Caitlyn Malloy (Form III) took the gold medal in Grade 3 snare drumming — an excellent result for Caitlyn at her first Winter Storm contest. She collected a new Andante snare as a prize. If she chooses to return next year, she will compete at Grade 2 level.
Winter Storm 2018
Having won the Under-18 tenor drumming category last year, (and been promoted), Fiona McCall (also in Form III) played in the Over-18 Intermediate Grade; there she was awarded a bronze medal (having tied for second on an adjudicator preference). To be placed against the best of the non-professional adult grades was a great outcome for Fiona.
Mr Beaumont (Piping Tutor) was one of the judges at the event and he also joined Mr McWhirter (Drumming Tutor) for the Gala Concert on Saturday night. Mr Beaumont also led a seminar about the ‘Dollar Way’ in structuring and leading school pipe band activities; it was well attended and there was a clear interest in how the school approaches its own pipe band training. Both Caitlyn and Fiona wish to thank Mr Innes and Miss Auguitis for the coaching they received.
‘Most pleasing,’ commented Mr McCall (Fiona’s father), ‘was the discussion we had with the president of the organising charity. She was very complimentary of the behaviour and attitude of the Dollar competitors.’
The Scottish Highland performing arts festival is run by the Midwest Highland Arts Fund and consists of master classes, concerts, and competitions that appeal to piping and drumming enthusiasts in the Midwest U.S., North America, and around the world. The master classes attract about 350 piping and drumming students of all ages, whilst nearly 200 pipers and drummers enter the solo contests, and 1000 attend the public concert. The faculty, adjudicators, and concert performers consist of two dozen of the world’s best pipers and drummers.
