Instructors

Roddy MacLeod MBE

Roddy MacLeodRoddy MacLeod MBE is the Principal of The National Piping Centre. One of the world’s most accomplished competitive solo pipers, Roddy was tutored by piper and composer Duncan Johnstone and has won all of solo piping’s most coveted awards, many of them several times over. He is in keen international demand as a recitalist, judge and instructor. He was Pipe Major of the World renowned Grade 1 ScottishPower Pipe Band from 1995 – 2005 during which time he led them to over 45 Grade 1 Championship prizes in major competition including the Cowal Championships and the All-Ireland Championship. In 2008 he led the Spirit of Scotland Pipe Band to the final of Grade 1 at the World Pipe Band Championships after bringing together a group of the worlds top solo pipers and drummers together for a short period of intensive practice. With a strong background in teaching, a dedication to the promotion of standards within piping and a zeal to widen popular appreciation of the pipes, he exemplifies the role, task and standing of The National Piping Centre. Roddy is also a Director and a Founder of Piping Live!, the Glasgow International Piping Festival.

Achievements Include:

  • Awarded MBE for Services to Piping 2003;
  • Winner of the Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Award for Music 2004;
  • Winner, Kishmul Banner composition competition;

Solo competition prizes include:

  • Glenfiddich Piping Championship, overall winner (4 times), MSR winner (twice), Piobaireachd winner (8 times);
  • Northern Meetings, Inverness – Highland Society of London Gold Medal, Bicentenary Gold Medal and Clasp (2), Former Winners MSR;
  • Argyllshire Gatherings, Oban – Highland Society of London Gold Medal, Senior Piobaireachd (2), Former Winners MSR (2), and Open Jigs;
  • Bratach Gorm (5 times);
  • Silver Chanter (6 times);
  • Gillies Cup Open Piobaireachd, London (9 times);
  • London Medallion Former Winners MSR (5 times);
  • Scottish Piping Society of London overall champion (7 times);
  • National Mod overall champion (5 times);
  • Uist and Barra overall winner (5 times);
  • Donald MacLeod Memorial Competition overall winner (2 times);
  • Springbank Invitational Overall Winner;
  • Dunvegan Medal;
  • Dunvegan Colonel Jock MacDonald Clasp (4 times);
  • Dr Allan MacDonald Cup for overall winner at Skye (3 times);
  • Highland Society of London Gold Medal, overall winner (Skye) (3 times);
  • Dr Dan Reid Invitational overall winner (3 times);
  • G.S McLennan Invitational overall winner;
  • Scottish Pipers Association overall winner (4 times);
  • Scottish Pipers Association Piping Times Knockout winner;
  • Highlands and Islands Festival Invitational Piobaireachd winner (4 times);
  • Clan Donald Quaich winner;
  • Lochaber Tuagh Or Invitational Piobaireachd winner (3 times);
  • Haddo House Quaich Invitational winner;
  • Scotway Garden Festival 20th Century Piobaireachd winner;
  • Scotway Lord Provost of Glasgow’s Competition MSR (3 times);

Recordings include:

  • World’s Greatest Pipers, Volume 6;
  • Pipers of Distinction series (KRL);
  • Piping Centre Recital Series;
  • RSPS “The Last Piper”;
  • Hebridean Piper video.
  • Roddy MacLeod MBE Piobaireachd Volume 1

Stuart Samson MBE

stuart-use.jpgCaptain (Retired) Stuart D Samson MBE

Stuart Samson was born in Laurencekirk and has been playing the pipes since the age of 8. He enlisted into the Army in 1978, as a junior piper and joined the Drums and Pipes of The Gordon Highlanders in 1980. He was appointed Pipe Major of the Gordon Highlanders from 1990 – 1994 and then went on to carry out several Pipe Major appointments including the Pipe Major of the Highlanders and the Warrant Officer Class One Senior Pipe Major at the Army School of Bagpipe Music and Highland Drumming. He was commissioned in 2002 and was appointed the Director of the Army School of Bagpipe Music and Highland Drumming in April 2003. He was responsible for providing all the structured musical training for pipers and drummers in the British Army as well as advising the Higher Command and Commanding Officers regarding Pipe Band matters. During this time he was also responsible as the Director of Army Bagpipe Music, for coordinating the musical programme and display for the Massed Pipes and Drums at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. He has considerable experience in this field having first performed in the Tattoo in 1979 and many times thereafter as a piper and Pipe Major. Stuart has also been successful on the solo piping circuit over the years, winning the Silver Medal at the Argyllshire Gathering in 1988 and being placed second in the Gold Medal in both Inverness and Oban in 1995 and 1998 respectively, gaining an invitation to the Glenfiddich Championships in 1998. Stuart completed his Army service in April 2008 having served 30 years and was awarded the MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in June this year in recognition for services to Army Piping and a distinguished career. Stuart is currently a part time Instructor at the National Piping Centre teaching on the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland BA Scottish Music – Piping Degree. In addition to this Stuart is also the Director of Music for the Massed Pipes and Drums at the Basel Tattoo in Switzerland, which takes place annually in July and The Berlin Tattoo in Germany which takes place in November.

