Faculty

Faculty – 2025

(Subject to Change) Many thanks to our amazing Volunteer Faculty, Performers, and Adjudicators

Callum Beaumont
Murray Blair
Kahlil Cappucino
Stephen Creighton
Andrew Douglas
Andrew Elliott
Michael Grey
Jake Jorgensen
Jack Lee
Terry Lee
Roddy MacLeod, MBE
Donald MacPhee
Kerr McQuillan
Richard Parkes, MBE
Owen Russell
Jim Sim
Gary West
Bob Worrall

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Callum Beaumont – Piping

Callum resides in Guardbridge, Fife, with his wife Eilidh. Callum is a full time member of staff at Dollar Academy where he leads the Novice A pipe band. During his time at the school so far, the band have accumulated over 20 major championship wins. Outside of school, Callum runs his own teaching business and is fortunate to have dedicated and successful students worldwide. 

Callum has had an extremely successful solo career to-date, winning many of the world’s top prizes. Prizes have included; The Glenfiddich, The Clasp, 5 times, The Silver Star at the Northern Meeting and the overall at the Scottish Piping Society of London, 5 times.

 

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Murray Blair- Piping

Murray’s family immigrated from Scotland to Australia in the 1940’s.  Taught by his father, Donald Blair OAM, Murray played with the Victoria Police Pipe Band (Warrnambool, Australia), to include recorded the albums “Uphold the Right,” “Live in Ireland,” “Live in the Rockies (USA)” and “Masterblasters.”

The Victoria Police Pipe Band won the Grade 1 World Pipe Band Championships in 1998, and Murray also released his piping book ‘Philharmonic’. Six of the nine tunes played by the Victoria Police at the 1998 World Championships were written by Murray. On the Australian solo piping boards, he won the Silver Medal Piobaireachd at the RU Brown competition however developed focal dystonia and ceased competitive piping. He maintained involvement in the local piping community and a founding member of the Victorian Pipers Association, an organisation dedicated to teaching and fostering piping.

Murray has also worked extensively in broadcast television recording in remote locations of Africa, Asia, and Australia, and landmark venues such as the Lincoln Centre NYC and the Royal Glasgow Concert Hall in Scotland. As a piper and audio engineer, Murray now resides in Melbourne combining technical and musical knowledge to produce electronic bagpipe tuners, the Bagpiper Case (with Ian Lyons), Bagpipe Tuner App and the Blair Digital Chanter.  Formally trained as an Audio Engineer with BBC accreditation, Murray developed a bespoke technique for recording bagpipes and relocated to Scotland in 2004 to commercially produce piping albums.  His recording/ producing credits include:

Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band Re:charged, Re:wind, Replay, IMPACT
Inverary & District – Ascension
Simon Fraser University – On Home Ground 1 & 2, Live in New York, Affirmation
St Laurence O’Toole Pipe Band – Turas Ceoil @ Resume
Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia- La Boum Ecosse, Rise
Scottish Power – Cathcart
Manawatu Scottish Twelve Thousand Miles, The Calling
Vale of Athol Pipe Band – Live from Frankfurt, Germany
Dysart & Dundonald Pipe Band – Terra Incognito
Roddy S MacDonald Good Drying
Alasdair Gillies LochBroom
Gordon Duncan Just for Gordon
Roddy MacLeod – Piobaireachd
National Piping Centre Masters competition  & Recital series
Lord Todd Piping Recital Challenge – Scotland
The Northern Meeting & SPA Knockout series- Pipeline BBC Radio Scotland

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Kahlil Cappucino- Bass Drumming

Kahlil Cappuccino was born in Montreal, Quebec in 1970.  At the age of 5 he moved with his family to Glengarry County, Ontario – a place perhaps best known for hosting the North American Pipe Band Championships.  In 1987, after having taken up percussion in the high school orchestra, Kahlil was approached to be the bass drummer for the Glengarry Pipe Band. And so began his long career in the competitive pipe band world.

