Iain MacDonald
Conservatory Instructor, Conservatory Pipe Band Director
Bagpipes (Piping)
In His Studio:
Iain MacDonald teaches highland bagpipes, scottish smallpipes, and uilleann bagpipes with the Conservatory. Lessons with Iain cost $57 per hour of instruction. He is accepting students at this time. Iain will teach students ages 8 and up, and will teach students at any level. In Iain’s studio, students are not required to work towards exams, to participate in recitals, or to participate in Music Festival. He teaches all genres of music related to piping. Iain requires beginner students to supply their own practice chanter and a tutor book. Beginning uilleann pipers need a practice set to start. Iain would prefer they contact him first regarding what to purchase. He suggests for his students to practice 20 to 30 minutes minimum, most days of the week, in order to be capable on the instrument. Iain prefers to teach younger people, as he feels that their investment pays off better in the long run the younger the student is when they start, but will teach any age of student.
Biography:
Iain has been piping since 1965. He has studied under P/M Donald MacLeod, MBE; Iain McLeod (Edinburgh), James McMillan, and brothers Jack and Terry Lee. His band experience includes Grade 1 Babcock-Renfrew Pipe Band of Scotland, the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band, the ScottishPower Pipe Band and the 78th Highlanders (Halifax Citadel). Iain was the founder of the Grade 2 City of Regina Pipe Band in 1992, and has been Pipe Major since that time. Iain started a junior pipe band program in 1998, and in 2003 it became The Conservatory Pipe Band.
As a soloist, Iain has featured in the prizes at events across North America and in Scotland. Iain's accomplishments include piping for highland dancing, pipe band and folk recordings; writing, composing and editing for pipe music collections; organization of bands, highland games, and other events. He holds the Graduate Certificate of the Institute of Piping, the Senior Teacher's Certificate, and is an Examiner for the Piping and Drumming Qualifications Board. In 2008, Iain published a collection of bagpipe music called "Along the Road."
In 2017, he was named by pipes|drums to be among Canada's Top Fifteen Living Pipers and Drummers.
Iain is a graduate of the University of Regina (Bachelor of Arts, '77; Bachelor of Education, '81), owns Avonlea Communications and also a bagpipe marketing firm, Reelpipes.com.
August 2021 saw the publication of Iain's novel I Piped, That She Might Dance about the life of Angus MacKay of Raasay, first piper to Queen Victoria.