Board of Directors

Seumas Coyne

President

Seumas started playing pipes at age 3, he started competing at age 7, and he turned professional at age 12. His teachers, beginning with his father, James J. Coyne, have included Angus MacKay, Duncan Johnstone, Angus MacDonald, Jimmy McIntosh, Murray Henderson, Donald MacLeod, Captain John MacLellan, Jack Lee, Tom McAllister, Jr., Terry Lee, and J. K. McAllister. Seumas has won dozens of top national and international prizes and awards over the years, including in the U.S., Canada, and Australia, and at major competitions in Oban, Inverness, and London. He played in the Simon Fraser University (SFU) Pipe Band in the 1980s/90s and is again with the band, playing alongside his respected colleagues. He currently is the Director of the James J. Coyne Memorial School of Piping and Drumming and is full-time in teaching, clinics, composing, and judging.

Dr. Robert Rubin

Vice President

Robert T. Rubin, M.D., Ph.D., Vice-President, is a late-comer to the world of piping, having begun instruction at the age of 50+ with Seumas Coyne. For several years he played in Jim and Seumas Coyne’s Grade 4 City of Glendale Pipe Band. He then moved to Pittsburgh, PA for 13 years and had instruction from Jimmy McIntosh, during which time he developed his appreciation of piobaireachd. After his return to Southern California in 2005 and a break from piping for over 15 years for professional reasons, Dr. Rubin is once again having instruction from Seumas Coyne in both piobaireachd and light music.

Glen Thompson

Treasurer

Glen is a well-known piper, adjudicator and piping teacher. His first teacher was the late Jimmy Thomson, the Pipe Major of the original L.A. Scots Pipe band, who introduced Glen to Donald MacPherson for lessons. Glen then met Duncan Johnstone and at age 15 went to the College of Piping in Glasgow for a summer of tuition where, during the late afternoons, Duncan would have visitors such as Angus MacLellan, Ronnie Lawrie, John Burgess, and Donald MacLeod, who would give additional instruction. Also, while in Glasgow, Glen played with the Glasgow Skye Association Pipe Band.

Back in the U.S., Glen joined the Cabar Feidh Pipe Band and spent five years as Pipe Sergeant under Jimmy McColl. He studied piobaireachd with Jimmy and re-entered solo competition. He was lucky enough to meet Pipe Major Angus Macdonald, Scots Guards, often getting week-long private lessons from “Big Angus”, who would stay in Glen’s guest room. Angus was a major influence in Glen’s piping.