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Get on the piping fast track!

Date: February 15 – 17, 2013
Venue: The Ramada Plaza Hotel, Newark, NJ, USA.

Competition Entry Closing Date: 1st February 2013
Only 20 spaces available per workshop.

The National Piping Centre and The Metro Cup announce a weekend of world class piping including workshops, competitions, social events and more.

Piping Competitions for Grade 2, 3 and 4 to be held on the afternoon of Friday 15th.

Workshops Friday 15th, Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th. Note – Friday and Saturday’s workshops take place before piping competitions.

Metro Cup – world class solo invitational piping competition and invitational amateur piping competition on Saturday 16th. Visit www.themetrocup.com for details.

Workshop Instructors: Roddy MacLeod MBE, William McCallum, Angus MacColl, Bruce Gandy, Chris Armstrong, Glenn Brown, Jim McGillivray, Callum Beaumont, Alasdair Dunn, Margaret Dunn, Donald Lindsay, Finlay MacDonald and Alex Gandy.

Workshops sponsored by R.G. Hardie and Co. Bagpipes.

Competitions in Piobaireachd and Light Music for Grade 2, Grade 3 and Grade 4.
Each overall winner will receive a set of bagpipes!

Competitions sponsored by David Naill and Co. Bagpipes, McCallum Bagpipes and Wallace Bagpipes.

Competition entry free when you attend 5 workshops!
Competitors should not miss Friday morning workshops.

Friday night music session and Whisky Tasting. Details coming soon.

Book now for Metro Express using the form below!

To book accommodation contact Ramada Plaza Hotel (Promo Code: cg8est)

Please note that you may need to contact your card issuer prior to commencing the transaction to prevent payment being declined.

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Friday Workshop (11:00 - 12:30)

William McCallum - Piobaireachd Performance Advice
Willie McCallum is one of the most successful solo competitors of his generation. Come and listen to him talk about performing Piobaireachd. What are the do’s and don’ts? How do you stay focused? How do you pace a tune and bring out all of the nuances of phrasing and contrast? What should you think about when setting up your instrument? Hear a true Piobaireachd master discuss how it’s done!
Angus MacColl - Light Music Performance Advice
There are not many in the world that can play a March, Strathspey and Reel with the musicality and technical brilliance of Angus MacColl. If you want to know what should be going through your mind when halfway through a 2/4 March, how do you maximize the lift in your Strathspeys or how you can keep your Reel controlled when under pressure, come along and hear Angus talk about how you can improve your light music performance.
Glenn Brown - Tuning and Reed Manipulation
They say that the bagpipe is 90% of the performance – with a well tuned and comfortable instrument we all play better. With years of experience of playing at the top level, Glenn ( a gold medallist and Pipe Sergeant of Shotts and Dykehead) is renowned for the sound quality of his bagpipe. Here, he will look at how you get your bagpipe in tune – and staying in tune! – as well as how to get the best out of your reeds.
Chris Armstrong - Pipe Band Medley Construction
As Pipe Major of the ScottishPower Pipe Band, Chris has been responsible for some of the most inventive medleys of recent years. Find out what he takes into consideration when selecting tunes. What is the role of harmony, and how can you use it effectively? How can the pipe and drum corps work together to build and release tension? Get an insight into how one of world’s best pipe bands address these issues.
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Saturday Workshop (11:00 - 12:30)

Roddy MacLeod - Getting 'that' sound
What is it that separates a good sounding bagpipe from one that people will talk about for years? Roddy is known across the piping world as keeping one of the best sounding instruments in the game. Hear him discuss the factors that should be considered when searching for ‘that’ sound – reeds, bag type, blowing technique, and more. He may even talk about the famed ‘Roddy MacLeod High A’!
Callum Beaumont - Introduction to Piobaireachd
Never played Piobaireachd before but think it might be something you would be interested in? Have you wondered why people seem to devote their lives to learning the ‘big music’? As this year’s Northern Meeting Clasp winner – the youngest ever - Callum is well placed to take you through the basics of one of Scotland’s oldest surviving musical traditions.
Bruce Gandy - Composition
With four collections of music published to date, containing pieces of all time signatures and all genres, there are not many people today in a better position to talk about composition. Many of Bruce’s tunes have become pipe band and solo favorites, so, coupled with a long career in bagpipe tuition, this should be an enlightening workshop.
Margaret Dunn - Irish Music on Highland Pipes
Originally hailing from Co. Cork, Ireland, Margaret is one of the Republic of Ireland’s foremost exponents of the Highland Pipes. As well as holding an outstanding record in solo competition she has a wide knowledge of Irish music suitable for the pipes. Here she will take you through some favorites from her own repertoire.
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Sunday Workshop 1 (10:00 - 11:30)

