Greg Abbott was born and raised in Michigan. He learned to play the pipes in Windsor Ontario. Greg would later play with the Scottish Society of Windsor, the Guelph Pipe Band, City of Detroit and the Windsor Police. He has had great instructors like John Goodnow, Ed Neigh, Capt. John MacLellan and Willie Connell.

Greg has had many solo prizes in the amateur and open contests. In 1997 he won the Piobaireachd Society Canada Gold Medal at Maxville and at Grandfather Mountain he has won the Open Piobaireachd 6 times.

For twenty years he has been an instructor at the North American Academy of Piping and Drumming with Sandy Jones in North Carolina. Greg is both a high school teacher and a reed maker.  

For the last 30+ years Chris has been quietly perfecting the art of bagpipe reed making and reed adjustment. His small and fiercely loyal customer base appreciates the craftsmanship that goes into every product he produces. Today many pipers rely on his Complete Guide to Highland Bagpipe Reeds for guidance on adjusting their reeds.

Chris has been playing pipes since the age of ten and was originally taught by James Archibald Templeton from Lesmahagow, Scotland.  Chris took further piobaireachd tutelage from Pipe Major Evan MacRae and from Bob Brown Jr. the son of Bob Brown of Balmoral.

In 1986, after many successful tours of the games in Scotland, Chris was invited to come to the States to join the then grade one Kansas City St Andrews Pipe Band. During the 1990’s Chris was back in the UK where he joined the grade two Clan Sutherland pipe band and became the ‘soundman’ for the band, making the reeds and tuning the band for competition. The band went on to become the grade two Champion of champions in 1997.

Mike started playing in 1996 in Minnesota and was initially taught by Mike Gillis and then studied with Andrew Hoag while playing with the MacAlester College pipe band.

In 2000, Mike took all firsts at Alma in grade 1 in a large field after which he moved up to the open. In late 2001 he joined the Kansas City St. Andrew’s pipe band in grade 2 and competed with them until 2006.

After a short stint in California with the J Coyne Memorial pipe band in G2, Mike joined the City of Chicago pipe band and remained there until 2012. He then joined the Midlothian Scottish pipe band of which he is still a member.

Mike’s passion is instruction and has been teaching actively since 1998. 

Andrew has won numerous solo awards, including 2nd place at the United States Silver Medal Piobaireachd Competition in 2013, and was the Overall winner of the prestigious Nicol-Brown Amateur Invitational Piping Competition in 2004.

He is currently the Pipe Sergeant for the Macalester College Pipe Band and an accredited full piping adjudicator.

Scott began piping in 1976 as a cadet at West Point and has played with and pipe majored the Tunes of Glory, Invermich Gaelic Society, University of Chicago, and Chicago Caledonian. Scott plays with Midlothian Scottish, having competed at the Worlds ten times, winning Best Overseas Band, Grade III, in 1993.

In years of solo competition Scott has attained Grade One status in light music and Open status in piobaireachd.  Scott LOVES piobaireachd.  He designed the Piobaireachd Silver Medal for the Winter Storm competition.

Scott has been on the adjudicator panel for many years.  He currently serves as Vice President of the MWPBA and participates on the Music Board.  He is a private piping instructor, especially for piobaireachd.

Scott was honored this past year (2021) with the “Kinsman of the Year” Award for piping for the Thistle and Heather Highland Dancers weekly for the residents of Caledonia Senior Living during the Covid lockdown.

David McNally of Independence, Missouri has been an active part of the piping and drumming world for the past 35 years. A professional grade soloist, he has taken prizes all over the United States, Canada and Scotland, and has placed in the Silver Medal Piobaireachd competition at the prestigious MHAF Winter Storm.

David became a judge for the MWPBA at the age of 19. He has also taught several students that have gone on to be successful pipers, as well as a few local area bands.

