Dan McDermid: Piper
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Dan came to piping rather late in life. He was 30 when he bought his first practice chanter - having been inspired by the massed pipes and drums at the 50th anniversary tattoo for Canadian Forces Base, Chilliwack. Struggling on his own, he joined the Br. 4 Legion Band in Chilliwack in 1994. Slowly learning things like "marching properly" (still not mastered), and blowing tone, Dan gradually improved his skills working within the band setting. When the Band became the Chilliwack and District P.B. in 1999 under the direction of Fred Hansford, the real work began, highlighted by the 6th place finish in the World Championships in 3A in 2001. Now under pipe major, Doug Bird, and private instruction with Ian McDougall, he finally has come to understand some of the finer things of piping and pipe bands. " I never thought I would ever play at this level!" he said recently. "Now in grade 2 will lots of great competition, I have no choice but to continue improving and enjoying the fun of better and better band playing."

Dan is a large animal veterinarian in his other life, and has a drumming wife (Angie) and daughter (Emily), and his son, Scott, pipes with the band.