The Pipe Bands Australia Summer School series returns in 2025 with the inaugural 'Winter Piping and Drumming Retreat'; Showcasing Piping, Snare, Tenor and Bass Drumming Tuition and workshops suitable for all ages and abilities from Novice to A grade.

Not only does this represent a fantastic opportunity to make friends and new connections within the Pipe Band fraternity the retreat will include:

Tuning and ongoing management of instruments
Musical theory, playing technique and score construction
Rudimental execution and control
The sometimes dreaded 'Piobairachd'
Strategies for better solo playing including the minimisation of risk from a musical perspective
Ensemble management across drum and piping corps
An introduction to new music
As well as an assortment of performances including an opening recital from the tutors and a closing concert from students.

Key Points:

11 to 13 July 2025
Knox Grammar School, New South Wales
All ages event suitable for players performing at a Novice level through to A grade (10 years an up)
Entries Close 5:00pm 13 June 2025

Tickets
Ticket tyoes and prices can be found by selecting 'Register' at the top of the page.

Tutor Information
We're still compiling everything there is to know about the events tutors. Stay tuned for updates.

Alisdair McLaren - Piping
Alisdair, from Perth, Western Australia, began piping at 13 while attending Trinity College, Perth, where he was taught by June Corcoran, John MacMurchie, and Malcolm Brown. In 1996, his final year of high school, he was appointed Pipe Major of the Trinity College Pipes & Drums, leading the band to multiple juvenile championships. That same year, he was also a member of the Grade 3 Armadale City Pipe Band when they won the Australian & South Pacific Pipe Band Championships.

In 1997, Alisdair joined the Western Australia Police Pipe Band (WAPOL), playing a key role in its success, including winning the 1998 Grade 2 World Championships, the 2001 Grade 1 American Championships, and achieving 10th place at the 2004 Grade 1 World Championships as Pipe Sergeant.

In 2005, while still based in Perth, Alisdair became the first fly-in guest player for the renowned Strathclyde Police Pipe Band, 12-time winners of the World Pipe Band Championships. In 2006, he was appointed Pipe Major of WAPOL before relocating to Glasgow in 2007.

In 2008, he joined Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band (FMM), where over nine years, he won 38 major championships, including five World Titles. He was part of the band’s historic Grand Slam victories in 2011 and 2013, winning all five major championships in a single season—an achievement only accomplished four times in pipe band history.

In 2018, Alisdair was appointed Pipe Sergeant of the Glasgow Police Pipe Band (formerly Strathclyde Police) and was promoted to Pipe Major at the end of the 2019 season. He held this position until returning to Perth in 2020.

Beyond competition, Alisdair was Director of The National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland for over a decade, shaping the next generation of pipers and drummers. Under his leadership, the band performed 18 major concerts across Scotland, toured internationally in China, Switzerland, Germany, and Spain, and played by royal invitation at Buckingham Palace for Queen Elizabeth II and the Royal Family. He also initiated outreach workshops across Scotland to support grassroots piping development.

As an instructor at The National Piping Centre, Alisdair taught at seasonal schools and international programs in the USA, Germany, and Switzerland. He also contributed to the HNC teaching team, developing the Live Performance curriculum.

As an adjudicator, he has judged competitions such as the Glasgow Highland Club, Boys’ Brigade Contests, Inveraray Highland Games, CLASP and Army School of Piping events.

Alisdair is currently the Pipe Major of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Pipes & Drums, leading the band in performances at the Tattoo from 2017–2024. In 2017, he was honoured to be one of the lone pipers for the event. Additionally, for the past three years, he has been a soloist in the featured "Electro Pipes" performance. Internationally, he has led the REMT Pipes & Drums at major festivals in Germany, Norway, China, and Australia. He continues to oversee the band’s annual audition process while living in Perth.

Upon returning to Perth in 2020, Alisdair was reappointed Pipe Major of WAPOL, where he helped establish the WA Police Youth Development Pipe Band, fostering future talent.

In 2023, he was invited as the international guest piping instructor at the Royal New Zealand Piping and Drumming School in Christchurch. Later that year he taught at the South Australia Piping and Drumming School in Adelaide.

Currently, Alisdair is Head of Pipe Band and Piping Instruction at Presbyterian Ladies’ College, Perth, and will once again return to Edinburgh to perform as Pipe Major of the Tattoo Pipes & Drums at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, marking the event’s 75th anniversary. Whilst in Scotland Alisdair will also be competing with People’s Ford Boghall & Bathgate Pipe Band at the 2025 European and World Pipe Band Championships.
Steven Shedden - Drumming

Steven is originally from Glasgow, Scotland and started drumming at the age of 9. His first lessons took place in the back room of the famous pipe band supplies shop - The Band Room.

