Here I am with the Atlanta Pipe Band playing for Rod Stewart's 1990 World Tour.
I am the bagpiper kneeling immediately to Rod's left. Eight of the other bagpipers
in this photo were students of mine at the time.
Here I am directing the Atlanta Pipe Band during our 2003 Concert at the Roswell
Cultural Center in Roswell, Georgia. The drum section is playing as the Irish Dancers
dance their way onto the stage as they begin their performance. As Pipe Major, I
am the bagpiper at the front of the stage on the left.
This photo was taken at the National Piping Centre of Scotland Summer School held
in Atlanta, Georgia in June 2008 where some of the top bagpipe instructors in the
World are brought to Atlanta to provide advanced tuition. The other bagpiper in
front is Bobby Minnear, a longtime friend and an excellent bagpiper. Here we are
leading the Advanced Piping Class to the stage for our performance during the student
recital.
This is me, 15 years old, playing a bagpipe solo during one of the football halftime
shows at my highschool, Woodward Academy. For these shows, I was guest performing
with Woodward's Robert W. Woodruff Marching Band. The next year, I officially joined
the band playing percussion for marching band and bassoon for concert band. I was
Drum Major of the band my Senior year.
Photo courtesy of R. C. Brady
This photo was taken at the Georgia State Capitol building where the College Park
Police Pipes and Drums were playing for Peace Officer Memorial Day (May 15th). This
was a band which I helped start and served as Pipe Major for several years during
the early 1990's. Every single piper in the band was a student of mine.
Courtesy of Warren Bond Jr. and Warren Bond Photography
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Here I am playing some ceilidh (party) music on the Scottish
Smallpipes during one of sets in the Atlanta Pipe Band's 2003 concert series.
To my left is our bass drum player Robin Nelson playing a drum called a Jimbay (or
Djembe). On the far right is Christopher Martenn, one of the other bagpipers in
the band, who is also a very fine Guitarist. We did a number of concerts when I
was Pipe Major of the band, the highlight of which is when we played to a sold out
crowd of over 600 at the Roswell Cultural Center.
Here I am pictured with John Shaw of Tordarroch, 22nd Chief of the Clan Shaw. This photo was taken during
the Shaw Gathering at Ronnie's Restaurant in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina on the
17th of September 1994 following the Charleston Scottish Games where Chief Shaw
had been the Guest of Honor. As part of my performance, I played The Shaws March
in his honor. Chief Shaw had taken bagpipe lessons in his youth and is a knowledgeable
patron of the art.
The Atlanta Pipe Band on their march to the competition field at the Gatlinburg
Highland Games, 2009. We played very well that day, beating the Charleston Police
Pipe Band in the Open Pipe Band competition.
This photo was taken in 2007 at Barnes and Noble's book release party for Harry Potter
and the Deathly Hallows. The magical school Hogwarts is located somewhere
in Scotland, and Scottish things play a role throughout the books. Bagpipes are
mentioned in the books several times and bagpipes are played by one of the members
of the wizarding rock band "The Weird Sisters". J.K. Rowling lived in Edinburgh
Scotland at the time she began writing the Harry Potter books. Trivia: The steam
train used in the movies for the Hogwarts Express is actually called the Jacobite
and runs from Fort William to Mallaig. There is a very famous bagpipe composition
written for three or more players called "Steam Train to Mallaig" which can be heard
on the Atlanta Pipe Band's CD Phoenix Rising.
Wait a minute...that is not a bagpipe! This photograph was taken at Callenwolde
House in Decatur, Georgia. Emily Collette, the harpsichordist, graciously allowed
me to try out her harpsichord. Emily, the woman facing the camera, is wonderful
to listen to in concert.
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