Welcome to the MidWest Pipe Band Association website, your online resource for information on piping in the heart of the USA! The pages herein have been developed to keep you up to speed on news and events effecting the bagpipe communities of Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin.

• Chicago Mini Bands will be held on 09 April 2011 at Bethany Union Church 1750 West 103rd Street Chicago, IL.  Playing requirements and contact information can be found here.  MINI-BAND ENTRY FORMS can now be downloaded here.  All entries postmarked by Saturday, March 26, 2011.

   

• The first of several MWPBA piping and drumming events is now on. It is the Chicago Piping Challenge. This contest will be for pipers in Grade 4, Jr. Novice, and Sr. Novice. It is on Saturday April 2nd starting at 11:00 am. It will be adjudicated by a member of the MWPBA Judging Panel. There will be more events to follow later in the year for pipers and drummers. Please note the early entry deadline. Entries for ALL MWPBA events will be 3 weeks before the contest this year. This way solo schedules and band times will be out earlier for your planning convenience. We hope to see a nice turn out for this event.  Entry form here in WORD format or here in PDF format.

   

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• 2011 Games Dates and PLAYING REQUIREMENTS have been posted and can be seen here.

   

• 2011 SOLO MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION <<  This form is used for individuals to apply for Solo Membership.  Membership Fees before February 28, 2009 are $20.00 // after February 28: $25.00.  Additional Membership fees for immediate Family Members // $10.00 person (includes husband/wife, parent/minor, minor siblings).  Download the form here.

   

• Education Committee information by Mike Cole:  Imagine: it's the morning of the year's first major contest, and your band drew the third spot. You now have the dubious honor of playing massed bands and have a very narrow window to get a few run-throughs in before the contest. Scenario one:  All five tenors and the bass drum were reconditioned during the off-season. Each drum has been polished and waxed, all threaded parts are lightly lubed, all heads are fairly close to being evenly tensioned, and each drum is fairly close to being in tune with itself. We're looking at about 10 to 20 minutes for a reasonably experienced person to get the job done. Final tuning will be a snap.  Read more here.
   

• The 2010 Champion Supreme RESULTS can be seen here: http://mwpba.org/2010_champion_supreme_winners.htm

   

• MWPBA Email Group Switching to Google - Click here to join now >> MWPBA Email Group | Google Groups! The former Yahoo group will be shut down next week. Contact Tristan Wilson (tristan.wilson@gmail.com) with any questions.

   

• 2011 Midwest Highland Arts Fund Piping and Drumming Scholarship:  This Scholarship will provide travel, room, board and tuition for one piper from any Midwest Pipe Band Association member state to attend the Italian Spring Piping School, held in Isernia, Italy in March 2011. The five daily programs will run from 9 am - 5 pm and will cover all aspects of performance including practice routines, technique, musical expression, tuning and ensemble playing.  In addition, there will be a public concert, individual tuition, Piping Qualification Board examinations, and a CLASP competition.  Read more here.

   

• The MWPBA Annual General Meeting was held on Saturday, November 6 - the most notable change was the election of the new association president - Jim Sim.  A HUGE THANK YOU to Drew Hoinacki for all of his years of service to the organization!!!  See a list of all of the officers here.
   

• MWPBA approves City of Chicago upgrade; fourth US-based Grade 1 band:  The Midwest Pipe Band Association has approved an upgrade request made by the City of Chicago Pipe Band to move to Grade 1. The band is now the fourth Grade 1 band based in the United States, joining City of Washington of Washington, DC: the LA Scots of Los Angeles; and Oran Mor of New York. Read more here.

   

• The first ever ANAPBA North American Pipe Band Invitational will have to wait another year, following a number of planning meetings by the Las Vegas International Celtic Festival in September. HOWEVER, The International Celtic Festival’s signature event in 2011 will be the International Tattoo featuring leading military bands from the USA, Canada and the UK. The Las Vegas Celtic Society will be holding the 7th Annual Las Vegas Celtic Gathering and Highland Games on April 16-17, 2010 at Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs, including piping and drumming competitions (www.lasvegascelticsociety.com). There will also be nightly Ceilidhs, pub crawls and a golf tournament. Discounted hotel rooms for groups and band members will be available at several of the sponsoring hotels. Please theirwebsite for further details. (www.lasvegascelticfestival.com)

   

• New Pipers and Drummers Welcome! The Chicago Highlanders will be fielding both a Grade IV and a Grade V band in 2011. There is room for more dedicated pipers and drummers to fill out our ranks. The band had a very successful 2010 season, finishing 3rd overall in the highly competitive Grade IV division of the MWPBA. Practices are held Thursday evenings in Palatine, with instruction from Adrian Melvin, Jim Sim and Jamie Stewart. If you'd like to join a well-organized, fun, and committed band, please visit our website for more details and contact information.
  www.chicagohighlanders.org
   

• Wisconsin Highland Games, September 4, 2010 COMPLETE & OFFICIAL results HERE

   

• St. Louis HIGHLAND GAMES - October 2, 2010  COMPLETE & OFFICIAL results HERE

   

• For Sale: Chicago Celtic has 5 Green Pearls, 2 tenors and a bass for sale. If interested in prices please contact Marty Boyle at mgb411@gmail.com

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