Toronto Black Watch Association |
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The Band Members
Michael Maehle – Pipe Major :
Michael, a native of Stratford, Ontario, started playing pipes while at Queen’s University in the early 1980s. Since graduating, he has played in several Toronto-area pipe bands, both military and civilian, competition and street bands. Mike has played in London, Scotland, Norway, and the U.S.A., as well as participating in Queen’s University Bands’ Sesquicentennial cross-country tour. He has played with 400 Squadron Pipes and Drums and the Toronto Scottish Pipes and Drums, as well as street bands. Last summer he was privileged to participate in the Gordon Highlander’s Association “International Beating Retreat” ceremonies in and around Aberdeen, Scotland. Michael is one of the founding members of the TBWA P&D and will forever hold the honour of being the first Pipe Major.
John Furlong - Pipe Sergeant
While a member of the 10th Leith Boy Scouts (Edinburgh) John started playing the Bagpipes at the age of eleven and remained with them until 1955 when he joined the Leith Dockers Pipe Band and played with them until 1957 when he immigrated to Canada. At this point he joined the RCAF 401 Squadron Pipes & Drums, playing in many special events such as the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway. In 1971/72 he joined The Black Watch 3rd Battalion Pipes & Drums and played at events such as the American Bi-centennial in Philadelphia, the Highland Games in Ligoneer Pennsylvania and the 1974 Edinburgh Military Tattoo. In 1978 he was transferred to Toronto and subsequently played with Streetsville Pipes & Drums with a trip to Balmoral Castle Scotland to Play for the Queen. In 2007 he became a member of the Toronto Scottish Pipes & Drums and remained there until 2010. In 2010 he became a member of the Toronto Black Watch Assoc. Pipes & Drums.
Glenn Dickson – Drum Sergeant - Side Drummer:
Glenn learned the rudiments of highland drumming with the Clans of York Pipe Band before he began drumming with the 48th Highlanders of Canada in 1983 at the age of 15, where he rose to be lead drummer for the Grade 4 band winning the North American Championship. He has played with Metro Toronto Police Pipes and Drums, the Cabbagetown Pipes and Drums, and the Toronto Scottish Regiment where he was also the Drum Sergeant. He has travelled extensively as a drummer, including Bermuda, Loon Mountain N.H., Fort Hood, TX, St. John’s, NL, and the United Kingdom where he participated in the 100th Birthday celebrations for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother at Edinburgh Castle. Glenn also participated in the Lord Mayor’s Parade and London Scottish Church Parade in 2006. Glenn is one of the founding members of the TBWAP&D.
Pipe Corps
Joe Adams
Joe has been a student of Pipe Major Maehle since 2008 and has chosen to begin his career with the Toronto Black Watch Association Pipes & Drums. Joe is transitioning onto pipes and will be joining the band on parade in the near future.
Mike Beaton
A fiercely proud Cape Bretoner, Mike hails from the western side of Cape Breton in the Village of Inverness, Nova Scotia. He began taking piping lessons at the age of 10 yrs. from Sandy Boyd, a native of Ayreshire, Scotland. Sandy was related to the famous Pipe Major Willie Ross, and was taught by another famous piper, John MacColl. Sandy taught many young pipers around Cape Breton and northern Nova Scotia. Mike was also taught by Scott Williams of Antigonish, Nova Scotia when he directed the home town band, The Inverness Bonnie Brae Pipes and Drums. Mike has played with other pipe bands, including The Clan Farquson Pipes and Drums of Bedford Nova Scotia, The Clan Sutherland Pipes and Drums of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia ( Grade Two), and The Halifax Police Pipes and Drums ( Grade Three ). In 2000 Mike moved to Toronto from Halifax and briefly played with the Milligan Memorial Pipes and Drums before joining the Toronto Black Watch Association Pipes and Drums. He was not only influenced by the accomplished players he heard at the various highland games around Nova Scotia, but also the great Cape Breton fiddle players he heard growing up in Inverness County.
Norm Bunting
Norm started his pipe band career as a tenor drummer in the late 1960's with the Clans of York pipe band. A year later, he chose to take up the Great Highland Bagpipe and started lessons. After two years, Norm moved on to the Royal Canadian Legion’s 213 Rangers band. In the early 1970's, Norm joined the Toronto Scottish pipes and drums to take his piping abilities to a new level. After some time Norm decided to participate in solo competition and went back to the City of York band (formerly the Clans of York) and remained on the competition circuit during the 1980's with great success. After his competition career, Norm chose to put his pipes away for 15 years, choosing to pursue his great interest in the horse racing industry. As with most, Norm once again chose to pick up the pipes come out of retirement and join the Toronto Black Watch Association P&D.
Wade Campbell
Wade has played in several bands throughout Ontario and comes to the Toronto Black Watch Pipes and Drums, from the competition circuit, most recently playing with Burnett’s and Struth. Wade’s talent and teaching ability, blend perfectly with the TBWA pipe corp.
