The Association is happy to announce the launch of its Annual Summer School for 2021, writes John Nevans. The School opens on Monday 2nd of August 2021 and closes on Thursday 5th of August 2021 and will be an online event open to all of our Association members. Broadly, the school is aimed at: pipers, snare drummers and bass and tenor drummers.
The school’s focus is on the individual, the teaching staff aim to help you see where you are presently and how you would like to shape your playing skills and abilities.
The school will consist of group sessions looking at music within the participant’s skill set and developing these to allow the student to perform at a higher level. Between these sessions there are times for revision and practise of the practical work done, as well as viewing short videos of topics that support the players’ aims.
[wds id=”2″]
If you choose to apply for the school you will be asked to complete a self-assessment form to allow teaching staff to place you with those of a similar ability to encourage learning and progress, this will be posted soon on the Association’s website. One of the hopes of going online is that you could make a short video of you performing which will aid in this assessment.
This is a personal choice and anyone under the age of sixteen must have a completed video permission form signed by a parent before video submission. This form is also found on our association website.
As the weeks roll on we will deliver more information on the event to you and gradually introduce you to our timetable, our teaching team and our online visitors; all great pipers and drummers who have been where you are and want you to be where they are now.
So sign up and take the Summer School Challenge. After having been part of the Associations teaching team for many years I can easily say that my greatest wish is to introduce to the many members of our Association the joy of moving up in their playing skills and seeing how easily, with tuition and practise, a student can expand their playing world to reach new personal goals and enjoy a sense of achievement in their playing.
I hope this year you will look at the challenge the school offers you and allow us to help you build to a more enjoyable future.
New Balmoral Deal
Free to Summer 2021 students: three-month access to all of uur summer classes! This is a big deal! Attend our piping and drumming camp, July 18-23, and you can study all the lessons and enjoy all the recitals of the 2021 Balmoral summer session at your leisure, writes Elaine Lee, Marketing Director, Balmoral Schools.
Here at Balmoral, we understand not every student has time to devote all their waking hours, throughout an entire week, to attend an online piping camp. That’s why we’re offering three months of online access to recordings of our summer piping and drumming classes to each of our summer students.
Even if you’re with us every day of the weeklong program, you may want to audit classes you weren’t able to schedule. For example, you chose to attend the Personal Repertoire class with Andrew Carlisle, rather than a Piobaireachd class? Later, you can take Advanced Piobaireachd with Bruce Gandy, in your own home, at your chosen time.
Beginning pipers can work through the basics during the summer program then view the videos of intermediate and advanced classes later, with the option to replay classes as often as they’d like. A drummer could audit a piping class with Robert Mathieson. Pipers could take drumming classes with Jim Kilpatrick.
This summer, the Balmoral School of Piping & Drumming will offer a greater number of World class guest instructors teaching a wider variety of classes, and many more sessions of one-on-one tutoring. After the session, class videos may be viewed as many times as the student wants during the 3-month access period.
The fee for the week-long session is $375.00 USD. Refer new students and you’ll receive $50 off the price of the workshop for each new student who attends. Bring at least four members of you pipe band, and each member will receive $50 off the price of the school.
There is simply no other piping school that can best our lineup of world-renowned instructors. Why not try Balmoral this summer?‘
Kathleen Robertson, Marketing and Media Convenor: The RSPBA Board of Directors welcome the Pipe Band College Summer School and in particular want to thank John Nevans for his leadership on providing Members with this exciting proposal.
We are optimistic to officially promote this at the beginning of next week once all checks and balances have been signed off and invite Members to keep an eye out for the announcement on the RSPBA Official channels’
Deadline Looms for Young Composers
The National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland: We are looking for five young composers to write for the National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland, creating opportunity within piping and traditional music, as well as visibility and creative guidance for emerging artists from under-represented groups.
The Emerging Composers : Scotland Stories will allow 5 successful applicants to respond to one of 7 stories. They will gain access to our library and archives for continued research and each piece will be realised with the NYPBoS and performed in February 2022.
The successful applicants will also receive a commission fee of £500 as well as support with expenses and work alongside guest mentors who will give advice and creative guidance.
Apply here: https://bit.ly/3uL9xxj. Deadline is July 2.
