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Instructors"Why should I come to this school?" you may be asking yourself. "What makes it different?" While it's true that there are other great instructional camps for Scottish music and dance, we think no place else combines the quality of instruction with such a perfect setting for learning as Seabeck does. Simply put, the instructors at the Celtic Arts Winter School consist of some of the finest and most award-winning musicians to be found anywhere. Aside from multiple solo and band world champions, several of our instructors are accomplished composers as well. All have performed around the globe in many settings and venues to rave reviews! 2011 instructors will be posted here as plans are finalized with each individual. We've included a few images of some of our instructors, as well as some YouTube videos of these outstanding musicians. Scroll down this page and click on the desired video to play it. Highland PipesWe have extended our first round of invites for piping instructors for the 2011 Winter School, including:
Pipe Major Brian Dondaldson, Scots Guards - Brian, from Cardenden in Fife, was taught to play the pipes by his father, Pipe Major Andrew Donaldson, himself a renowned piper and teacher. At a young age Brian was playing with the world famous Dysart & Dundonald pipe band, winning all the major championships in Grade 1. In 1978, Brian enlisted in the Scots Guards and served with the regiment all over the world, passing his Pipe Majors course at the Army school of piping, Edinburgh Castle in 1982. After serving in the Falklands war, he was posted to the Army School of Piping as an instructor for 3 years, and was later promoted to the rank of Pipe Major in 1995. Throughout his military career, Brian has become one of the most renowned pipers in the British Army, achieving an endless list of top competitive prizes including the Gold Medals, Clasps at Skye, the Bratach Gorm London, the Donald Macdonald Quaich and more! After a successful military career, Brian has now gone full circle, back to his trade as a bagpipe craftsman taking the name of “Inveran Bagpipe Makers” into the 21st Century.
Alasdair Gillies - The solo career of Alasdair Gillies has been of historic proportions. Alasdair won every event he entered at the Northern Meeting in Inverness in 1986. He has won numerous Glenfiddich Championships in Scotland, the Braemar Gold Medal (twice), eleven Silver Stars, the Gold Medal at Oban, the Gold Medal at Inverness, and in 2007 the Argyllshire Gathering Former Winners MSR. Alasdair teaches the Carnegie-Mellon University Pipe Band in Pittsburgh. He also has 17 years of experience as piper and Pipe Major with the Queen’s Own Highlanders, serving for many years as instructor to prepare recruits to be Regimental Pipers. Alasdair originates from Ulapool, Scotland. He learned much of his piping from his father, Pipe Major Norman Gillies.
Bruce Gandy - We are happy to welcome back Bruce Gandy, from Hallifax, Nova Scotia. Last year, Jack Lee very graciously filled in for Bruce (and Jack will be back in 2012 as a Winter School instructor) at the last minute. The plan moving forward is to alternate between Jack and Bruce as they are both such popular instructors and performers. Bruce started piping in 1970 in Victoria, BC, with early instruction from Hal Senyk and James Troy. In the early 80s, he moved to Ontario and enjoyed a successful run with the 78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band. In 1998, Bruce won the Silver Medal competition at the Northern Meeting in Inverness, Scotland, and proceeded to win the Gold Medal in Inverness in 2003, and the Gold Medal at Oban, Scotland in 2004. Subsequently, he has successfully competed in the Glenfiddich Championship as well as the Bratch Gorm competition in London. It’s great to have Bruce back!
Murray Henderson - Born in New Zealand and an emigrant to Scotland, Murray Henderson has won an amazing number of top awards over the last 30 years. His accomplishments include top prizes and Gold Medals at Oban and Inverness, six Clasp at Inverness, five Silver Chanters at Dunvegan Castle, London’s Bratach Gorm five times, the Former Winners MSR at London five times, and has been four times the Glenfiddich champion. Murray has been a full-time reedmaker since 1976. After a long history of consulting for a premier bagpipe maker, designed his Strathmore pipe and chanter.
Stuart Liddell - From Inveraray, Scotland is one of the world's most gifted and incredible piper-musicians playing today. His 2009 performance of "Thunderstruck" by ACDC at Benaroya Hall in Seattle was one of the concert highlights. Fresh off of leading the Inveraray and District Pipe Band to the Grade II World Championship, Stuart promptly turned around and again won the prestigious Clasp and Quaich at the Northern Meeting in Inverness in September of this year. Stuart has won most of the top awards in solo piping in Scotland, including the Gold Medals at both the Argyllshire Gathering and Northern Meeting. Stuart routinely dazzles audiences around the world with the blazing speed and dexterity of his playing, however prizes collected over the years at the top competitions demonstrate an appreciation and understanding of traditional playing styles as well.
