“The school
definitely helped me to become a much better
piper.”
Luke Bell, Pennsylvania session student
Admissions Policy
Piping and drumming students of all ages are
accepted to the Balmoral School. We do accept
students under 18 years of age who are
self-directed and require little supervision. Adult
chaperones are assigned to students under 18.
Students 12 years of age and under must be
accompanied by a parent or a designated adult. All
applicants must sign and abide by the honor code
pledge found on the registration form.
Instruction & Class
Information
The focus of the Balmoral School is to provide
high-quality musical instruction for beginning,
intermediate, and advanced students in small
classes (up to five students). The classes are
usually oriented toward improving technique,
musicality, and tone; instrument maintenance; and
the teaching of new tunes and the polishing and
refining of existing tunes. Instruction is geared
to individual needs.
Beginner and intermediate classes will cover music
fundamentals such as rhythm, tempo, tuning, and
tone production, as well as execution and
expression. Students usually learn to better
control their instrument and put more expression
and tone in their music. Students, and in
particular those with no prior experience in piping
or drumming (i.e. who are “starting from
scratch”), should attend at least two weeks if at
all possible. One-to-one instructional appointments
are available.
Advanced classes focus on the refinement of
competition and performance skills with world class
players. Advanced students may also elect to train
and study for performances of their tune sets for
major competitions in North America and Scotland.
Students at the Balmoral School have the option to
prepare and be examined for a skill level
certification program established by the Eastern US
Pipe Band Association. Upon successful completion
of the Progressive Certification Program (PCP)
examinations, certificates are issued attesting to
various skill levels in piping and drumming. The
non-competitive exams consist of a practical and
playing portion to show mastery of rudiments,
repertoire and written or verbal questions on
maintenance and musical theory. For more
information, see EUSPBA's Progressive Certification
Program.
Drumming & Smallpiping Sessions
Please note that Scottish snare,
tenor, and bass drumming will be taught at all
sessions. Smallpiping will be offered at the St.
Paul, Pittsburgh, and East Stroudsburg (week 2)
sessions.
All students are requested to bring a practice chanter or practice drum pad and, if possible, a set of pipes or a snare or bass drum.
Classes run from Sunday evening through Friday noon for each week. No classes are held on Saturday. Classes are held 9am to noon and 2pm to 5pm. You may request the time of your classes.
Indoor practice areas for general use are identified at each location, as well as outside practice areas during daytime hours.
Students are permitted to record all the classes, workshops and recitals for their personal use. Videotaping of recitals is permitted on a limited basis.
Piping students will have a full day:
The daily schedule includes two personalized small classes per day plus several 60-90 minute school-wide sessions.
Members of the same band can choose to be assigned to the same classes
Time is set aside each day for students to become familiar with new music and progress to the next levels.
Beginning students will have sessions with the same excellent instructors as the advanced students as well as with additional qualified instructors. Remedial help is always available on a one-on-one basis.
Students can choose to prepare for the EUSPBA's Progressive Certification Program (PCP) and be examined for certification attesting to skill level.
Intermediate and advanced students will have some of the greatest pipers in the world to review their competition tunes and continue with new work.
Afternoon and evening sessions are held on various topics, such as:
• Matching chanter reeds to chanters
• Tuning drones and chanter
• Bagpipe maintenance
• Phrasing and playing with rhythm
• Massed band sessions M-T-W at 1pm led by PM Brian Donaldson on starting with a drum roll, marching in step, stopping on a dime, and deportment. Massed band tunes and settings are sent to students in advance of the session.
• Choosing tunes and preparing for competition
• Judging a competition
• A primer for pipe majors led by Brian Donaldson
• An introduction to piobaireachd
• Playing the bagpipe for dancers
• Playing the bagpipe with other instruments
• Student evening recitals
• Instructors' public evening concert
Drumming students will have a full day:
• Group and one-on-one sessions covering fundamentals of drumming technique on snare, tenor, and bass drum
• Personal instruction on simple-time and compound-time tunes, covering marches, strathspeys, reels, hornpipes and jigs
• Special emphasis on phrasing and playing with rhythm
• Massed band sessions coordinating pipers and drummers, including the fundamentals of tuning the drums to the pipes and playing in unison
• The instructor will personally review each student’s progress, and give him/her instruction on how to improve drumming accompaniment to his/her band tunes
• Instructor will, upon request, review and/or modify drum scores for particular tunes or medleys