When chatting to Jack Lee before his Talk Piobaireachd presentation this week we rounded on the need for continuous professional development (CPD) among judges and teachers. It was this that made sessions such as TP so valuable. CPD is common in all walks of professional life and piping should be no different. Jack’s tunes were the Earl of Seaforth’s Salute and the King’s Taxes. Both I have played and taught…

Reading Duncan Watson’s article on Bob Nicol I thought, ‘they don’t make ’em like that any more’. Quite a character. To be a good teacher you must have a clear vision of how a tune should be played and RB Nicol clearly had that. Too many alternatives and the student becomes confused. But there is more to the man. When all we hear is of Nicol’s teaching we tend to…

Reader ‘JW’ writes again re solo judging: ‘I must tip my hat to Neil Mulvie on his very truthful comments regarding SPJA judges and all the problems he was brave enough to mention. Neil has been right there for years and seen it all, or was he telling us something we all knew anyway? ‘Is it not time this was sorted out once and for all as it doesn’t seem…