From 1987 to 1996, Kahlil played in the Glengarry band under the leadership of Pipe Major Colin MacLellan during which the band rose through the ranks from grade 4 with a brief stop in grade 1. Along the way, the band won numerous provincial and national championships in Canada and the USA, the North American Pipe Band Championships as well as achieving top 4 placings at the World Pipe Band Championships in Grade 2. During that time, Kahlil also won several individual awards often garnering “Best Bass” on numerous occasions including at a continental level. He also took the time during this period to study Sociology and Anthropology, and English Literature at Carleton University in Ottawa, earning a Bachelor of Arts.

After a brief pause, Kahlil went on to play with the grade 2 Canadian Forces Composite Pipe Band in 1998. Success at this level continued under the guidance of Pipe Major Sandy Dewar until the band’s demise in 2000. During that time Kahlil also started a career in the Government of Canada in strategic policy and planning management.  In 2002 he re-joined the grade 2 Glengarry Pipe Band under the leadership of Pipe Major Colin Clansey. Kahlil played in the band until 2004 culminating with a 6th place finish at the Worlds and he was awarded the best bass prize.

On the heels of those accomplishments, Kahlil was invited to play bass with the grade 1 78th Highlanders Halifax Citadel Pipe Band in the province of Nova Scotia. Going into his fourteenth year with the band, he continues to thrive under the leadership of Pipe Major Alex Gandy. Kahlil has also enjoyed success with the Halifax band having won the North American Championships in 2014 and “best bass section” awards three times at that contest as well as many others.  The band also qualified for the Finals at the Worlds in 2005 and 2015.  While with the band Kahlil has garnered several top solo prizes including a North American Open Bass Champion title and twice a Midwest Highland Arts Fund Gold Medalist. 

Kahlil also was a member of the original Spirit of Scotland Pipe Band in 2008. Pipe Major Roddy MacLeod took the band to the Finals in Glasgow that year. Four years later, Kahlil again played with the band in a concert at the Royal Glasgow Concert Hall.  As time moved on, Kahlil has become an adjudicator with the Pipers and Pipe Band Society of Ontario and served on their Music Board from 2009-2012 (including an active seat on the Atlantic Canada Pipe Band Association’s Music Committee).  

Kahlil has been involved in Winter Storm for a number of years both as a competitor and as member of the faculty.  He began as a competitor in 2007, placing in the prize list every time including winning the Gold Medal Bass Drumming Championships in 2008 and 2014.  He has also adjudicated several of the medal and amateur contests for bass and tenor, plus conducted workshops as part of this world-class event as recently as 2017.  Kahlil resides in Canada’s capital city, Ottawa with his wife and their 17-year-old twins. He continues his career in the Canadian Government as an executive with the Department of Canadian Heritage where he is the Director, Copyright Policy in the Cultural Affairs Sector.

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Stephen Creighton – Snare Drumming

Stephen Creighton is the lead drummer of the current World, UK, and British drumming champions St Laurence O’Toole pipe band from Dublin, Ireland.

Solo honors include 1989 World Junior Champion, 26 World Solo Finals, 5 Senior all Ireland drumming Championships and 3 Ulster Senior Championships. With his corps, Stephen has won 13 Grade 1 all Ireland drumming prizes and was crowned the 2006 , 2010 , 2015 , 2016 , 2018 and 2019 World Grade 1 Drumming prize winners.

Currently Stephen has 20 major titles including Europe, Scottish, and British titles .On a local level his drum corps has 13 grade 1 All Ireland drumming titles. Stephen is married to Amanda and has four children; Stephen Junior, Keith, Glen and Hannah.

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Andrew Douglas – Piping

Andrew has been active at the highest level of pipe bands, solo competition, teaching, and creative endeavors for the past 25 years. He is a three-time World Champion with Inveraray and District Pipe Band, the 2017 Winner of the USA Silver Medal for Piobaireachd, 2008–2013 Pipe Major of Grade 1 Oran Mor Pipe Band, multi-prize winner of Silver Medals at Oban and Inverness, the 2004 B-Grade Winner Strathspey/Reel at Oban. Andrew published his debut and award-winning book, Finding Bagpipe Freedom, in 2021. He’s also an Accredited Bagpipe Teacher and Examiner (Scottish Qualifications Authority) and holds a Bachelor Degree in Fine Arts from Simon Fraser University.