Stuart Samson is not available for lessons.

Callum Beaumont

Callum comes from Bo’ness, West Lothian and currently is an instructor at the National Piping Centre.
His tutors include Bert Smith, Tom Speirs and Willie McCallum.
Callum has played with the Lothian and Borders Police Pipe band, Shotts and Dykehead, Simon Fraser University and more recently Inveraray and District Pipe Band. His pipe band prizes include winning the World Pipe Band championships three times, twice with Simon Fraser University and once with Shotts and Dykehead.

Callum’s solo piping achievements include;
1st Highland Society of London Gold Medal – Oban 2011
1st Silver Medal – Oban 2006
1st Open Piobaireachd – Cowal
1st Open Jig – Oban 2011
1st Macgregor Memorial – Oban
Placed 2nd – London Medallion Former Winners MSR

Glenn Brown

dgm_8529.jpgGlenn Brown is 27 years old and originally from Milton, Ontario, Canada. A teacher at The National Piping Centre, Glenn’s Pipe Band back ground includes eight seasons with his mother Gail Brown’s band The Milton Optimist’s. This Band won the Juvenile World Championship in 1994, followed by the Grade 3 World Champion title in 1997. In 1998 Glenn joined the Peel Regional Police Pipe Band at age 14. From there he joined The 78th Fraser Highlanders, based in Toronto for a further two years. In the autumn of 2001 Glenn became a member of Shott’s and Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band where he spent the next six years. During this time the band won two Grade 1 World Pipe Band Championships. For the 2008 Season Glenn returned to be the Pipe Major for the Grade 1, Peel Regional Police Pipe Band, based in Brampton, Ontario. He is currently a piper for the ScottishPower Pipe Band, based in Glasgow. As well as his band piping Glenn has studied Ceol Mor and Ceol Beag with Mr. Willie McCallum for the past nine years.

His Solo Piping achievements are as follows:

Canadian Gold Medal for Ceol Mor, 2006
A Grade Piobaireachd at the London Championships, 2006
American Gold Medals for Ceol Mor and Ceol Beag at Kansas City Winter Storm, 2007
Cameron Gillies Recital Challenge, 2007
Dunvegan Medal for Ceol Mor, 2007
A Grade March, Strathspey and Reel at the London Championships, 2007
A Grade March at The Argyllshire Gathering, 2009
Runner Up in the Gold Medal at the Argyllshire Gathering, 2009
Highland Society of London’s Gold Medal at The Northern Meeting, 2009

John Mulhearn

John Mulhearn27 year old John from Troon, Ayrshire, began his piping career at the age of nine, initially receiving tuition from his father, Brian. After a short while he started regular lessons with retired Strathclyde Police Pipe Sgt., and double Gold medalist, Angus J. MacLellan, receiving extra tuition in the summers from John D. Burgess among others. After a successful junior career in which he won most of the major prizes – including the Carnoustie Championship and MacGregor Memorial – and one year in the senior ranks – being runner-up in the Dunvegan Medal, and third in the Oban and Inverness Silver Medals – he decided to give the pipes a rest for five years. Last year he started competing once more, winning the Duncan Johnstone MSR among other prizes.

Aside from traditional piping John produces experimental electronic music based on pipe tunes. An album of his material is scheduled for release in the near future.

Graham Brown

Graham began drumming in the autumn of 1991 at the age of nine. He started his drumming career as the Lead Drummer of the Milton Optimist Pipe Band, founded by his mother Gail. The band was very successful, winning the World Juvenile Championships in 1994, and the Grade 3 Worlds in 1997. After four years of playing Grade 1 in Ontario, Graham moved to Scotland to play with Jim Kilpatrick and the Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band in 2002. With Shotts Graham won two World Pipe Band Championships, three World Drum Corps Championships, and a total of 16 Major Drumming Championships. In 2007 he returned home to Canada and was named the Lead Drummer of the Grade 1 Peel Regional Police Pipe Band. The Peel corps are the 2010 North American Champions.

In the Solo realm Graham has won the North American Championships at Maxville six times, the Agnew-Harrison Invitational five times, the Kansas City Gold Medal, and has been a finalist at the World Solo Drumming Championships. Graham teaches private lessons, workshops, and schools internationally. He is a certified judge, and sits on the Pipers and Pipe Band Society of Ontario’s Music Board.

Stevie Kilbride

Stevie started playing as a snare and tenor drummer at nine years old in Knightswood Juvenile Pipe Band from Glasgow.

In 1999, Stevie joined Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band under Drum Major Jim Kilpatrick and they won every major championship, both as band and drum corps. He also helped them win their first ever World Bass Section Championship in 2002.

He left the band in 2003 to take some time out, but he was brought back to drumming by Drum Sergeant Barry Wilson and from 2004 Steven played a key role in developing the Tenor and Bass section at the ScottishPower Pipe Band. He left the band in 2007 and he is now playing with Cullybackey Pipe Band.

Stevie teaches at Oban high school who won the worlds 2010 and play for Bagad Brieg from France, who won the world drumming in Grade 2, 2010. He also teaches pipe bands in Eire, Germany, Spain and Switzerland.

**Instructors may vary due to unforeseen circumstances**