Eastern United States Pipe Band Association EUSPBA
All the members and friends of the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association join in congratulating the Capital District Youth Pipe Band of Scotia, NY for winning the Novice Juvenile B World Pipe Band Championship. To add another feather to their bonnets, Capital District also took home the Drum Corps Championship. Pipe Major Maureen Conner and some of the band members offer a few observations of their winning journey. So here in their own words – The Capital District Youth Pipe Band.
Virginia Ware (Age 17, Tenor Drummer, Vermont)
My name is Virginia Ware, and I am a tenor drummer for Capital District Youth Pipe Band and competed with the band in the World Pipe Band Championship this summer. I had only been playing with the band for about a year when we left for Scotland. I was nervous to go because I was going to compete in the birthplace of pipe band music! It was so surreal to me that we were going to Scotland to the point where I had an ongoing joke with my fellow tenor drummer Eamonn Dowd for the whole trip where I’d stop, get his attention, and say “Dude, dude, dude. We’re in Scotland!”
Once I got over the fact that we were in Scotland (a little) and the jet lag set in, it was back to practice and then straight to a competition. North Berwick, our first competition in Scotland, was the biggest competition that I had attended. I was a little nervous for this competition because in my head I felt we would be judged differently here in Scotland, but we weren’t–it was like any other competition besides the fact that we were in Scotland!
After exploring the games and nearby beaches and looking at the beautiful scenery, it was time for massed bands. I thought that I had been in some big massed bands, but this was the biggest one yet. It took probably close to an hour for all the bands to just march out, and then the judges gave out the results. In Scotland they call out the top 3 winners the opposite way we do in the U.S.A. They do first, second, and third. Once the judges got to our grade we anxiously waited to see if we would place. They called the first band, then second place, Capital District Youth Pipe Band; we were ecstatic! We got second place our first time competing in Scotland. This was crazy. When we got the trophy, I looked at it and I saw that the band that won the Worlds in our grade last year had gotten second place at North Berwick before the Worlds. I excitedly showed my bandmates, “This is a sign,” I kept saying. “They got second and won the Worlds, so we are going to too!”
We returned to intensive 2-3 hour long practices every day until the Worlds. The practices were long and early in the morning. There was one day when we were all really tired so most of us came to practice in our pajamas! The practices were long but worth it though because on the morning of the worlds we were ready. I remember barely being able to sleep the night before because I was so nervous! I set a few alarms for the morning and basically shot out of bed. Adrenaline is way better than coffee! I remembered that morning was probably the most awake I had ever been.
Then we were off to the Glasgow Green! I was basically a big ball of anxiety. I thought I was going to pass out. It all happened so fast. We got there, felt like we were in finally tuning for about 5 minutes, and then in only a few more minutes, we walked up to the line.
I remembered what our drum instructor Andrew said. “Put on your ‘drum faces’,” a very intense look. I had to block out all of my emotions and just focus on the music. We ran our set just like we had 100 times before that week. I couldn’t believe it had all happened and that it was over already.
The rest of the day seemed to feel like it went on forever, but then it was time for the massed bands. We marched on waited until they called our grade. Then I heard Capital District Youth Pipe Band U.S.A. and I couldn’t believe we won best drum corps and best band for our grade! It was crazy; none of this seemed real! Two months later this still blows my mind! I can still remember that day like it was yesterday, and I think I always will, the day we won the Worlds. Yup still crazy to say that!
Evan Cross, (Age 12, Piper, Putnam Valley, NY)
When I went to Scotland this summer as a bagpiper and a member of the Capital District Youth Pipe Band, it was definitely an amazing experience. When I joined my first pipe band, I thought that it was just a thing for parades and other performances. Then I joined the Capital District Youth Pipe Band, and we won the 2019 World Pipe Band Championships in Scotland. I felt the best I’ve ever felt playing bagpipes.
For about a week after we won I didn’t really think about anything else. I just thought about that moment when the announcer said, “and in first place the Capital District Youth Pipe Band.” For a good minute there I couldn’t think. I was just so focused on that announcer’s one sentence.
Zoey Flansburg, (Age 14, Piper, Rotterdam, NY)
World Pipe Band Champions! It’s an unbelievable title to have. It almost doesn’t feel real. I have been playing the bagpipes for about 5 ½ years and to be able to call myself a World Champion is incredible.
Our first Saturday in Scotland, we all woke up early were all pretty pumped to compete at our first competition in Scotland. The North Berwick competition was different from the games in America: the parking lot was filled with tour buses, there were a lot of bands that attended, and the weather was different. The games mostly had the same things as our games in the US, some vendors, competition circles, and places to get food.
For the actual competition, it was pretty nerve-wracking to be going against Scottish bands for the first time since we weren’t sure how we would compare with them. Maureen called off the set and we started to march in. Unfortunately, someone’s chanter came in early, and at the end of the set, someone’s drone stopped late. But besides that, we had a really good run. We were all so excited to hear that we had gotten 2nd place. When we looked at the plaque, we saw that the previous year’s 2nd place finisher had won Worlds! We thought that this was a sign that we were going to win the Worlds the next week.
On the day of the Worlds, we were pretty excited but really nervous, or at least I was. As we were warming up, it was really good to see the familiar faces of people that we have been working with like Graham Thompson and Eric Ouellette. It calmed my nerves a little bit too. As soon as it was our turn to march to the line, we all became very focused. We got up to the line and when the signal was called, we marched into the circle as we had practiced, only this time, we did it better, no early chanter and no late drones.
