Pipe band Drummer

In my early years, getting a piper to record my competition tunes was a complicated process involving cassette tapes, tape recorders and myriad technical difficulties.  On several occasions tapes stretched changing the tempo (only in certain parts of course) and…Read more

For hundreds of years most of the Western world has been using a system of Italian symbols in their written music to indicate dynamic levels (loud and soft).  For some reason, pipe bands have yet to catch on to this…Read more

I am one of the luckiest people I know.  I teach drums for a living.  I appreciate that every day and never take it for granted.  I have seen people with natural talent, I have seen those who are gifted…Read more

I didn't always know how to read music.  Like many drummers in my generation I learned to play by ear, listening and watching my teachers go through the rudiments.  Drum scores were learned by repetition and use of recordings.  Written…Read more

Welcome to The Ups and Downs, a blog for pipe band drummers!  Working on PipeBandDrummer.com has been a passion project for me for the last several years and I have very much enjoyed the organizational challenges, creation of materials…Read more