Is your goal to participate in parades? Or do you want to make it to the Grade 1 circle in Glasgow? Whatever it is, whether you are a youth or an adult, I will develop a personalized program based on your goals and map out a structured system to get you there. This will place you on a direct line of progression without getting sidetracked to less productive practice habits.

I am an experienced clinician and have worked with groups of all levels. Whether it’s setting up your corps for the contest season or working with multiple groups from an area, I am excited to put together a program that will offer development and fun, leaving your group enthusiastic about progression and hungry to meet their objectives.

Just been thrown into a leadership role and feeling overwhelmed? Or are you feeling stuck with your corps and don’t know how to continue to the next level? From how to run a successful practice, recruiting and team building to maintaining morale, producing material and maintenance, there is a lot to running your own drum corps. I have had great mentors and benefited from hard learned lessons. Thanks to this experience, I can save you time and heartache, relieve the pressure and develop a streamlined system with your group that ensures successful progression—all while having a great time.

More than 25 years of teaching youth programs of all grades, and developing lower grade bands, means I understand the need for them to develop their own talent and the obstacles that can arise in this process. I have witnessed what tactics are successful—and those that are not—which have led many of my students to (inter)national success and progressing into top-level bands. I can help you or your band develop a program and avoid the pitfalls of running a youth system, so that your corps can achieve its goals.

Learning a new skill as an adult can be challenging. As an adult, you may have different goals than a youth program. Whatever your drum corps’ vision is, I am happy to put together a specialized program to help you reach your drumming goals in a way and time frame that works for you.

For seven years, I served in the Reg F of the Canadian Armed Forces’ music branch. As the lead drummer of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Band, I lead the RCAF and national amalgamated bands to represent Canada at international tattoos, ceremonies and concert series around the world. Reputable for composing arrangements and ensuring musical performances were of the greatest standard, I achieved the highest accreditation available at the time. I have also worked extensively with other service bands (police, firefighters, cadets) as a clinician and instructor. Finally, I have worked privately with students to prepare them for auditions or qualification testing.

One of the biggest stumbling blocks to success is poorly written drum scores, which are very hard to overcome even with great technical ability. Having professional scores arranged can be the fastest way to improve your or your band’s performance. Having written and played hundreds of drum scores over the years, I integrate the entire drum section and give priority to enhancing the melody in my compositions. This leads to a stronger relationship between yourself and your piper or pipe section, creating better ensemble and, most importantly, better music.

I have sharpened my tuning skillset over many years, working with different groups and studying the best in the industry to develop my own methods and techniques that have proven to be consistent and successful. With an extensive knowledge of the current pipe band models of snare and midsection drums, I offer maintenance services including tuning your solo or band's drums to their optimum performance level. I also offer training in how to tune and maintain your drums.

Looking to expand your drumming vocabulary? I have worked with many players from outside the world of rudimental drumming to build their chops and take their playing to the next level.

I would love to be part of your highland games panel. I am a certified adjudicator with the Alberta Society of Pipers and Drummers where I am also a member of the music committee. Each year, I travel to highland games worldwide and have a strong understanding of world standards. I attend judging seminars often to stay up to date with the evolving standards of the adjudicating community.

A program I developed during a practicum while training to become a social worker, this is designed as a fun way to get seniors moving while exploring the joys of rhythm and some great tunes. A resounding success that could see seniors in your care centre moving, too.

Since 2018, I have competed and performed with the 23-time and current Bagadoù national championship winner Bagad Kemper out of Quimper, Brittany (France). Bagad’s style of drumming will do wonders for your hands and challenge your mind. If playing the pipe band format is getting a bit redundant, exploring the world of Bagad drumming is a fantastic way to rediscover your love for rudimental drumming.