Stephen R. MacNeil has a career consisting of 25 years of successful open piping plus 34 years experience in Grade 1 pipe bands with The MacNish Distillery, St. Thomas Police, 78th Fraser Highlanders, Peel Regional Police and Windsor Police. Also Pipe Sergeant with the Windsor Police during their 4 top 5 finishes at the World's in Grade 2.

A PPBSO and MWPBA adjudicator. Founder of the Northern Michigan School of Piping.

Stephen is a member of the Celtic Folk group “Glengarry Road” and the Irish folk/rock band “Wild Sully’s”.

Past 8 years as the Bagpipe Professional at Henderson Imports in Traverse City, Michigan. Stephen was raised in the Detroit area, with strong family ties to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, and now lives with his family in Manistee, Michigan.

Tom started lessons in 1963 under the instruction of Nora J. McKay, an award-winning piper (and dancer). In 1964 he began solo contests and playing with the Flint Scottish Pipe Band, competing throughout Michigan, the Midwest, US and Ontario. Tom was fairly accomplished during his solo career and performed at Expo 87 Montreal, US Capitol Steps and Gettysburg, and joined Midlothian (Chicago) Pipe Band in the early 80’s.  Midlothian were quite competitive, winning several Champion Supreme Awards and taking sixth at the World Championship at Glasgow Green and taking a first in Edinburgh and several placements in California. 

Tom retired from solos and started playing for highland dance competitions throughout the US where he met his wife and best friend, Beth.

Tom is now Pipe Major of the Springfield Illinois St Andrew’s Pipe Band and instructs several successful solo competitors. The Band has won awards from Florida to Ontario, plus the Midwest US Championship.

Tom has been judging solos and bands since 1983.

In addition to competing at the highest level across North America, Matt is one of a handful of American pipers who travel to Scotland each summer to compete against the world’s top players.

After a successful run in the top amateur solo competitions in North America, including back to back wins at the U.S. Piping Foundation amateur championship in 2001 and 2002, Matt was upgraded to the Professional competition-grade in the U.S. in 2003 and currently competes in the ‘B’ Grade light music and Silver Medal “piobaireachd” (the classical music of the Great Highland Bagpipe) competitions at two premier Scottish solo competitions each year that draw the top pipers from around the world.

He has won numerous prizes and awards both in North America and in Scotland.

Tom started piping at 15 and joined the Midlothian Scottish Pipe Band in Chicago in 1979. He was made Pipe Sergeant in 1982 when the band was promoted to Grade 2. He held that position for over 20 years while the band competed successfully across the United States, in Ontario, and in Scotland in Grade 2 and Grade 1.

Tom has been an Adjudicator on the MWPBA panel for over 35 years. Since he retired from active competition in 2002 he has been active as a piping and ensemble adjudicator.

He is currently both Chairman of the Music Board for the MWPBA and Chairman of the Music Committee of the Alliance of North American Pipe Band Associations (ANAPBA).

Tom is a member of the Piobaireachd Society.

Bentley has played with The North Cost Pipe Band from Cleveland, Ohio, since 1992, and as Pipe Major since 2002. The Band has received many accolades including 7th in the World Pipe Band Championships in Grade 3 in 2019 and 7th in Grade 2 in 2003. North Coast boasts competitive bands in Grades 2, 3, 4, and 5.

Bentley played in Grade 1 bands 78th Fraser Highlanders (Ontario, Canada) from (2008-2015) and Toronto Police Grade 1 (2006-2007). Other previous bands of note include Windsor Police Grade 2 (Ontario) and Clan Moffat Grade 2 (Ohio).

Tristan started piping when he turned 9 years old as a third generation member of the Kansas City St. Andrew Pipes & Drums. His most consistent and influential instruction came from P/M Jim Higgins, P/M Angus MacDonald MBE, P/S Jake Watson, Lindsay Kirkwood, Jimmy McIntosh MBE, Alasdair Gillies, and Andrew Wright.

Tristan is currently the Pipe Major of the Grade 2 Midlothian Pipe Band, and was previously Pipe Sergeant of the Grade 1 City of Chicago Pipe Band.