackshaw
Turf Lodge - P/M Angus MacDonald
Campbeltown Kiltie Ball - P/M John MacLellan
Ancient Regime (Slow Air) - Simon Blackshaw (arr A Stone)
Ancient Regime - Simon Blackshaw
Storming of the Bastille - Simon Blackshaw
Afternoon at the Green Monster - Micah Babinski
Highlanders Hybrid Dance (reprise) - Simon Blackshaw

Skagit Valley and British Columbia Highland Games

2011-07-11T11:45:00.000-07:00

Alexander placed 1st in Hornpipe & Jig at the BC Highland Games, 3rd in March, Strathspey & Reel, and 4th in Piobaireachd. Northwest/White Spot United Pipe Band placed 1st in the March, Strathspey & Reel event that they'll be competing with at the World Pipe Band Championships next month, and third in the Medley event. Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band had solid performances, placing 2nd of three Grade 1 pipe bands in both the MSR and the Medley events.

At the Skagit Valley Highland Games July 9th and 10th, Alexander won the Grade 1 piping aggregate, winning Hornpipe & Jig and March Strathspey & Reel, and third in Piobaireachd, in a field of 9 competitors. Northwest/White Spot United won the MSR event and the Medley event on Sunday, gaining the title of Washington State Grade 3 Pipe Band Champions. Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band won the grade 1 MSR and Medley events Saturday.

During the day Saturday, Alexander went to check on results for one of his Piobaireachd students, Marcus. Seeing that he placed 1st, Alexander immediately left the results board to go find Marcus and congratulate him. Checking in with his parents, who were also excited to hear his student's results, they asked how Alexander had done. Alexander said he forgot to look once he'd seen Marcus' result, and went back to discover he had also placed well.

The Skagit Valley Highland Games added two very cool "non-competitive" events, small pipe solo and duet performances for feedback from Fred and Dierdre Morrison. Fred is one of the most well known small pipe players in the world, as well as a very successful great highland bagpipe competitor, recording artist, and instructor. Alexander had the opportunity to take lessons with Fred Morrison at the Celtic Arts Foundation's Winter School in February this year, and was thrilled to see Fred again and share some music. Dierdre is an incredibly talented fiddler, and together they put on several foot-pounding performances at the Skagit Valley Highland Games this weekend.

The performance above is the solo performance for Fred and Dierdre, including two tunes Alexander composed. Alexander also played a duet with Aaron Stone, which we hope to have video of soon.

The full tune list:

The Fragile Taste Of Wisdom, Alexander Schiele
Up an Adam, Murray Blair
Dr. Death, Terry Tully
Am Breamatain Tobhain Dubh, Traditional
The Whiskey Boeys, Chris Armstrong
Mark Sheridan's, Fred Morrisson
The Drive After, Alexander Schiele

2011 mid-season update - 3rd overall

2011-06-05T00:04:00.000-07:00

Alexander's discovering the physical demands of competing with two bands at almost every highland games, while managing to keep in contention in the overall solo aggregate standings. After his Aggregate win at the Bellingham Highland Games (1st in MSR, 2nd in Hornpipe/Jig of 13 players), Alexander moved into 3rd place overall, in a grade where 10 different pipers are regularly making the top 6. Current (unofficial) standings after Bellingham, bold players all from Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band:

1	Grade	1	Joseph	Stewart	604
2	Grade	1	Scott	Wood	458
3	Grade	1	Alexander	Schiele	398
4	Grade	1	David	Stitt	310
5	Grade	1	David	MacNeil	244
6	Grade	1	Aaron	Stone	194

Northwest/White Spot United Pipe Band has seen a couple first place finishes from individual judges in its first four competitions, is currently in 2nd of four bands who have competed in Grade 3, and they placed 2nd at Comox and Bellingham. Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band placed 1st in ensemble in their Medley at the Comox Valley Highland Games. Four Highland Games remain this season before flying to Scotland. BC Highland Games, Skagit Valley Highland Games, Portland Highland Games and the Pacific Northwest Highland Games. This will be one of Alexander's most memorable Highland Games seasons yet.