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Andrew Elliott – Tenor Drumming

Originally from Toronto, Canada, Andrew now lives in Houston, Texas, where he teaches drumming at the Saint Thomas’ Episcopal School. As a member of the Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band, Andrew has won every RSPBA major title, including 5 World Pipe Band Championships since joining the band in 2013. As a solo player, Andrew has won the American, Canadian, and North American Championships on numerous occasions as well as being an 9 time MHAF Gold Medal winner, and the only person to have ever won the Gold in both bass and tenor drumming. In 2005, Andrew made his first set of tenor sticks. As the years progressed, tenor drummers took notice of the high quality and custom designs produced by Ace. Today, Ace Percussion sells bass sticks, tenor sticks, and accessories world wide. Andrew continually develops products and strives to deliver the highest quality bass and tenor products on the market.

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Michael Grey- Piping

With many major solo titles to his credit, successful books of music on the shelves, compositions in the repertoires of bands the world over, Michael Grey is undoubtedly one of the world’s foremost pipers.

He has four times won the North American Championship, the overall title at the Vancouver Indoor Meet twice, the Piobaireachd Society Gold Medal and that venue’s March, Strathspey & Reel and Former Winners’ MSR on the same day. In 1989 he won the aggregate championship at the Cowal Highland Gathering. He has seventeen times won the professional Ontario Championship Supreme awards for both classical (pibroch) and light music. In 1995 he won the Toronto Piper’s Society Knock-Out final; in 2003 he again won this testing event – for the third year in succession.

Michael was founding member of the 1987 World Pipe Band Champion 78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band, the first band from outside of Scotland to win the title.  He served a Pipe Major of Peel Regional Police Pipe Band from 1995 to 1999, when he left the band to focus on solo piping.   That same year he won the Scottish Piping Society of London’s (UK) Strachan Cup and again was the aggregate winner of the Vancouver Indoor Meet.

In October of 2007 he joined the premier grade Toronto Police Pipe Band and served as music director and Pipe Sergeant until leaving in September 2013.  He was a member of the legendary Glasgow Police Pipe Band from November 2013 to August 2018. In September 2023 he was appointed Pipe Major of the 78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band, one of five grade one bands in North America.

He is currently working on a project detailing the life of GS McLennan and his famous family of pipers and dancers while gradually assembling his eighth book of music.

A native of the Eastern Townships of Quebec, Michael Grey resides in Dundas, Ontario.

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Jake Jorgensen – Snare Drumming

Originally from Denmark, Jake began learning the drums at age eleven with the Copenhagen Caledonia Pipe Band. In the early he years received instruction from Per Nørklit, Sven Harboe, and Jens Hedegaard, and took inspiration from visiting tutors, such as Tom Brown, Reid Maxwell, Eric Ward, and Barry Wilson.

In November 2000, Jake moved to Scotland to join the drum corps of Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band, then led by Jim Kilpatrick MBE. During his time with Shotts& Dykehead, he took part in winning all of the major championships, including the Grade 1 World Pipe Band Championships in 2003 & 2005. The Shotts & Dykehead drum corps also won all five major championship titles over the same time frame, including the World Drum Corps Title in 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2014 (plus seven Champion of Champions Drum Corps titles).

After twelve combined years with Shotts & Dykehead, which were followed by two years leading the Lothian & Borders Police drum corps, Jake took on the Leading Drummer position with ScottishPower Pipe Band (2014). In his first season, he led the drum corps to second place in drumming at the Scottish Championships, and an overall fourth in drumming at the World Pipe Band Championships. The drum corps has finished in the top six at all Major Championships. He is a regular finalist at the World Solo Drumming Championships, with his best results to date being third place at the 2015 and 2016 championships.

