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| "No more diddlin'" -- snapshot by Tracy Hartsman |
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Let's talk about John
John
Scullion, a four-time winner of the World Solo Drumming Championship,
is recognized today as a premier master of the Scottish snare drum. He played
for a number of years in what was then the world’s best
drum corps in the Shotts and Dykehead Caladonia Pipe Band under his
mentor, Alex Duthart, the father of the modern Scottish drum corps
music. Scullion led the Shotts corps to its first top finish at the
World Pipe Band Championships. The first of many.
A
native of Northern Ireland, John moved to Scotland in the early 1970s,
where he played for half a season with the Lanarkshire Police Pipe Band
before being offered a place in the Shotts corps by Duthart. John
continued as lead drummer for three years after Duthart’s departure,
contributing to World
Pipe Band Championships for the band and for Shotts' drum corps.
In
1991 he joined the ScottishPower Pipe Band and over 11 years won
several championships with that world famous band, including the
prestigious Cowal Pipe Band Championship at Dunoon, Scotland in 1999.
Not
just a popular teacher and performer, John is a much sought-after judge
of drumming and bagpipe competitions all over the world. He is also a
prolific composer of band and solo drum scores.
John
regards Alex Duthart as his primary musical influence. One of the most
memorable early achievements of his career was being chosen by Duthart
to play the lead drummer's part in the Shotts and Dykehead recording of
"Cullen Bay". His distinctive style descends directly from Duthart’s
virtuoso musical approach to band repertoire, an approach which
literally revolutionized the art form.
Back home in his native Northern Ireland where he lives with his beautiful wife Lorraine and their son, Alan, John is a frequent visitor to the Pacific NorthWest where he generously works with a number of pipe bands, boosting the level of their play to world class standards.He recently released his long awaited JOHN SCULLION DRUM TUTOR, modestly subtitled "A Fairly Together Programme".
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