Team Dojo Thrives at the World Online Piping and Drumming Championships Summer 2021

For the first time here at Dojo U, we recently rallied our students to form Team Dojo – a 'virtual band' made up from Dojo students all over the world – to compete in the World Online Piping and Drumming Championships for Summer 2021.

We couldn't be more delighted with the results...

  • Team Dojo entered 125 events across every grade level, amassing 1232 points
  • Team Dojo came second in the overall team points
  • 50 Team Dojo competitors from 7 countries
  • 32 Team Dojo competitors won or placed in at least one event, with 35 total placings
  • 9 Team Dojo competitors on the Overall Grade Champions list
  • Team Dojo placed in every Grade 4 and 5 event (and many in Grade 3 and Grade 1)

A truly amazing effort from our fantastic students!

The full list of our Team Dojo superstars is below on our prize list honor roll – congratulations to you all!

We also had many first-time competitors in Beginner and Grade 5 events, who took the nerve-wracking plunge to enter their first online contest (and for several, their first contest ever)!

I applaud your willingness and determination, and congratulate you for getting your first competition under your sporran.

Team Dojo – Prize List Honor Roll

01. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Place: 1 Glen Fletcher
Scots Wha Hea
https://youtu.be/Fv5AJXNTwss

01. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Place: 2 Arla DeField
The Skye Boat Song
https://youtu.be/bcAMG91rPmQ

01. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Place: 3 Joshua Loving
Amazing Grace
https://youtu.be/DN74r83Arlc

02. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - 3/4 or 4/4 March (2 or 4 parts)
Place: 3 Arla DeField
My Land
https://youtu.be/eQKPiaSDVtM

02. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - 3/4 or 4/4 March (2 or 4 parts)
Place: 6 Glen Fletcher
Farewell to Nigg
https://youtu.be/m5oTDdtCFwo

03. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts OR 2 different 2 parted tunes)
Place: 3 Arla DeField
The Alaskan Scottish at Eagle River
https://youtu.be/o0qU_W9bchk

04. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - 6/8 March (at least 2 parts)
Place: 1 Arla DeField
Angus MacKinnon
https://youtu.be/YKo2IZqKlrY

06. Grade 5 Piping - Slow Air (at least 2 parts) A
Place: 3 Heather Nicasio
The Dark Isle
https://youtu.be/k-3FJKtEvr0

06. Grade 5 Piping - Slow Air (at least 2 parts) A
Place: 4 Jan Roberts
Morag Duncan
https://youtu.be/lGSDule_OrI

06. Grade 5 Piping - Slow Air (at least 2 parts) B
Place: 4 Kate Gordon
Hector the Hero
https://youtu.be/tSUKl1T17xI

07. Grade 5 Piping – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts OR 2 different 2 parted tunes)
Place: 1 Heather Nicasio
Captain Norman Orr Ewing
https://youtu.be/xeE58dxrbdU

08. Grade 5 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 2 parts)
Place: 1 Heather Nicasio
Steamboat
https://youtu.be/2LBWh75m3xM

09. Grade 5 Piping - Jig (at least 2 parts)
Place: 6 Heather Nicasio
The Banjo Breakdown
https://youtu.be/z3CK9YojjlA

10. Grade 5 Piping - Piobaireachd (Ground Only)
Place: 1 Sue Kennedy
Old Men of the Shells - Ground
https://youtu.be/rrNANlsk9W8

10. Grade 5 Piping - Piobaireachd (Ground Only)
Place: 5 Nancy Guss
The Company's Lament
https://youtu.be/hnkZh-7m2hE

11. Grade 4 Piping - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts) A
Place: 5 Camille Layt
Donald MacLean's Farewell to Oban
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT0FKJW-9fE

11. Grade 4 Piping - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts) B
Place: 4 Chris Zaleski
Captain Norman Orr Ewing
https://youtu.be/wTWm2Z_f_Do

11. Grade 4 Piping - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts) B
Place: 5 Sheila Stewart
Donald MacLean's Farewell to Oban
https://youtu.be/hMN6xDZfDRA

13. Grade 4 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts) A
Place: 4 Heather Dunn
Angus MacKinnon
https://youtu.be/b6_iOBaHLS4