BCPA Pro Knockout competition

2011-02-16T11:32:00.000-08:00

The British Columbia Pipers' Association has a yearly "knockout" series of competitions, where professional pipers compete in several rounds, usually coinciding with the mini-gathering amateur competitions. Alexander was one of three invited amateurs to make it to the semi-final event on Saturday February 12th. Several top pipers commented on the musical quality of Alexander's performance, and though there was a missed repeat of one part of his Hornpipe, Alexander felt this was one of his better public performances yet. The results were posted on the BCPA website, and the judges placed him 4th, 5th, and 8th.

2nd overall at Balmoral Classic

2010-11-17T20:26:00.000-08:00

Alexander placed 2nd in the MSR and 3rd in the Piobaireachd event at the US Junior Solo Bagpiping Championships in Pittsburgh, PA on Saturday November 13th for an overall result of 2nd place as reported here in the Bob Dunsire forums and here on Pipes|Drums. Alexander brings home a set of kitchen pipes, a set of Piobaireachd CDs, and a week-long scholarship to a Balmoral School of Piping and Drumming in the upcoming year. The overall event placings were very exciting for Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band members with Amber Stone winning 2nd in drumming, Joe Stewart first overall in piping on Piobaireachd preference (A tie for 1st place with Alexander), Alexander 2nd, and Marshall German 3rd in piping. Aaron Stone placed 4th in Piobaireachd and 6th in the MSR. Thirteen pipers 18 and under from all over the United States were invited and Alexander is very pleased to have tied for first overall in points.

Alexander did not place in the overall standings in Hamilton, Ontario at the George Sherriff Memorial Amateur Invitational competition on Saturday November 20th, but placed 6th in the 6/8 March competition. His band-mate Marshall German placed 5th overall.

Alexander also played pipes for his brother Morgan at Winter Storm, the biggest amateur drumming and pro piping competition in the US in January. Morgan placed 2nd in amateur Bass drumming, from a field of 12 total amateur bass drummers who registered. There were no competitions for amateur piping, but the events and the workshops made for an exciting weekend in Kansas City, MO.

Invitation to the Balmoral Classic

2010-10-15T12:24:00.000-07:00

Alexander was invited to the Balmoral Classic US Junior Solo Championships on Saturday, November 13. This is a competition held annually in Pittsburgh "to strengthen American piping and drumming and to reward the nation’s best young players with the recognition they deserve. It is our vision that the US Junior Solo Piping and Snare Drumming Championships will become the standard to which talented young American pipers aspire, providing them with the experience and confidence necessary to compete on international platforms." It's become an important event for juvenile (under 18) amateur pipers and drummers in the US in recent years and Alexander is honored to be invited again. The week after this event, Alexander will be in Hamilton, Ontario for the George Sherriff Memorial Invitational Competition.

This is Alexander's second trip to Pittsburgh for the event. In 2009, he placed 5th in the Piobaireachd event of 14 pipers from around the US. Alexander's friend and long term band mate (from NWJPB and now Triumph Street) Aaron Stone was also invited for piping and his sister Amber for snare drumming. Joining them will also be new band mate Marshall German from California. Alexander met Marshall at the competition last year, where Marshall placed 1st in Piobaireachd and 2nd overall. Marshall recently joined Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band along with Alexander, Aaron and Amber and they're all looking forward to the event next month.

Invitation to the George Sherriff Amateur Invitational in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

2010-09-10T18:00:00.000-07:00

While the contest is indoors, traveling to play bagpipes in Ontario in November conjures interesting images

When many in the Northwest are starting to dream of Hawaiian vacations and tropical climates, Alexander will be preparing for the George Sherriff Memorial Amateur Invitational Competition in Hamilton, Ontario on November 20th this year.