William McCallum - Piobaireachd (Pro. + Grade 1)
In this workshop Willie will take the class through a few of the Piobaireachd from the 2013 Silver Medal competitions set tunes list. Looking at some of the intricacies of phrasing, tempo and technique this will be a real master class in the true sense of the phrase!
Donald Lindsay - Piobaireachd (Grade 2 + 3)
Donald Lindsay is one of North America’s mostly highly regarded teachers and performers of Piobaireachd. Donald will be looking at some Piobaireachd that would be suitable for you to compete with at Grades 2 and 3. Learning Piobaireachd ‘from the book’ is an almost impossible task, so take the opportunity to hear one of the world’s foremost exponents of the ‘big music’ guide you through some of the smaller classics.
Glenn Brown - Keeping Your Pipes Steady
A huge part of getting a good sound from your pipes is keeping them steady, but how do you do it? There is more to ‘bad blowing’ than simply how often you actually blow into the bag. As an instructor at The National Piping Centre, Glenn has a great deal of experience explaining the technique behind maintaining a steady sound. Bring your pipes for this interactive session.
Chris Armstrong - Pipe Band Leadership
In recent years Chris Armstrong has taken the ScottishPower Pipe Band into the higher echelons of Grade 1. As well as sparkling competition performances the band performed its ground-breaking ENERGY concert to great acclaim at the pre Worlds concert in 2011. Chris Armstrong is one of the world’s premier group of Pipe Majors and is in constant demand to talk about leadership in pipe bands. Come and hear some of the keys to success.
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Sunday Workshop 2 (12:00 - 13:30)

Angus MacColl - 2/4 Marches (Pro. + Grade 1)
Arguably the best 2/4 march player of his generation, Angus will be looking at 2/4 marches suitable for competition at the professional and grade 1 levels. Hear how they can be phrased and mark out the subtle nuances that make a tune stand out from the crowd.
Roddy MacLeod - 2/4 Marches (Grade 2 + 3)
Come along to this session if you are currently - or are aiming to – compete at grades 2 and 3 and want to expand your repertoire of suitable tunes. The Principal of The National Piping Centre, Roddy MacLeod will be guiding the class through both the technical and musical aspects of a selection of 2/4 marches.
Finlay MacDonald - Playing with Other Instruments
Playing the pipes with other instruments can be confusing for both parties if you don’t know some of the basics to do with tuning and keys. As The National Piping Centre’s Head of Piping Studies for the BA(Scottish Music-Piping) and with years of experience bringing pipes to a wide variety of performance environments, Finlay is able to discuss all of the issues involved in playing with other musicians.
Alastair Dunn - Field Marshal Montgomery Q & A
Having played with Field Marshal Montgomery (8 times grade 1 World Champions) since 1998 and been Pipe Sergeant since 2005, Alasdair has been part of the band throughout its meteoric rise to the very top of Grade 1. Here he will talk about the keys to the band’s success as well as taking questions from the audience.
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Sunday Workshop 3 (14:30 - 16:00)

Jim McGillivray - Strathspey and Reel (Pro. + Grade 1)
In this session world renowned piper, Clasp winner and Metro Cup adjudicator Jim McGillivray will be taking the class through a selection of some of his favorite Strathspeys and Reels. Find out about some of the subtle differences between tunes and learn a little about how to control these more challenging pieces.
Alex Gandy - Strathspey and Reel (Grade 2 + 3)
Strathspeys and Reels can be the most challenging of all light music – how do you get the most out of the rhythm when there is so much tricky technique around it to deal with? Alex (Pipe Major of the 78th Highlanders Citadel Pipe Band) is one of the most exceptional up and coming young solo pipers and will be leading the class through some of the tunes that are a suitable, and reasonable, challenge for those competing in Grades 2 and 3.
William McCallum - Preparing for Solo Competition Q & A
Have you ever wondered how the top soloists manage to make it all look so easy? The answer comes down to preparation. Here, Willie will talk about how he prepares for competition; what sort of practice regime he uses; what do you do on the day of the competition. Come armed with lots of questions.
Margaret Dunn - Teaching Bagpipes... how to do it
With so many challenging aspects of the pipes for students to think about, it can sometimes be difficult for teachers to know what to focus on and when. Margaret is one of The National Piping Centre’s most popular instructors with years of experience teaching all over the world. In this session she will look at teaching methods, common problems to look out for and some useful advice on how to correct them.
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