“Well! This summer school is looking even better after today. I am so buzzed by this news confirming our two special guest presenters for our week. They are both huge contributors to today’s Piping and Drumming scene.”
Glenn Brown is a 39 year old native of Milton, Ontario, Canada. He began playing at the age of 9, and piping is in his blood as he was originally taught by his mother Gail Brown, who he still lists as one of his favourite pipers. Glenn is a 3 time World Pipe Band Champion with Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band, including 1 as Pipe Sergeant. One of Glenn’s biggest role models in piping is Willie McCallum whom he has been taking lessons since 2001. Some prizes of note in Piobaireachd are the Canadian Gold Medal, The Dunvegan Medal and The Northern Meeting Gold Medal. In Light Music, Glenn has won the A grade Marches at the Argyllshire Gathering and the A grade MSR at London. There have been significant wins since 2017. 2017 saw Glenn win The Senior Piobaireachd at the Argyllshire Gathering, Oban. The Captain John MacLellan Memorial Medal (2018), the Donald MacDonald Cuaich and the Piobaireachd at The Glenfiddich Championship(2019) and the Bratach Gorm in London 2018 and 2021.
Steven McWhirter is a native of Northern Ireland and now resides in Falkirk, Scotland, with his wife Grace and children, Harry and Maggie. He has won the Adult World Solo Drumming Championships on eleven occasions and is a full-time drumming instructor with the Edinburgh Academy Pipe Band.
Since taking over the leadership of the Inveraray and District Pipe Band, they have steadily risen to become one of the best bands in the world. Steven began drumming in 1993 at the age of ten, with initial lessons from his father, Dessie. Steven joined his local Cullybackey Pipe Band in 1994, receiving snare instruction from Adrian Hoy until 2001. Steven played with the SFU Pipe Band from Vancouver, Canada, from 2002-2008, winning the World championships both as a band and drum corps. 2008 saw Steven assume the role of leading drummer of the Inveraray and District Pipe Band. The band and drum corps have become a regular feature of the prize list, winning the Drumming and World Championship titles in 2017 and 2019. On his way to the adult grade, Steven also won two juvenile world titles along with multiple All-Ireland and Ulster titles.
