Bagpipe.news was contacted this week by James Martin, a piper living in France, asking if there was such a thing as a Register for Estranged Pipers & Drummers? Our answer was no, at least we don’t think so, unless someone can put us right?
Anyway, we wanted to help James and asked if he could provide some information that might impress a Pipe Major who would be willing to welcome a new overseas band member.
So James took it to the next level, and has provided his Piper’s Curriclum Vitae below, along with a youtube video of his playing.
Is this a thing that would be useful to other pipers? Is it helpful to Pipe Majors looking to add new band members? If so, get in touch with an email to news@bagpipe.news and maybe the Register for Estranged Pipers & Drummers might just be come a regular feature on bagpipe.news.
JAMES MARTIN – Piper’s Curriclum Vitae
I first began tuition with Colinton and Currie Pipe Band in Juniper Green, Midlothian in 1965 at the age of 12.
The band competed in Grade 4 in the late 60s/early 70s, winning the European Championships in Grade 4 at Cowal and being placed in various other UK contests.
We were upgraded to Grade 3 the following year and I left the band soon thereafter, moving north to Invergordon to live and work and playing for a couple of years with the Invergordon British Legion Pipe Band, and following this, a period with Inverness British Legion.
I stopped playing in bands in the 1980s due to working overseas and when I retired and moved to Chile in 2014, I joined the Santiago Metropolitan Pipe Band.
In 2016, I took first prize overall in the Intermediate Category for MSR and Hornpipe/Jig at the SPBASA solo piping competition in Buenos Aires.
I played in the REMT 2017 at Edinburgh Castle with Pipers Trail and later that year at the Musicfest in Dusseldorf.
I came first in Hornpipe/Jig and second in MSR in the Santiago Cup in 2018.
I played with the International Celtic Pipes and Drums at the Spasskaya Tower Festival in Moscow in 2019.
I was auditioned and accepted for Pipers Trail in 2020, but the event was cancelled.
Attached is a video of part of the audition for that event. Please forgive the birls… it was a nippy morning 😉
My current set-up is a McRae SL4 pipe by McCallum, McCallum poly chanter with a Bannatyne Hybrid bag and Ezeedrone reeds.
I now live in France, close to Geneva airport. A short hop to Glasgow.
I am keen to get back into competitive band piping, so please get in touch through email if you think I could fit in with your band for the Worlds this year.
Many thanks,
Jim