This prestigious competition was started by the Pipers & Pipe Band Society of Ontario to memorialize a dedicated teacher, composer, band member & leader who contributed a lot of his life to supporting talented piping in Ontario after emigrating from Scotland. Invitations go out to the top amateur pipers throughout North America each year. The annual event is limited to 10 pipers, who perform 6/8 Marches in the morning, Piobaireachd in the afternoon, and a March, Strathspey & Reel in the evening. Alexander was the runner up for the Grand Aggregate in Grade 1 piping this year and is very pleased and honored to receive the invitation.

Last year's overall winner at the event, Richard Gillies (now a BCPA Professional piper) won $800 from the Pipers & Pipe Band Society of Ontario for a trip to Scotland for competition or tuition, a set of engraved McCallum pipes and the George Sherriff Memorial Championship Banner and trophy. The contestants haven't been announced yet, but the aggregate winner from the BC Annual Gathering competition receives funds to cover the cost of the trip to this event, so the BCPA region should be represented by Myles Stewart and Alexander. Myles won the overall Grand Aggregate. Alexander knows another competitor who will be there; Marshall German from California, from the Balmoral Classic where they both competed last year. Good luck to all competitors!

Triumphant return from Glasgow

2010-08-16T11:57:00.000-07:00

Alexander returned home Sunday after a whirlwind week in Glasgow providing technical support and cheering for his new team.

Alexander in the very center of the latest DTSPB Band Photo (clilck photo for larger image)
- by piper/photgrapher Liz Dunsire with help from Alanna MacRitchie, and Brianne Young

Alexander tuning bagpipes at DTSPB practice in Glasgow - photo by Tracy McClure

Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band, one of only 35 grade 1 pipe bands worldwide, for the second year in a row, managed to make it through the qualifier for the Grade One MSR and Medley Final at the World Pipe Band Championships. 18 bands competed to win only 6 spots and the opportunity to compete in the final, where only 14 competed. This is a remarkable achievement for a band in only its second year attending the Worlds as a new team in Grade 1, and even more incredible that DTSPB has attempted and succeded in the World Championship qualifier both times they've gone to Scotand, as well as improving their placing by one notch from 13th last year to 12th this year. The band did manage two different 10th place rankings from the piping judges as well.

St. Laurence O’Toole (a band with a 100 year history) won the day (for their first ever World Championship win), and Dowco Triumph Street are now ranked 12th in the world. Alexander played an important role playing in the circle during tuning and keeping bagpipes warmed up while David Hilder, DTSPB Pipe Major and others tuned the band, for the three different competitions on the day, as well as helping with supplies and support.

Alexander intends to continue volunteering and working with Northwest Junior Pipe Band and his current instructors Kevin Auld (light music) and Brian McKenzie (piobaireachd), but is excited about this new step in his piping experiences and thrilled by the warm welcome he's received by all the band members into a new piping family

2010-08-08T12:50:00.000-07:00

"Arrival at Glasgow International" on Flickr

Alexander won the MacRae Cup amateur Piobaireachd contest at the Coeur D'Alene Summer School of Piping & Drumming on Friday, August 6th, as well as scholarships to the 2011 school and a tuition scholarship to the Celtic Arts Foundation Winter School (formerly Mastery of Scottish Arts Winter School) in February 2011. On Saturday, he won the aggregate in Grade 1 piping at the Spokane Highland Games.

A return trip to Snohomish rain after a week of 80-90 degree weather helps prepare Alexander for his Sunday evening flight to Glasgow, Scotland to join Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band to provide technical support and play bagpipes with them while tuning and preparing for the World Pipe Band Championships on Saturday August 14th.