Leonard Ferdon
Len joined the Black Watch in November 1956, and retired as Commanding Officer in November 1974. He is a member of the Regimental Advisory Board. He was a founding member and piper in the Montreal Black Watch Association Pipes and Drums until moving to Toronto in 1979. From 1980 to present, Len has played with the Highland Creek Pipes and Drums, Allt Gaidhealach Pipes and Drums, Invergarry Pipes and Drums, Toronto Police Pipes and Drums, and the Toronto Scottish Regiment Pipes and Drums. Len has competed at both Grade 3 and 4 levels and was with the Toronto Police Pipes and Drums when they won the Grade 4 North American Championship prior to moving into Grade 3. Len has extensively travelled with various bands to Scotland, Bermuda, London, and San Francisco to name a few. The most memorable was participating as a member of the Toronto Scottish Pipes and Drums in the Scottish Division’s special Tattoo commemorating the Queen Mother’s 100th Birthday.
David Leroy
David, who is one of the founding members of the TBWA Pipes & Drums, learned to play the highland bagpipe during his high school years. He attended the Glengarry School of Piping and Drumming in Maxville, Ontario, where he was instructed by the well known piper, Colin MacLellan. David was a member of the Glengarry Pipe Band during his university days, then subsequently with the Cabar Feidh Pipe Band in Los Angeles. Returning to Toronto, David joined the pipe band of the Toronto Scottish Regiment. Currently, David is a member of the grade three Toronto Police Pipe Band, in addition to his membership in the band of the Toronto Black Watch Association. David is also an accomplished highland dancer and fiddle player.
Jamie McLean
Jamie suffered from a bad attack of adult-onset piping in his mid-40's and has been weakly suffering through therapy ever since, most recently with the Milligan Memorial Pipe Band. Weekly therapy sessions are very addictive, quite productive, very enlightening, but not particularly curative. Jamie has been advised that he is likely to suffer incurably in perpetuity. Perhaps that is what life is really like. But one should always remember that a bad day on parade is infinitely better than a good day at the office!
Drum Corps
Side Drummers
Cathy Andrews
Cathy has been involved in music in some form or another since the age of eight. She has focused on highland drumming for the past 15 years and is both a side drummer and an award winning rudimental tenor drummer. She has competed in grade 2 and grade 3 with her first band, the 400 Tactical Helicopter Squadron, where she was a member from 1997 to 2004. From the Air Force, Cathy moved to the Toronto Scottish Regiment where she met her future husband, drummer Glenn Dickson. After leaving the Scottish in 2009, Cathy went to the Cabbagetown Pipes and Drums and was a founding member of the TBWA P&D. Career highlights include performing with André Rieu, the Chieftains, and Rod Stewart, as well as participating in the Estes Park Scottish Festival in Colorado, Pleasanton Highland Games in California, the Lord Mayors Parade in London as well as many community events.
Douglas Roberts
Doug began his career in the senior service, (the Canadian Navy), and played with H.M.C.S. Donnacona band in Montreal, beginning in 1960. Doug retired from the pipe band world in the late 60’s but heard the call and chose to jump back in, in 2004 with the Toronto Shriner’s Pipe Band as well as the Kilwinning Pipes and Drums where he occasionally took up the mace as Drum Major. Doug’s career then took him to the Toronto Scottish Regiment Pipes and Drums where he met many of the players he is now with, in the TBWA. Doug briefly left the Toronto Scottish to play with York Regional Police and the Grey & Simcoe Foresters before returning to the Toronto Scottish. Doug currently splits his duties between the TBWA Pipes & Drums and the Tor Scots.
Swing Tenors
Philip Booker
Phil served with the Essex & Kent Scottish Regiment enlisting as a private soldier and was promoted from the ranks attaining a Queen’s Commission. After subsequently serving with 21st and 23 rd Service Battalions, and the 11th Field Artillery, he retired in 1979. Phil has served as Membership Secretary of the Royal Canadian Military Institute, and as a Director of the Hodden Grey Foundation (Toronto Scottish). He is the Treasurer of the Toronto Scottish Regimental Association and a retired member of the Toronto Scottish Regiment Pipes and Drums.
Keith O’Brien
Keith joined The Black Watch Cadets at the age of 11 to learn the pipes. At the age of 13 he moved into the main cadet corps and remained there until the age of 16 when he joined the 3rd Battalion. He served in 3rd Battalion The Black Watch and retired as a WO. He gained tenor drum experience playing with the Clan MacKenzie Pipe Band in Montreal and then as a bass drummer for a short period of time with the St. Laurent Pipe Band. He currently serves as the Treasurer of the Toronto Black Watch Association and is an associate member of the Warrant Officers' and Sergeants' Mess in Montreal. Keith was instrumental in the 2011 Gathering of the Bands in Montreal where all three Black Watch Bands played together along with the cadet band, and toured the Regimental home.
Bass Drummer
Ryan Heath
Ryan started playing bass drum with the Queen's University marching band, and while with the Queen's Bands he also was their Drum Major for a year. After leaving university, Ryan joined the Church Street Pipe Band where he continued to hone his craft, before moving on to the Cabbagetown Pipes and Drums. Although he is known as the “big man with the big drum” Ryan has also been known to pick up the side sticks on occasion. Ryan is a founding member of the TBWA P&D.