Workshop - Curriculum and General Information

Pipers, drummers, and drum majors, beginner to expert, will gain a meaningful and enjoyable educational and social experience at the Winter Storm Weekend Workshop. The faculty is comprised of a large international line-up of world-class pipers and drummers, the vast majority of whom are World Champions and/or Gold Medalists, from around the globe.

This All-Star faculty places Winter Storm as one of the largest and most prestigious workshops of its kind in the World.

Winter Storm students may pick and choose from a list of curriculum topics and instructors; customizing their educational experience. Students may also mix and match piping, drumming, and drum major classes. Winter Storm advisors will be available on site to answer student questions and to guide students as to their best curriculum options.

The Winter Storm Campus sits within a city block that is adjacent to the famous Country Club Plaza. The majority of the Winter Storm Piping and Drumming classes are held in the meeting spaces and ballrooms of the two Winter Storm hotels. In addition, a number of classes, as well as The Pipes and Drums Concert, are held at the Community Christian Church and annex, just one block from the hotels.

Students should plan to arrive on Thursday afternoon/evening, January 9, 2014 to take advantage of watching Friday's solo piping and drumming competitions; ranked among the most prestigious in North America and the World. An excellent learning opportunity.

Schedule of Events

Online Registration is easy and Winter Storm offers discounts for early registration.

Workshop Registration Includes:

Six workshop master class sessions over two days, January 11 & 12, 2014
Free ticket to the Saturday night Pipes & Drums Concert, January 11, 2014
Free workshop T-shirt
Free CD recording from a previous Winter Storm Pipes & Drums Concert
Free admission to Winter Steam, the after-concert party (Souvenir pint glass is $20- enjoy unlimited refills of Summit Brewing products) All are welcome, but must be 21 to consume alcohol. No exceptions.
Vendor booths and Manufacturer Representatives on-site. Talk with the experts. Check out the latest piping and drumming gear. Special Offers on-site.
Valuable coupons and special offers from nearby restaurants and Winter Storm vendors
Special rates at the Winter Storm hotels

What is more, the Winter Storm Competitions, to be held on Friday, January 10, 2014, have tremendous appeal to enthusiasts who enjoy the excitement of world-class piping and drumming contests, and are an excellent learning opportunity for students. The acclaimed Winter Storm Silver and Gold Medal piping and drumming contests attract many of the finest players in North America and the World. The 2014 contests will be held at the Winter Storm Hotel Complex. Spectator Tickets: $25.00 – Allows spectator access to all of the day’s piping and drumming competition events. Spectator Tickets may be purchased as part of Workshop Registration, at Shop MHAF, or at the door.

Weekend Workshop Session topics will include, but are not limited to, the following outline with numerous curriculum options per session. A curriculum matrix with classroom topics, times, locations, and instructor assignments will be available upon arrival, along with a packet containing a free Winter Storm Workshop T-shirt, name badge, a free Pipes and Drums Concert ticket, free CD recording from a Winter Storm Concert, and other useful materials, valuable coupons, and information.

Piping

Amateur 2/4 March Selections – what judges look for
Expression for MSR, HJ, 6/8s
Playing pipes with other instruments
Bellows pipe instruction
Instruction for beginning pipers on chanter and switching to pipes
Reed Manipulation, Pipe Setup and Tuning
Pipe Major Workshop with Terry Lee. (managing your band, creating a winning medley)
Arts Administration discussion
Memorizing music
Beginning Piobaireachd
Piobaireachd 2012 Set Tunes
Tune Composition
Amateur Grade Solo Tune Selection
Ensemble Class
Piobaireachd Master Class
Much More TBA

Snare Drumming

Basic stick control & advanced techniques·
The Moeller technique
Fundamental and advanced rudiments
Applied rudiments and two bar phrasing
Applied dynamics and ensemble considerations
Roll and accented roll development
Being an effective corps member
Marches in compound time: 6/8 – 9/8 – 12/8
The strathspey idiom
Building a competition set
Interpreting Alex Duthart ‘s classic scores
Light music: hornpipes - jigs – round reels
An ensemble approach to creating a unique drum corps sound·
Care and maintenance
Fine tuning the drum corps

Drum Major

Regimental Mace Company is a Sponsor and will award a Regimental Series Mace ($800 value) to the most promising drum major!
Basic to Advanced Flourishing for Parades and Competition
Massed Bands & Competitive Marching and Deportment/Drill
Effective & Strategic Construction of Competitive Routines
Uniform Dress

Tenor Drumming

Rhythmic phrasing for the MSR
Rhythmic phrasing for light music: hornpipes - jigs – round reels
Interpreting compound time signatures: 6/8 – 9/8 – 12/8
Flourishing techniques, beginning through advanced
Applying flourishing techniques across the time signature spectrum
Applying flourishing to the melodic structure
Mallet control and hand independence
Roll development
Visual meter and creating scores
The tenor section and ensemble considerations
Effective solo techniques
Getting the best tone from your drum
Care and maintenance

Bass Drumming

Basic mallet control & advanced techniques
Fundamental and advanced rudiments
Playing with heart and dynamics
Taking ownership of time
Visual meter and motion
Marches in simple, duple, triple and quadruple time
Marches in compound time
The strathspey idiom
Roll development
Creating bass drum scores
Subdivisions
Rhythmic phrasing for the MSR
Rhythmic phrasing for light music: hornpipes - jigs – round reels
Getting the best tone from your drum
Care and maintenance

Questions? Click here for Winter Storm contacts.