You can stay up to watch the Championships, streaming live on the BBC's website. The competitions begin at 1:00 AM PST Saturday (Friday night) and are available worldwide here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/worlds/2010

Portland, Enumclaw and 2nd overall for the 2010 Grand Aggregate

2010-08-03T12:58:00.000-07:00

Alexander placed 1st in the March, Strathspey & Reel competition and 3rd in the Hornpipe & Jig competitions at the Portland Highland Games.

At the Pacific Northwest Highand Games in Enumclaw, WA July 31 & August 1st, Alexander placed 4th in the March, Strathspey & Reel and 1st in the Hornpipe & Jig and maintained his position in 2nd place overall for Grade 1 piping for the 2010 BCPA season, and the highest ranked Amateur Juvenile bagpiper. Northwest Junior Pipe Band with Alexander as Pipe Major won 3rd Saturday and 1st Sunday for a combined score good enough for first place overall by one point, which also the band the title of BC Pipers Association Grade 4 Pipe Band Grand Aggregate Champions for 2010, the first time the band has won that title.

Alexander is now at the Coeur D'Alene Summer School for Piping and Drumming, followed by the Spokane Highland Games, then hops on a flight to Scotland to join Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band to provide tuning and tech support to the band (playing the pipes with the band to keep them warmed up while the band is tuning up). Alexander is pleased to announce he has requested to join the Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band during their competition season for 2011 and been warmly accepted as a new member. Alexander plans to continue working with the Northwest Junior Pipe Band providing whatever assistance his schedule will allow and will continue taking lessons from his first piping instructor Kevin Auld, and his Piobaireachd Instructor, Brian McKenzie.

2nd place in March, Strathspey & Reel & Hornpipe & Jig at Skagit Valley

2010-07-13T08:29:00.000-07:00

Alexander competed on Saturday, July 11 at the Skagit Valley Highland Games in both Grade 1 piping and Tenor drumming. In piping, there were seven to eight pipers in the Grade 1 events and Alexander placed 2nd in the March, Strathspey & Reel competition and 2nd in the Hornpipe & Jig competition. Tenor drumming had one competitor with Alexander winning. Northwest Junior Pipe Band won both Grade 4 events and challenged up to Grade 3, winning that event as well, and the titles of Washington State Grade 3 and Grade 4 Pipe Band Champions with Alexander as the Pipe Major. More information and results are available on the BCPipers' Results page or the NWJPBlog.

1st, 3rd, and 4th at BC Highland Games

2010-06-27T23:48:00.000-07:00

Alexander placed 1st of 11 in the Piobaireachd competition at the BC Highland Games on Saturday June 26th, as well as 3rd of 12 in the Hornpipe & Jig competition and 4th of 13 in the March, Strathspey & Reel competition. This result maintains his 2nd place position overall for the Grade 1 piping aggregate for the British Columbia Pipers' Association.

Northwest Junior Pipe Band placed 1st with him leading the band for the second win of the 2010 season. The band's competition video is below.

Third and Fifth of 15 competitors at Bellingham

2010-06-12T17:31:00.000-07:00

Student & older brother Morgan, Instructor Kevin Auld and Alexander at Bellingham

Alexander placed third in the Hornpipe & Jig competition and fifth in the March, Strathspey & Reel competition at the Bellingham Highland Games on Saturday, June 5th, 2010 and remained in 2nd place position overall in the BCPA grand aggregate standings for Grade 1 amateur piping. NWJPB received first place from all 4 judges. Video of the band is available on the NWJPBlog.

Aggregate winner at Comox Valley Highland Games, 2nd overall by 1 point at Victoria

2010-05-30T13:13:00.000-07:00

Alexander placed 1st in Piobaireachd, 1st in Hornpipe & Jig, and 2nd in the March, Strathspey & Reel at the Comox Valley Highland Games winning the "Aggregate" or first place overall on Saturday, May 22, 2010, a surprising accomplishment for a 14 year old bagpiper at his first outdoor Grade 1 Amateur competition.