He quickly progressed through the grades becoming one of the youngest drummers to compete at the top level in pipe bands. He won the prestigious ‘Champion of Champions’ drum corps prize at the age of 13 with Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia Pipe Band. Steven has been successful in the solo scene winning two juvenile World Championships in 2008 and 2011.

By 2010 Steven had joined the House of Edgar Shotts & Dykehead Pipe Band under the world-famous and 16 time world solo drumming champion Jim Kilpatrick MBE, winning the World Drum corps Championship in 2011. Around this time Steven was also the leading drummer with the National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland and has performed all over the world.

In 2016 Steven had the honour to join Jim Kilpatrick’s elite drum corps in the Spirit of Scotland Pipe Band who came together for Jim’s final competitive season. The corps won the drumming title at the UK Championships which was the first time a Grade 1 drum corps had been put together and won a Championship in their first season.

Steven now resides in Melbourne, Australia teaching drums full-time at Scotch College. He is the Leading Drummer of Grade 1 Hawthorn Pipe Band and is the current Australian Drumming Champion, having held this title since 2017. Steven is also the current RSPBA Oceania Snare Drum Champion.

Nicola Cairns - Drumming

Nicola, originally from Auckland, New Zealand, began tenor drumming in 2002 under the mentorship of her father, Tony, with the Auckland and District Pipe Band. She has since played with numerous Grade 1 bands, contributing to four New Zealand Champion Bands, eight NZ Champion Drum Corps, and nine NZ Champion Bass Sections.

In 2007, Nicola relocated to Scotland and performed with the Clan Gregor Society Pipe Band and the Fife Constabulary. In 2011, she was invited by Reid Maxwell to join the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band, where she played for four years and participated in the "Live from New York City" concert at the Lincoln Center.

In 2016, Nicola returned to Scotland to join the reformed Spirit of Scotland band under Jim Kilpatrick MBE, achieving the Drum Corps Championship at the UK Championship. She later joined the Scottish Power Pipe Band in 2019, where she contributed to multiple top-six finishes and the Best Drum Corps prize at the British Championship. The band also performed at the pre-Worlds concert at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.

Most recently, Nicola performed with the Hawthorne Pipe Band, securing a third-place finish at the 2024 New Zealand Championships. With 20 years of teaching experience, Nicola has instructed tenor drumming globally at various schools and workshops. She currently resides on the NSW Central Coast with her husband and two children and teaches in the Knox Grammar Pipes and Drums program.

Scott Nicolson - Princiap of Piping, Australian Pipe Band College

Scott is originally from New Zealand and was taught by Pipe Major John Downie of the City of Auckland Pipe Band. After completing a Bachelor of Marketing and Management, Scott relocated to Edinburgh and played with the Drambuie Kirkliston Pipe Band for a competition season. 

In 1998, Scott returned down under, to Perth, Western Australia, to take up a full-time position with the Western Australian Police Pipe Band. He was part of the team that won the 1998 World Pipe Band Championships Grade 2.

In 2001 Scott relocated to Sydney and took on the role of Pipe Major with the St Mary’s District Band Club Pipes and Drums and, later, The Pipeband Club. For the next six years the band made a steady rise back to Grade 1, along the way winning the Australian Championships Grade 2 (2006), Grade 1 (2008 and 2010) and two third places in the 2006 and 2007 World Pipe Band Championships, Grade 2. 

Scott started as the Pipe Band Coordinator at The Scots School Albury in 2013 and led the group to its first Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo appearance in 2017, on overseas tours to Kuala Lumpur, New Zealand, Singapore, Indonesia, Ireland and Scotland; and is the driving force behind the band’s local and international success.

Under Scott’s leadership the band won the 2023 World Pipe Band Championships, the Champion of Champions title as well as the Scottish Championships – all while performing in 26 shows over 20 days at the band’s second Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo appearance.

The Finer Details:

Ticketing
Ticketing is available to all interested parties and attracts a discounted rate for registered Pipe Bands Australia members. Tickets for tuition only may be purchased allowing students to attend during the day. Attendees wishing to remain onsite overnight may purchase a tuition and accommodation package which includes meals throughout the event (Thursday to Saturday).
Where
The Summer School will be held at the Knox Grammar School in Wahroonga, New South Wales. On average this is a 40 minute drive from Kingsford Smith International Airport. Trains regularly run between the Sydney CBD and Wahroonga Station (Subject to Industrial Action).

Enquiries

Can be sent to Pipe Bands Australia c/- events@pipebandsaustralia.com.au