Workshop boosts bagpipe bands | Warwick Music | Music Reviews, Concerts and Bands in Warwick

(From left) Loree Edser from Noosa, mid-section tutor Hannah Park from Brisbane and Alison Driver from Warwick at the course on Saturday.

FOR Scotsman Sandy Dalziel, the second annual bagpiping, drumming and drum major workshop at The Scots PGC College is an opportunity to teach others how to excel in their bands.

They came from far and wide – some as far as Longreach and Rockhampton – to attend the course, which has increased from about 24 last year to 35 students this year.

However the term “students” may be somewhat misleading about the age of participants, who ranged from eight years old to well into the retiree years, as Southern Downs Regional Council candidate Doug Cutmore, who attended, will attest.

Mr Dalziel said the course focused on the main areas of being in a bagpipe band – drumming, drum major, bagpiping and mid-section (tenor and bass drums).

The Scots PGC College band master and school tutor said the best part of the school, which is sponsored by the Queensland branch of Pipe Bands Australia, was that it gave people from regional areas the opportunity to further advance themselves in the craft.

“We have people from Brisbane and Toowoomba as well, but it is an opportunity for people from regional areas to come and learn,” he said.

“I have been surprised by the enthusiasm, the keenness of people wanting to take down all the information on recorders and notepads away with them.”

One of those people was Caitlyn Jarrett, who travelled all the way from Longreach to refine her skills on the tenor drum.

She said she didn’t mind making the trip, given she would take what she learnt back to her band.