The next day at the Victoria Highland Games he placed 2nd in the March, Strathspey & Reel and 2nd in the Hornpipe & Jig contests, missing 1st place overall by one point.

The number of competitors in the top Amateur grade ranged from 7 to 8.

1st place at first Grade 1 competition of the 2010 season

2010-04-04T12:28:00.000-07:00

Alexander competed at the British Columbia Pipers' Association Annual Gathering on Friday and Saturday April 2nd and 3rd. This is the first competition of the "summer" (even though the day ended in a heavy snow on the campus of Simon Fraser University) games season that counts toward the aggregate standings for the season. Alexander's Friday Piobaireachd performance went well, with the exception of some tuning challenges and a modest fingering mistake, but Alexander felt good about the performance he was able to turn in for top Gold Medalist Bruce Gandy, who was brought in from Nova Scotia, judging alongside his first instructor, Hal Senyk who was perfoming in the role of "reading" the piobaireachd music while Bruce focused on musical performance, expression, tuning and other factors. Alexander has been fortunate to take a few lessons with Hal Senyk as well, but his primary Piobaireachd instructor is Brian McKenzie, 2010 Winter Storm Silver Medalist, and his light music instructor is Kevin Auld, also Band Director for Northwest Junior Pipe Band where Alexander is the Pipe Major for the Grade 4 band.

On Saturday April 3rd, Alexander competed in the March Strathspey & Reel contest placing 5th of 18 (registered) and the Jig contest, taking 1st place of 18 registered pipers. It's likely no one was more surprised than Alexander, the youngest piper in the grade, when he was called to receive the Donald & Kathleen MacLeod Memorial Trophy for the jig contest. He felt good about his performances on the day, but being called twice in the top six was a surprise.

Snohomish Piper at the Olympics Curling Events

2010-02-24T11:43:00.000-08:00

Alexander began learning to play bagpipes at age seven, much to the surprise of his parents. His grandmother bought a “practice chanter” to keep his interest while she told stories of a trip to Scotland. He enjoyed it, and worked his way through all of the simple lessons in the book that came with it. He soon began taking lessons from one of a couple of full time bagpipe instructors in the Seattle area, Kevin Auld and soon joined Northwest Junior Pipe Band, practicing hard and quickly rising through the amateur competition ranks.

Alexander lives in Snohomish and attends Sky Valley Education Resource Center in Monroe as a homeschooled student. Traveling to Shoreline for band practice twice a week, private lessons twice a week, Vancouver, BC monthly for competitions, performances, and events keeps Alexander and his family very busy, but the opportunities provided by the activity have been rewarding, including performing several times on television, at Seahawks games, Mariners games, and at the 2008 World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, where the band placed 5th in the world at their competition level in a field of 23 worldwide bands.

Alexander leads the Northwest Junior Pipe Band in competitions as Pipe Major – a similar responsibility to the director in an orchestra. He won the “Grand Aggregate” in Grade 2 in 2009, meaning he gained more points than any other piper at his grade level in Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia. He was promoted to the top amateur competition grade 1 before turning 14, and is currently the youngest piper at that level in the region. Alexander also takes “Piobaireachd” (pronounced pea-brock) lessons, the classical music of the bagpipe from top US piper Brian McKenzie, who lives in West Seattle and recently won the Silver Medal at “Winter Storm” in Kansas City, placing ahead of 25 top bagpipers from across the country, Canada and Scotland.

Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band, a world class Grade 1 pipe band based in Vancouver, BC won the right to be the official bagpipe band of Curling at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver and were determined to share this memorable experience with youth from around the region. Three youth from Northwest Junior Pipe Band were invited, as well as youth from two other bagpipe bands in Canada. Alexander performed five times with four other musicians as part of a “micro-band” leading the curling teams onto the competition field before the events on Tuesday the 16th, Wednesday the 17th, and again on Wednesday the 24th for the tie-breaker events. The crowd noise was so overwhelming when the Canadian team came out into the arena, Alexander couldn’t hear the musicians directly in front of or behind him. For an instrument often able to be heard up to a mile away, this was a unique experience for him.

