Dartmouth bagpiper wins Silver Star award in Inverness, Scotland
Bruce Gandy and son, Alex, both competed in bagpipe event
A Nova Scotia man is on top of the bagpipe world.
Bruce Gandy of Dartmouth won the Silver Star award at a prestigious bagpipe competition in Inverness, Scotland, last week.
The event saw the top 25 pipers in the world competing for international honours.
Gandy said he couldn't believe he won.
"I stood there basically shaking," he told CBC News on Friday. "It was really kind of silly but I couldn't believe it was my name."
The 54-year-old musician has won many awards, but he said this is his highest honour — he compared it to the British Open of bagpipe competitions. It is only the second time someone from outside Scotland had won.
Son also competed in event
To make it an even sweeter event was the fact his son, Alex, also took part in the competition. It marked the first time a father and son competed in the event.
"I'm super proud of him as my son playing, but he's also my best student," said Gandy. "To be able to play with my top student in the event was remarkable."
Gandy started playing the bagpipes on Canada's west coast when he was just seven years old. He moved to Nova Scotia 18 years ago and is now a bagpipe instructor with students from all around the world.
He uses Skype and Facetime to tutor students like Andrew Hutton who lives near Buffalo, N.Y.
Bagpiping lessons given via Skype
"He just gives me so much encouragement," said Hutton, on a break from his lesson. "His expertise and musicality really helps and pushes my playing ability."
Gandy provides his lessons from a small office inside the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site. While lessons can be done face to face at the local level, technology has had a huge impact on the clients he can now serve internationally.
"People are taking their lunch hour and they're doing a Skype lesson with me," said Gandy.
"They're pumped, I'm pumped. It works great and everyone is getting better and we promote better playing."