Georgetown Hosts Seventh Annual Pipe Band Clinic

The Georgetown Fire Department Pipes and Drums Band will host a two-day Bagpipes and Drums clinic on Thursday, November 12 and Friday, November 13 at the First Baptist Church, 1333 W. University Avenue in Georgetown. The clinic will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

Members from Fire Department Pipe Bands across Texas will be in attendance, with some members coming from outside Texas, traveling from as far as Missouri. More than 60 attendees from 12 fire departments and three police departments are expected.

Several years ago there were only a few bands of this type in Texas. That number has grown to more than 30 in recent years. In the event of a fallen public servant, pipes and drums bands from across the state gather to pay tribute at the funeral by playing a common repertoire of music. Georgetown Fire Department Pipes and Drums provide the attendees with elite instruction as part of their mission statement.

On Thursday and Friday, attendees will receive instruction from three piping instructors and four drumming instructors. The piping instructors include Pipe Major Ian K. MacDonald with the Toronto Police Pipe Band, Piper Lori Waters with the Silver Thistle Pipe band in Austin, and Pipe Major Todd Bircher with the Austin Police Pipe Band and Emergency Services Pipes and Drums Association in Austin. The advanced snare drumming instructors include Stephen Cameron, and Jon Greene. Georgetown Fire Department Captain and drum sergeant Robert Gordon will instruct the beginner snare drummers and Georgetown Fire Department Captain David England will instruct the bass drummers.

For more information about the clinic or the Georgetown Fire Department Pipes and Drums band, please visit www.gfdpipesanddrums.com or on Facebook.  The band has a fund established with the Chisholm Trail Communities Foundation to accept tax deductible donations.