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Jack Lee – Piping

For over 40 years, Jack Lee has been regarded as one of the world’s leading pipers. His accomplishments as a solo piper, pipe band leader and teacher cause him to be in great demand as a performer and teacher throughout the world. Jack is the only overseas piper to ever win the Glenfiddich Championship.

As a Solo Piper, winner of:

In the Pipe Band world:

Jack is the Pipe Sergeant and co-founder of the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band. The band has won six World Championships. It has also been an extremely consistent prizewinner at the World Championships during the past 30 years, having won either 1st or 2nd on fifteen occasions. The band has recorded 11 CDs and two videos, including CDs at New York’s Carnegie Hall and the magnificent Sydney Opera House. Their youth band (Robert Malcolm Memorial) has won the World Juvenile Championships on four occasions..

As a Teacher:

Jack’s dedicates many hours per week to private instruction at home and online around the world via Skype. Several of Jack’s students have gone on to win major solo prizes in Scotland. Jack teaches at many workshops and piping schools throughout North America and beyond each year.

On a personal level:

Jack, and his brother Terry, were both awarded the Meritorious Service Medal by the Governor General of Canada in 1999 for outstanding service to the country. Jack and Terry were both awarded honorary doctorate degrees from Simon Fraser University in recognition of their contributions to the piping world. Jack and his sons (Andrew, Colin, and John) operate their family business making bagpipes, pipe bags and chanter reeds. In addition, Jack has made over 7,000 tunes from his own recording archives available on their website – Bagpipemusic.com.

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Terry Lee – Piping

Pipe-Major Dr. Terry Lee is one of the most prominent and successful pipe band leaders in the world. Under his direction, the SFU Pipe Band captured the World Pipe Band Championship six times (1995, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2008 and 2009), and is one of only two bands in history to win both the Medley and MSR events at the World Championships more than once (MSR five times, Medley five times). Terry is also one of only seven Pipe Majors to win the World Championship more than twice.

His ability to produce superb band performances in both the contemporary and traditional style, and to significantly enhance the musicality and technique of his players is respected worldwide. Terry serves as manager of the well-known Scottish imports store, Tartantown. On September 10, 1999 P/M Terry Lee and P/S Jack Lee were each presented with Canada’s Meritorious Service Medal by Governor General Romeo LeBlanc in Quebec City, Quebec.

He has been the leader and musical director at the band’s concerts in many of the world’s most well-known venues including Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Centre in New York City, the Sydney Opera House, the Royal Glasgow Concert Hall, the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, and many others.   In 2013, Terry and his brother Jack were presented with Honorary Doctorate Degrees from Simon Fraser University for their exemplary work with the pipe band.

Terry has retired as Pipe-Major of the SFUPB and has become a member the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association Adjudicator’s Panel.

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Roddy MacLeod, MBE – Piping

Roddy MacLeod has had a long career in competitive solo piping.. He won his first Gold Medal at the Northern Meeting in 1986, then the Argyllshire Gathering Gold Medal in 1988.
Other major competitive successes include winning the Glenfiddich Piping Championship five times, winning the MSR three times and the piobaireachd event a record ten times, the Silver Chanter seven times, the Northern Meeting Clasp on two occasions, Bi-centenary medal (1988) and Former Winners MSR, the Senior Piobaireachd at the Argyllshire Gathering twice and the Former Winner MSR twice. At the Scottish Piping Society of London Championship he has won the Bratach Gorm nine times, the Gillies Cup Open Piobaireachd nine times, the Former Winners London Medallion MSR five times and the Overall Championship eight times.
In 2003, he was made a Member of the British Empire in recognition of his services to piping and received this award at Buckingham Palace from Her Majesty the Queen.
In 2004, was awarded the Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Award for Music.
The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland honoured Roddy in 2022 by conferring him with a Fellowship.
In 2023, at the Glenfiddich Piping Championship he was awarded the Balvenie Medal for services to piping.