Roddy MacLeod, MBE - A former math instructor, Roddy MacLeod was awarded his MBE forServices to Piping in 2003. As Principal of the National Piping Centre in Glasgow, Roddy has a keen dedication toward piping instruction and a zeal for the promotion of piping standards all over the world. A dedicated ambassador of the instrument, Roddy’s achievements are varied and carry a long list. His prizes include many at the Glenfiddich Championship (including the overall three times), top prizes including Gold Medals and Clasps from Oban and Inverness, many times winner of the Bratach Gorm, Silver Chanter, Uist and Barra and several other competition prizes. Roddy is the former Pipe Major for the Scottish Power Pipe Band, and has been Principal at the Piping Centre since its beginning in 1996. Borderpipes & Highland Pipes
Scottish Smallpipes
Cape Breton and Scottish FiddlingIn recent years, we've enjoyed a strong connection with Cape Breton fiddling by bringing in the likes of Mairi Rankin, David MacIssac and the late Jerry Holland. The energy of these musicians and their music is a treat for any fan of fiddling. To have the opportunity to study with them in small classes and be part of this great Winter School tradition is not to be missed! We're very pleased to announce that we've invited Andrea and Troy back for 2011, and are adding a Scottish Fiddling instructor as well, Ms. Deirdre Morrison!
Andrea Beaton attended the Winter School for the first time in 2009, and quickly established herself as a favorite teacher. She loves tunes and playing the fiddle, and is especially accomplished at playing fiddle in accompaniment to pipes. It's going to be espeically fun at our 2011 Winter School Session 1 because we've added an additional Scottish Smallpipe instructor (Dr. Gary West) and we can't wait to have all this great music with fiddle, Smallpipe and Borderpipes! In keeping with the best of Cape Breton traditions, Andrea can put down the fiddle, and sit down at the piano to play along as well. Music springs from Andrea's soul! Talk about a musical pedigree, Andrea has a MacMasters and Beaton bloodline second to none. Her father Kinnon is one of Cape Breton's most influential fiddlers, and her mother Betty is an equally well known piano accompanist. All of that, and she's a lot of fun and tremendous instructor on top of it all! For more information on Andrea - here is her website.
We're also pleased to say we've invited Troy MacGillivray to join our Winter School faculty once again. Coming from a prominent Nova Scotia musical family, he's another one of those "triple-threat" Maritime talents; a step dancer, extraordinary pianist and fiddler. Classically trained and a consummate performer from an early age, Troy blends technical precision with the soul of a Highlander! To learn more about Troy, please visit his website. Here is a recent fun YouTube video of Andrea and Troy cranking out tunes.
Deirdre Morrision is making her first journey to Seabeck and Seattle from her home in Bishopton, just outside of Glasgow in the West of Scotland. Frequent visits to the family home on Uist in the Hebrides, helped develop a deep appreciation for the traditional musical Island traditions which is evident in her playing today. She'll work closely with Andrea and Troy, and also husband Fred Morrison as well as Smallpipe instructor Gary West during our first Winter School Session. Classically trained and with a Master's degree in music, she's been involved in producing albums in addition to playing in bands and orchestras virtually her entire life. Deirdre is a well traveled and much sought-after teacher, and we're especially looking forward to her musical contributions for the Winter School first session and Mastery of Scottish Arts Concert at Benaroya Hall on February 4th.
Drumming InstructorsThe Winter School provides instruction for bass, side and tenor drumming. Invitations for instructors for 2011 Winter School have been extended as follows:
Michael Cole - began his pipe band career in 1987. In addition to bass drumming, Mike has experience as a lead drummer as well as a tenor drummer. He has played in a combined ten World Championships and numerous contests in North America at the Grade 1 and Grade 2 levels. In 1998 he won the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association award for “Best Bass” in Grade 2 at the World Championships and his bass sections have been awarded the Grade 2 North American bass section titles at Maxville, Ontario in 2004 and 2005. Mike won the 2007 Mid-West Highland Art Gold Medal in the professional bass drumming competition in Kansas City. He is also the inventor of the Twisted Thistle bass drum mallet series, one of the most successful competition mallets on the market today. A professional educator, Mike instructs at workshops, seminars, and summer camps in North America and Scotland, and is member of the PipeBandTunes.com instructional team. An accomplished kit drummer and hand percussionist, he’s worked professionally in a variety of musical genres, including as a show drummer in Las Vegas, and with the likes of R&B legends Sam and Dave and Chicago blues artist, Junior Wells. His latest studio project was with Jori Chisholm, on his Bagpipe Revolution CD. Congratulations to Mike on his invitation to play with the Inveraray and District Pipe Band for the 2010 competitive season. He'll team with current Winter School instructor PM Stuart Liddell, and past Winter School instructor DS Stephen McWhirter in what will no doubt be one of the powerhouse pipe bands in Scotland in 2010 and beyond!