After a long morning and afternoon, it was time for them to announce the Novice Juvenile B results, our competition. We were all so nervous at this point, maybe even more nervous than when we competed. The first thing announced was the best drum corps. When they announced our band winning, we all got really excited and started cheering. We had gone from getting 4th in drumming at North Berwick to getting 1st at the Worlds! Then it was time for the winners to be announced. All I really heard was: “Cap” and we exploded into screams, cheering, and tears. We got to be projected on the big screen too! The rest of the announcements went by in a flash. After getting our picture taken with the Championship sign, we lined up and played Patty’s Epic Journey, our celebratory tune, off the field.
Owen Emerich (Age 15, piper, Charleton, NY)
Going to Scotland was an amazing experience, especially for my first time traveling overseas. While there was a lot of hard work and effort put into this competition, it all paid off in the end. The best part about the trip over to Scotland was definitely winning, but the rest of the trip was really fun as well, I loved attending the Royal Military Tattoo in Edinburgh.
As they announced our name over the loudspeaker for first place it almost seemed surreal. We were all in shock/awe of what we had accomplished and were all so elated. Winning the Worlds was an eye opening experience for all of us and showed what can be accomplished through dedication and hard work.
Alec Flansburg (Age 12, Lead Drummer, Rotterdam, NY)
A couple days after arriving in Glasgow, Scotland, our band went to North Berwick to compete. After competing, I had noticed a “Birds of Prey” area where you could hold one of the six birds of prey they had. I picked the smallest bird called a kestrel, a small type of falcon. The kestrel kept trying to escape from his small branch, but his rope kept pulling him back. Once he was on my arm, he tried to escape, failed, and then proceeded to give me a death stare. One of my favorite places visited was the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. The Tattoo takes place annually in front of Edinburgh Castle. Every single performance topped the previous one. I can’t say just one of them was my favorite because they were all so unique and amazing in their own way.
Obviously, the highlight of the trip was winning the World Pipe Band Championships. Our performance itself was just great. After walking out of the band circle, you could tell by the looks on everybody’s faces that it was our best performance of the entire season. Our band competed against 20 other bands (19 Scottish and 1 Canadian).
We waited for results in the giant arena that the grade one bands competed in for at least an hour and a half. They finally said that they would be announcing Novice Juvenile B. We all looked at each other and got quiet. Then, they announced the world drum corps champions as the “Capital District Youth Pipe Band.” Our band went wild! Everyone was screaming and cheering and hugging each other! This made me so proud to lead a drum corps with peers from Florida, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and New York. We all came together and played an amazing set. Then they announced the World Champions as the “Capital District Youth Pipe Band.” Our band was now in tears of joy. All the parents pushed through the gate and ran onto the field. Everybody was cheering so loud and for so long that I didn’t hear the rest of the places being announced. I will remember this moment as one of the best experiences of my life.
Cameron Breslin (Age 14, Piper, Scotia, NY)
Going to Scotland to compete on the world stage was always a dream for me. I started listening to the pipes at a young age when my mother would bring me to the Capital District Scottish Games in Altamont, NY, just down the road from my home in Scotia, NY. I loved listening to the pipes, especially the massed bands. I also went to a concert put on by the then Scotia Glenville Pipe Band led by Maureen Connor.
I was told that a great age to start learning was eight so every year I counted down the years until I could join the band. Five years later I’m standing on Glasgow Green screaming my head off after it was just announced that the Capital District Youth Pipe Band (formerly known as the Scotia-Glenville Pipe Band) had won best band and drum corps at the Novice Juvenile B level.
After planning this trip for over two years, we finally made it to Scotland a week and three days before the World Championships. The next week or so was 1 or 2 hours of piping and then an hour or two of free time spent with our families. When the day finally came, I was a little shocked that we were actually about to compete. The sights and sounds were amazing with thousands of people walking around all with the same purpose; to hear great bagpipe music and to have fun. All that Maureen had to say after we competed was that our run was “Uneventful” and we knew we had done well. I could not have won without the help of my family and my instructors who put me in a position to get into such a great band as well as my fellow band members whose good will and humor got me through some hard times along the way.
Maureen Connor (old enough, piper, Schenectady, NY)
Each time I’ve taken a band to “The Worlds”, there has been a different set of challenges to make the trip successful. The challenge for this group centered on the fact that they were so green. The band hadn’t been to Scotland since 2015 and not in a Juvenile event since 2012. That’s a long time for a youth band. While the pipers and drummers knew the history of the band, there was only one player (Kieran Dowd) who had competed at The Worlds with the band in 2015. As such, this crew was the next, next Generation in the making.
As my “5th Child”, I felt way more confident and assured in my teaching and directing methods. I’m no longer young and naïve and much more capable of letting go and trusting the kids and the process. That didn’t mean there weren’t any challenges and for me, and there were two big ones: First, this group of kids never Stops talking……….(OMG, OMG, OMG). They are a very social group and love seeing each other and playing together. They are not a super competitive group of players. However, they know how to get the job done and rose to the challenges at the right time. From our performance on Wonderama before going to Scotland to North Berwick, or Piping Live Street Performances, and at The Worlds (21 bands…..1 shot) to winning at Capital District AFTER The Worlds, they maintained focus through the last contest.
The second challenge was creating a bigger drum corps. With two local snare drummers, one local tenor and bass, this presented a dilemma. Fortunately, long-time instructor Eric MacNeill pulled together students he has been teaching from around the East Coast and formed a really good team. I don’t think either of us thought the drum corps would win Best Drum Corps. So very, very cool!
I am so proud of all the pipers and drummers for working hard and I would like to thank the band members and their parents for their support and especially the teachers and coaches that made this all happen: Graham Thompson, Eric Ouellette, Ally Crowley-Duncan, Andrew Adams, Christina Hanks and Eric MacNeill.
