Music Board

The Music Board will fulfill the mission of the Pan American Piobaireachd Society by creating a variety of learning opportunities in piobaireachd, particularly for pipers at the more junior levels of playing. Through our commitment to education and our own personal experience, we hope to foster appreciation of the joy and wonder of this classical music for the Great Highland Bagpipe.

Ian Whitelaw, Chair

Ian has had intensive bagpipe instruction from master bagpipe legend, Andrew Wright (45 years) and Bob Nicol, the piper to King George VI, world renowned experts on classical bagpipe music. He has also participated in yearly intensive training in Seattle, Washington with Andrew Wright studying piobaireachd.

Ian, himself, has given instruction of Piobaireachd, has created a syllabus and curriculum as instructor for Classical Music Studies of Scotland which includes the in-depth study of the language of the great highland bagpipe (Canntaireachd). This language was created in order to save the music from extinction and uses vocables which represent each note, as well as techniques that are used on the bagpipe. He has taught, directed and conducted the aspects of pitch, tone, timbre and enunciation of vocables for the Canntaireachd. He is a master educator who has worked to develop and nurture students to achieve success on a local and international scale. Ian is also has adjudicating certifications for senior levels of competitive playing, both individuals and pipe bands.

He is also a performer and composer and recording artist. Below are some of his notable performances

Hollywood Bowl – Guest soloist with L.A. Philharmonic
Hollywood Bowl – Music Director and soloist for The Chieftains
Gibson Amphitheater – Opening performance for Sting
Mormon Tabernacle – Guest soloist with Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Long Beach Performing Arts Theatre – Guest soloist Long Beach Symphony (2018)
Two performances at the Bell Tower featuring playing for the current World Highland Dancing Champion

Television and Film

The General’s Daughter – Feature film – Soundtrack soloist
The Rundown – Feature film – Technical advisor and soundtrack soloist
The Jay Leno – T.V. show – Guest performer
The Simpsons – T.V. Show – Soundtrack soloist
The West Wing – T.V. show – Soundtrack soloist
The Family Guy – T.V. show – Soundtrack soloist

Some of his major awards and honors for piping are as follows:

United States Gold Medal Winner
10-time Solo Champion of Western United States Pipe Band Association Competition
8-time Winner of Angus MacDonald Memorial Bagpipe Competition
9-time Champion of James Purgavie Horn
2-time winner of the BC Piper’s Annual Gathering – MacCrimmon Cairn for Piobaireachd
Former member of World Pipe Band Grade One Champions, Glasgow, Scotland

Alan Bevan

For many years, Alan has been one of the world’s top pipers. His career highlights include winning the Gold and Silver Medals at the Northern Meeting, the Gold Medal at the Argyllshire Gathering, the Bronze Star for ‘A’ Marches at the Argyllshire Gathering, the Jig events at both Oban and Inverness in the same year, overall winner at the Donald MacLeod Memorial competition. and overall winner at the Masters Invitational.

Andrew Carlisle

Andrew Carlisle is originally from Ballygowan, Northern Ireland. In 2010 he joined the Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA) School of Music faculty and currently is the Pipe Major of Carnegie Mellon Pipes and Drums, which under his tutelage has become one of the leading pipe bands in the United States.

Colin Gemmell

Colin Gemmell began playing the pipes in the late 1960’s and became a piobaireachd enthusiast soon after. Colin is a former member of the City of Victoria (Canada) Pipe Band and other bands over the years. He notes that learning the bagpipe was a long process, and in time he captured many of the details of playing that initially had escaped him. In particular, he emphasizes that the many inherent mysteries of piobaireachd require much attention, listening and study. Colin quotes Andrew Wright: “There are many needles in these haystacks.”