In January 2006 I accepted a position at St. John's Northwestern Military Academy teaching their bagpipe program. I left St. Catharines and the Braemar organization that I had built with much trepidation. In Wisconsin I found a program that had struggled to find itself within the greater definition of Military School. Traditional bagpipe teaching curriculum and methods had not been effective in growing the program either in numbers or in quality. I modified my thinking and essentially turned the program on its head. After teaching the boys how to hold a practice chanter and play a correct scale, I immediatly started them blowing a bagpipe. I insisted they blow a decent-strength chanter reed however plugged the drones. I then taught simple tunes keeping the emphasis on blowing good tone and on playing in unison and on the beat.
In very short order the program grew to the point where I was overwhelmed by the number of boys and mixed classes (pipers at various levels, snare, tenor, and bass drummers all in the same class). The ISSAC's accreditation team pronounded the program "magnificent" and encouraged the school to support it in every way possible. In 2010 the school hired Sarajane Trier. Together we pushed the program further yet. Enrollment peaked at 100 boys. In March 2011 we took 56 boys to Alexandria Virginia to participate in their St. Patrick's Day Parade. The boys won Best Youth Band and Best in Parade, a truly notable accomplishment.
The following audio and video clips help demonstrate what is possible following these teaching methods. The SJNMA experience was interesting in that we took in about 100 boys each August, most new to playing any musical instrument at all. The goal was to provide them with a significant musical experience and to build a solid foundation for future learning. We also had a goal to put as many boys on parade and in performances on pipes and drums as possible. We would start each fall with about 20 returning from the previous school year.
In 2012 I left SJNMA. Some thought that the bagpipe program had gotten too big. In my final year at the school, nearly all the Cadet Leaders had come through the program. For some of the boys, it helped them through a difficult time in their lives. They learned things in the program that were not taught elsewhere on campus. (I call bagpipes "the ultimate team sport.") It truly was more than just a bagpipe program. It built self-esteem and instilled a sense of pride and accomplishment. In the fall of 2011 new rules were imposed on the program that severely impacted its ability to remain excellent. With great sadness, I decided that it was time to leave. Sarajane and I wrote The Hal Leonard Bagpipe Method in honor of the boys we taught.
In very short order the program grew to the point where I was overwhelmed by the number of boys and mixed classes (pipers at various levels, snare, tenor, and bass drummers all in the same class). The ISSAC's accreditation team pronounded the program "magnificent" and encouraged the school to support it in every way possible. In 2010 the school hired Sarajane Trier. Together we pushed the program further yet. Enrollment peaked at 100 boys. In March 2011 we took 56 boys to Alexandria Virginia to participate in their St. Patrick's Day Parade. The boys won Best Youth Band and Best in Parade, a truly notable accomplishment.
The following audio and video clips help demonstrate what is possible following these teaching methods. The SJNMA experience was interesting in that we took in about 100 boys each August, most new to playing any musical instrument at all. The goal was to provide them with a significant musical experience and to build a solid foundation for future learning. We also had a goal to put as many boys on parade and in performances on pipes and drums as possible. We would start each fall with about 20 returning from the previous school year.
In 2012 I left SJNMA. Some thought that the bagpipe program had gotten too big. In my final year at the school, nearly all the Cadet Leaders had come through the program. For some of the boys, it helped them through a difficult time in their lives. They learned things in the program that were not taught elsewhere on campus. (I call bagpipes "the ultimate team sport.") It truly was more than just a bagpipe program. It built self-esteem and instilled a sense of pride and accomplishment. In the fall of 2011 new rules were imposed on the program that severely impacted its ability to remain excellent. With great sadness, I decided that it was time to leave. Sarajane and I wrote The Hal Leonard Bagpipe Method in honor of the boys we taught.
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St. Patrick's Day Parade 2011 Old Alexandria VA
Best Youth Band and Best in Parade
56 Pipers and Drummers
Best Youth Band and Best in Parade
56 Pipers and Drummers
SJNMA - The Boys