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Donald MacPhee – Piping

Donald MacPhee is an American that moved to Scotland in 1997. A reed maker for over 20 years. Donald has achieved the pinnacle of success at both the solo and pipe band scene. A Gold Medalist at the Northern Meetings in 2005 and an accumulation of pipe band championships over the course of the past 16 years numbering in 33 major pipe band championship wins including 6 World Pipe Band Championships, 8 Champion of Champion titles and 2 Grand Slams.

Donald holds a Graduate and Senior Teacher’s Certificate with the Institute of Piping. He has his Advanced and Teacher’s Certificate with the RSPBA. A fully qualified RSPBA Adjudicator and a solo adjudicator on the CPA list of Active Competitive Adjudicators. Donald is also a PDQB Assessor for the RSPBA.

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Kerr McQuillan – Snare Drumming

Kerr McQuillan is the Leading Drummer for the Peoples Ford Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia Pipe Band. Kerr took over in 2022, and in his few seasons, led the drum corps to win the UK Pipe Band Championships in 2023, the World Pipe Band Championships in 2023, the British Pipe Band Championships in 2024 and also winning the drum corps’ first drumming title in over 10 years – taking 1st place as a drum corps at the European Pipe Band Championships in 2024. Having grown up within the Boghall system, Kerr was taught by Tom Brown MBE, Gordon Brown and Stephen McQuillan.

In 2023, in his first attempt, Kerr became the youngest on record to win the adult World Solo Drumming Championships, having previously won eight juvenile world titles in both tenor and snare drum from 2012 until 2022. Kerr holds the current record for World Solo tenor successes, even winning both the tenor and snare competition in the same day in 2016. Since his appointment as leading drummer, Kerr has accumulated the titles of 2023 and 2024 Scottish Champion, 2024 European Champion, 2024 Intercontinental Champion and 2024 British Champion, to name a few. These successes, alongside his World Solo win, led to Kerr being named Pipes|Drums Drummer of the Year in 2023.

Kerr spends his weekdays teaching at The High School of Glasgow, having recently guided them to their first-place success at the Scottish Schools Pipes and Drums Trust’s Scottish Schools Competition.

Kerr is also a graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland with a Bachelor of Music degree, in traditional music.

In addition to his pipe band accomplishments, Kerr is a member of Drums n’ Roses, which has taken him all over the world to perform in some of the most renowned venues, such as Sony Music Hall and Times Square. When not performing, Kerr has toured the world, teaching in places such as Brittany, the US, Switzerland, Spain and Germany.

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Dr. Richard Parkes, MBE – Piping

Richard has been Pipe Major of 13 time World Champion Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band since 1981, making history by leading FMM to become the most successful pipe band ever to come from Northern Ireland. Richard was honored with an MBE from Her Majesty The Queen in 2004 for recognition of his services to pipe band music in Northern Ireland. In 2019 he was awarded honorary doctorates by Queens University and the University of Ulster in recognition of his contribution to pipe bands, both in Northern Ireland and worldwide.

Richard has always put the band first, but he also managed to win seven All Ireland Senior Solo Championships, eight Northern Ireland Piper of the Year titles, nine Ulster Senior Championships, as well as winning the Strachan in London, the Jig in Inverness and a number of other prizes at major solo competitions.

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Owen Russell – Tenor Drumming

Owen Russell began tenor drumming at the age of seven under the tuition of Joe Hickey in Minneapolis, MN.

Owen has been a member of the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band for over a decade, and during that time has been fortunate to win the World Drumming prize, back to back, in 2022 and 2023. In 2015, Owen won the Gold Medal Event at Winter Storm.

Owen has a particular love for teaching and has instructed several students to win in all tenor events at Winter Storm and at the RSPBA World Tenor Drumming Solos. Many of Owen’s students have now progressed to play in grade one.

Owen is excited to be “home” teaching and thankful to be able to share his passion and knowledge alongside other world-class instructors at one of the largest events in North America.