13. Grade 4 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts) A
Place: 5 Sheila Stewart
John D. Burgess
https://youtu.be/WrSRqPXaeDo

13. Grade 4 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts) B
Place: 6 Anders Udsen
P/M Donald MacLean of Lewis
https://youtu.be/FhBaDhgkQUA

14. Grade 4 Piping - Piobaireachd (Ground and Next Variation) A
Place: 3 Heather Dunn
Clan Campbell's Gathering
https://youtu.be/01i-M7GaS3k

14. Grade 4 Piping - Piobaireachd (Ground and Next Variation) B
Place: 3 Sheila Stewart
Cabar Feidh Gu Brath
https://youtu.be/Il6b2lDPHyo

14. Grade 4 Piping - Piobaireachd (Ground and Next Variation) B
Place: 6 Lou Lanaro
The Desperate Battle 
https://youtu.be/6FNnN7eJNDM

16. Grade 3 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts) B
Place: 5 Lee McLeod
Colin Thompson, Highland Harry, Sound of Sleet
https://youtu.be/fQ0Qoaf9srA

17. Grade 3 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Place: 6 Lee McLeod
Donald McLean of Lewis
https://youtu.be/WYvtpjl_mTE

20. Grade 3 Piping - Piobaireachd
Place: 1 Lee McLeod
Lament for Mary McLeod
https://youtu.be/NdcTzvOiAmk

20. Grade 3 Piping - Piobaireachd
Place: 4 Kathryn McEwan
The Little Spree
https://youtu.be/bOn11M-W0VA

20. Grade 3 Piping - Piobaireachd
Place: 5 David Brown
The MacIntosh's Banner
https://youtu.be/kLBe0x1crZ8

26. Grade 1 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Place: 6 Charlie Martin
Mrs. John McColl, John Roy Stewart, Thompson's Dirk
https://youtu.be/UQar_fOLOEs

27. Grade 1 Piping - Jigs (two jigs each tune at least 4 parts)
Place: 6 Charlie Martin
Drew James McIntosh, Over to Uist
https://youtu.be/ag_H2LOYo1I

29. Grade 1 Piping - Hornpipes (two hornpipes each tune at least 4 parts)
Place: 3 Charlie Martin
Colorado Ladies, Sandy's New Chanter
https://youtu.be/FgS-Y47XXmI

31. Any Grade Piping - Medley (4-6 Minutes)
Place: 2 David Brown
The Powerhouse, hornpipe (J. McCarthy); Molly Connell, strathspey (J. Wark); Walter Sammon’s Grandmother, reel (arr. J. Walsh); The Ass in the Graveyard, waltz (T. Tully); The Hag at the Churn, jig (arr. T. Tully); Churnin’ On, jig (D. Clyde); The Sting in the Tail, reel (R. Mathieson)
https://youtu.be/rxoVz66N8pc

37. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March - for pipers 21 and older
Place: 4 Charlie Martin
Donald McClellan of Rothesay
https://youtu.be/cGOrPVvpTao

37. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March - for pipers 21 and older
Place: 6 Vincent Guinnane
The Duke of Roxeburghe's Farewell to The Blackmount Forest
https://youtu.be/BImpALVKVIE

Additional prizes

  • Charlie Martin (USA): 7th Overall for Grade 1
  • Lee McLeod (USA): 5th Overall for Grade 3
  • Sheila Stewart (Canada): 9th Overall for Grade 4
  • Heather Dunn (USA): 10th Overall for Grade 4
  • Heather Nicasio (USA): 13th for Overall Points for Any Grade, 2nd Overall for Grade 5, Best Dress and Deportment Award
  • Sue Kennedy (USA): 7th overall for Grade 5
  • Arla DeField (USA): 2nd Overall for Beginner Grade, 15th for Overall Points for Any Grade
  • Glen Fletcher (Canada): 3rd Overall for Beginner Grade
  • Joshua Loving (USA): 7th Overall for Beginner Grade

Related Articles

How to Use a Metronome to Learn a Jig

When you are learning a new jig, do you often have trouble staying “on the beat” because you are using all of your concentration just to play all of the melody notes, gracenotes and embellishments correctly? Then, after you get those pesky things out of the way, are you still having trouble getting that “jig feel”? Using a metronome during your practice may well be a useful tool for you.

Responses