Welcome to the first in a series of articles about members of the highly successful Grampian Police Pipe Band. Over the winter months we will introduce you to some of our players and let you know what they are up to when they are not playing with the Band.
First up is piper Julie Brinklow.
One of the corps leading harmony players, Julie joined Grampian Police Pipe Band in 1999, from the Stonehaven Pipe Band. She has gone on to be one of the most regular and busiest players within the Band.
Julie remembers the day she first joined the Band. She said, “My sister Elaine had been playing with Grampian Police for some time and kept encouraging me to go along.
“I got the music, went along, liked what I saw and I’ve never looked back”.
Julie’s love for playing pipes is obvious and in 1999, when an opportunity arose, she set up her own company, the highly successful Thistle Piping. The business has grown over the years and Julie now provides pipers to play at special events all over the world.
The company is located in Ellon which provides an appropriate base for the services Thistle Piping is able to offer. Julie explained, “I try to combine tradition with supreme quality piping, performance and tuition.”
Thistle Piping has recently won a prestigious VOWS, (Voted Outstanding Wedding Supplier), award under category "Music and Entertainers".
Julie said, “I’m thrilled to bits to have won an Outstanding Wedding Supplier Award. It really means a lot to me that my company is being recognised in this way.”
Julie comes from a proud Aberdeen musical family. Her sister Elaine continues to play in the Grampian Police Pipe Band while her brother, Nigel, plays the general percussion drums in a brass Band in London.
Her piping career goes back over 25 years. Aged 11, after being taught to play the scale by older sister, Julie joined Heatherdale Pipe Band, a small local Band which played at all sorts of events in Aberdeen and the north east. It wasn’t long before she started competing with the Band. In her junior years, Julie quickly gained a Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association certificate which really encouraged her to continue on her piping career.
In 1992, aged 19, Julie became one of the youngest Pipe Major’s in the area when she took charge of Stonehaven Pipe Band. She went on to lead the Band to several successes, including World Champion of Champions for their grade in 1997.
More recently Julie has been splitting her time between playing with Grampian Police Pipe Band and teaching.
She is a regular tutor at Fraserburgh Academy and Gordon Schools, Huntly.
Julie explained, “I am part of a team of tutors who visit schools in Aberdeenshire as a pilot scheme in the area to revive the learning of the instrument.
“The young pipers taking part are all coming on great and progressing into local Bands. Here's hoping that with a little more time they can really show what home grown projects can produce.”
Now commencing her 7th year as visiting tutor for bagpipes at Aberdeen University, Julie also tutors experienced players who are studying to become music teachers.
She added, “This allows me to see students through their 4 year course and expand their performance programme each year.
“There are currently two pipers studying to be music teachers at Aberdeen University. This November we will set their music programme's for next year’s exams which is really exciting.”
Julie has just started tutoring at St Margaret's School for Girls and has recently accepted an invitation to join an experienced team of pipe and drum tutors to support Aberdeenshire Youth Pipes and Drums. With funding from the Youth Music Initiative, this exciting new venture will open a series of Induction workshops throughout Aberdeenshire for young players of both pipes and drums.
Julie is currently studying for the new PDQB qualifications which are more comprehensive and offer a good opportunity to update her growing portfolio.
In her ‘spare’ time, Julie tutors the pipe corps at the local Portlethen Pipe Band.
She said, “The Portlethen Band have worked so hard and gone from strength to strength. 2009 has been the most successful season on record for the Band, even winning a trophy at the Scottish Championships.”
But despite all her tutoring, Julie confesses her heart still lies with the North’s Champions of Champions, Grampian Police Pipe Band. She said, “I have just completed my 10th season with Grampian Police Pipe Band, I guess that makes me an official oldie. I’m definitely not as old as other long serving members though – eh Doc!”
Julie added, “We have just enjoyed a really successful season and taken in a large haul of trophies for the cabinet. It’s been really good.
“The Band has been on the go now for 102 years. I don’t think there are any original members left but there are possibly still some reeds in the pipe major’s tool box.”
She added “The Band has attracted new players who will be joining us this winter to prepare for next season and I can’t wait for next season to start again.”
Grampian Police Pipe Band is lucky to have someone with Julie’s talents and commitment. We wish her well.
For more information or how to get in touch with the popular Thistle Piping, please visit www.thistlepiping.com
The players of Grampian Police Pipe Band are currently hard at work preparing for the forthcoming season.
Their last public event of the year will be on Sunday, November 8, in Aberdeen City Centre when they will lead the parade for Remembrance Sunday.
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Next in profile... leading drummer Nicky Gibson and the Chair of the North of Scotland Branch of the RSPBA, our very own Drum Major, Mr Bill Barclay.