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Jim Sim – Snare Drumming

Jim Sim started drumming lessons with his Father at the age of 8. His first band was the Stock Yard Kilty Band from Chicago. He worked his way up the solo ranks and eventually was placed in the Open. His early influences in drumming were from his father and John Kirkwood Sr. from St. Catharines, Ontario. In 1975 along with Pipe Major Ian Swinton the new Midlothian Scottish Pipe Band was formed. The band started in Grade 4. The band with Jim as the Leading Drummer went on to win many titles. In 1985 the band was promoted to Grade 1 which finished one of the band’s early goals which was to go from Grade 4 to Grade 1 in ten years using mostly players taught by Ian and Jim. Midlothian won many titles several times including the U.S. Open Championship, and the North American Championship and several placings in the top 6 at the World Championships.

Jim retired from active playing after the 2009 season to devote more time to teaching and judging. Jim has taught many young players who have gone on to win many contests of their own as well as many of the bands in North America. Jim has also had the honor of playing with The Chieftains, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He is currently a Full Adjudicator, President of the MidWest Pipe Band Association, and President of ANAPBA (Alliance of North American Pipe Band Associations). When not playing he enjoys spending time with his wife Barb and their 3 children and one Grandchild and following the White Sox and Black Hawks.

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Gary West – Piping

Dr Gary West is a musician, academic and broadcaster based in Edinburgh, Scotland, who has spent his professional life researching, teaching, performing and promoting the cultural and musical traditions of Scotland. He spent almost three decades as a faculty member of the University of Edinburgh where he was the Head of Celtic and Scottish Studies and where he held a personal Chair in Scottish Ethnology. He is known also as ‘the voice of piping’ having presented ‘Pipeline’ on BBC Radio Scotland for two decades before developing his own podcast, ‘Enjoy Your Piping’ which promotes piping on a weekly basis to over 100 nations worldwide. He is a highly esteemed piper and piping teacher in his own right, having won both the Scottish and European Championships with the Vale of Atholl Pipe Band, and is now Pipe Major of the famous Atholl Highlanders Regiment, the private army of the Duke of Atholl. Recognized as one of the world’s leading players on Scottish Smallpipes, he has performed, recorded and taught widely across Europe and North America. Gary currently serves as External Examiner for the piping degree at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and was delighted to have been inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame in 2020.

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Bob Worrall – Piping

Bob Worrall is one of North America’s leading teachers, adjudicators and performers. Bob is a respected composer, having published three successful collections of bagpipe music. He is featured on three solo piping recordings and was a member of the folk group “Scantily Plaid”.

After a piping career with a number of Ontario’s leading pipe bands, including the City of Toronto Pipe Band and the General Motors Pipe Band, Bob retired from competitive piping in 1983. His solo accomplishments were extensive, both in North America and Scotland. He won the North American Professional Championship an unprecedented 7 times and the Ontario Professional Championship Supreme title for 12 of his 13 years in the professional class. He was also the 1977 winner of the March and Strathspey/Reel events in Inverness. He was a pupil of Bill Millar, Willie Connell and the late John Wilson.

A member of North American and the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association’s judging panels, Bob has been selected to judge the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow on sixteen occasions. For the last fifteen years he has been the colour commentator for the BBC’s broadcast of the World Pipe Band Championships. He is a member of the Piobaireachd Society’s Senior Judges list and has adjudicated major competitions throughout the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Brittany and South Africa. Bob’s recent overseas piping ventures have included teaching and performing engagements in Zimbabwe, Australia and Italy. His M.C. skills have been called upon by the Field Marshal Montgomery, Scottish Power, Inveraray and District, and Toronto Police Pipe Bands.

Bob was the senior instructor at the Gaelic College in Cape Breton for 15 years. He is the Director of Summer Blast, the PPBSO’s virtual summer school.. Other recent piping camps have included Kingston (Ontario), the Ohio Scottish Arts School, Lake Diefenbaker (Saskatchewan), Washington State and Oregon, Vancouver Island, Uruguay, Australia and South Africa. Weekend workshops, adjudicating and recitals provide him with a schedule that has taken him to virtually all of the Canadian provinces and 36 U.S. States.