In 2022, I was completing my BA Hons in Applied Music.

Throughout my piping career I have taken much inspiration from Gordon Duncan and his music and for my final recital I was putting in a mini pipe band concert in Stornoway called Road Trip of Scotland. I took the audience on a road trip with tunes from places or places in the tune title. I used some of Gordon Duncan’s Tunes in my medley set which started of with Hector the Hero bringing the story from Stornoway through the strathspey to Pitlochry and Perthshire before heading home to Fife and my story so far of being a piper.

Without the help of the GDMT they helped me fund my final project, and without their help I would not have passed my degree. I have been telling lots of musicians from my course about the Trust and that the Trust can also help them with purchasing rehearsal venues to practice in as our course is a remote course and getting into a university with practice facilities isn’t easy.

I have been successful in gaining two piping instructor jobs since finishing my degree and I am grateful I can teach the next generation of pipers and tell my stories and knowledge, I look forward to seeing more pipers graduate from the UHI Applied Music course and also promote the course to young pipers and drummers and trad players.

Thanks again for your support I really appreciate it.