John Scullion - is a native of Northern Ireland who moved to Scotland in the early 1970s. John is a four-time winner of the World Solo Drumming Championship. He studied under the great Alex Duthart and has led the drum sections of two the world’s premier bands, Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia and Scottish Power. John won his first World Solo Championship in 1978, and retained the title in three of the next four years. In 1984 he also had the distinction of leading the Shotts drum corps to first place at the World Pipe Band Championships.
Blair Brown - began drumming in 1992 at the age of 8. He joined the Milton Optimist Juvenile Pipe Band with whom he won two World Championships in 1994 and 1997. In 2000 he joined the 78th Fraser Highlanders under the leadership of Michael Hunter. During this time he also returned to the Milton Optimists Pipe Band (now the MacDonald Caledonia Pipe Band) as lead drummer. From there, in the season of 2002, he realized a boyhood dream of joining the House of Edgar - Shotts and Dykehead drum corps lead by Jim Kilpatrick. He has enjoyed much success with Shotts winning the World Drum Corps Championships in 2002, 2003 and 2005 as well as winning the overall band titles in 2003 and 2005. In the solo realm, Blair has made the final at the World Solo Drumming Championships on numerous occasions. Placing in the top 6 twice, 4th equal being his highest placing in 2004.
Gordon Brown - Joining us at Winter School for this first time this year, is Gordon Brown, from West Lothian, Scotland. The son from the well known father-son duo of Tom and Gordon Brown, Gordon has a long list of accomplishments from the Scottish drumming world. Gordon has won virtually every major prize for Scottish-style drum corps as the lead drummer including Cowal, European, and World Drumming titles, as well as the Alex Duthart Memorial Trophy for champion of champion drum corps. He won the World Solo Drumming Championship title for the first time in 1994, and again in 2002. Gordon continues to be one of the world’s top solo players, consistently placing near the top of the prize list each year since then. He is currently the Principal Drumming Instructor at The Strathallan School and The Glenalmond College, both in Perthshire and is also involved with Andante Drums on product development of their highly successful Reactor Snare Drum.
Tyler Fry - , is one of the world’s leaders in the art of tenor drumming. By age 14 he had won every major professional title in North America, including the Canadian, United States and North American Championships. With the 78th Fraser Highlanders, Tyler was part of three World Champion midsections. He now plays with Scotland’s House of Edgar Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band. His company ‘TyFry’ produces quality tenor sticks that are used by the world’s top pipe bands. Tyler also travels extensively throughout the world teaching workshops and seminars. The energy he brings to the stage, is only surpassed by the energy and passion he brings to instructing others. Such demand has he created, that we've added an additional instructor for the weekend Winter School tenor drumming session to reduce his class size!
VideosHere are a few YouTube videos of current and prior year instructors Tyler Fry, MSA 2006
Bruce Gandy, Stephen McWhirter and Michael Cole, MSA 2007
Alasdair Gillies, Oban 2007
Instructors Gallery
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Fred Morrison - One of the world's most sought-after folk musicians, the Celtic Arts Foundation is extremely pleased to welcome Fred Morrison for his first visit to the Mastery of Scottish Arts/Celtic Arts Winter School program. Born in Bishipton, Scotland, Fred has very strong family ties to the Outer Hebridian island of South Uist. As with all of our Highland piping instructors, Fred is a "gold medal" winner; in Fred's case having won both the Oban and Inverness competitions. In addition to his mastery of Highland Pipes, Fred is an extrememly rare commodity in that he is also a renowned as one of the world's best bellows-blown Lowland or Border pipes players. The Celtic Arts Foundation is featuring Fred during the Scottish smallpipes session, January 30 - February 3rd.
Dr. Gary West - Joining us for the first time at Seabeck, we're very excited to have Gary join our faculty for the 2011 Winter School. Originally from Pitlochry in Perthshire, he was a stalwart member of the Vale of Atholl Pipe Band there for some 20 years. In 1988, as Gary tells it, he "drifted across to the folk scene," and has been heavily involved ever since. As chair of the Celtic studies department at the University of Edinburgh, Gary balances an active academic life, with the demands of a performing musician and sought-after instructor. He also finds time to host the very popular BBC Scotland progam "Pipeline" highlighting piping activities in Scotland and beyond. Joining Fred Morrison and our three fiddle instructors - this first Session of Winter School will be really something! 