Alexander, has performed professionally for highland dancers, weddings, birthday parties, funerals, and many other events that benefit from the unique and stirring experience of a performance on the Great Highland Bagpipe. Contact him with questions about scheduling.

Video is available from one of his Olympics performances here >>

The second piper. Photos by Craig Mathews, Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band

Photo by Craig Mathews, Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band

2nd from left. Photo by Craig Mathews, Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band

Far left. Photo by Craig Mathews, Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band

2009-07-21T03:04:00.000-07:00

Fall '09 Update: Alexander was promoted to the top amateur grade level, Grade 1 in October, around the same time he accepted an invitation to compete at the US Junior Solo Bagpipe Championships at the Balmoral Classic in Pittsburgh, PA on November 7th, where he placed 5th of 15 Juvenile cometitors in the Piobaireachd (the classical music of bagpipes) competition. On his return to the Northwest, he competed in the first British Columbia Pipers' Association mini-gathering and placed 4th of 13 pipers in Grade 1 playing a 6/8 March.

Alexander competed in Grade 2 piping in the 2009 season, winning the Grand Aggregate; 1st place of more than 20 competitors over 10 different days of competitions at Highland Games from Comox Valley, BC to Portland, OR. He has nearly 6 years of bagpiping experience, taught from the age of 7 to present by Kevin Auld and most recently adding silver medalist Brian McKenzie for Piobaireachd music after lessons last year with professional piper Micah Babinski which became challenging with Micah's college schedule. Besides his busy solo competition schedule, Alexander is the Pipe Major with Northwest Junior Pipe Band under his instructor, Band Director Kevin Auld.

Alexander finished the 2008 season in 2nd place overall in Grade 3 and was promoted to Grade 2. Bagpiping competition grading is similar to any competition sport, where ability ranking is necessary. Grade 5 is for beginners, and Grade 1 & Professional is an elite group of the best bagpipers in the World.
Aggregate wins in 2009
"Aggregate" trophies are awarded to the top solo competitor in a given grade level across multiple competitions, usually including 2 to 3 distinct styles of music.

Aggregate Winner of Washington Pipers’ Association Grade 2 mini-gathering competitions, January through May 2009. http://www.washingtonpipers.org/
BCPA Annual Gathering: 1st MSR (judge Alasdair Ghillies), 5th Hornpipe & Jig, 2nd Piobaireachd
Victoria Highland Games: 1st 2/4 March, 2nd Hornpipe & Jig
BC Highland Games 1st MSR, 1st Jig, 3rd Piobaireachd
Skagit Valley Highland Games: MSR: 2nd; Piobaireachd: 1st, Hornpipe & Jig: 1st
Pacific Northwest Highland Games: 6th Piobaireachd, 1st Hornpipe & Jig, 2nd MSR

Results from BCPA events are posted here: http://bcpipers.org/index.php/item3/results.html
Besides the current season aggregate results, here are his other results so far this season:

Comox Valley Highland Games: 1st MSR, 6th Hornpipe & Jig
Bellingham Highland Games: 5th MSR, 3rd Hornpipe & Jig
Sons of Scotland Highland Games: 4th 2/4 March, 6th Jig
Portland Highland Games: 1st in Hornpipe/Jig, 2nd in MSR

Winner of the Grand Aggregate Trophy for Grade 2 piping, 2009.
Although not his primary focus, Alexander complements his musicianship by competing in Grade 2 tenor drumming competitions as well (Promoted to Grade 1 at end of 2009 season), and is currently ranked 3rd overall in the BCPA competitions. He placed 2nd at WPA competitions for the Jan/May season, several 2nd and 3rd place finishes and most recently a 1st place finish at the Portland Highland Games July 18, 2009