Instructors

    Dr. Ellen MacPhee – Scottish Smallpipes, Border Pipes  
          

       Ellen MacPhee is a living proponent of a bagpiping tradition geared for dance halls 
    and audiences that like to groove. Her repertoire draws on the dance rhythms of Prince 
    Edward Island, Scottish, Irish, and Cape Breton traditions, and her arrangements combine 
    Scottish smallpipes with fiddles, pianos, guitars, banjos and other unlikely characters.

       Ellen began her studies in piping and dance at the College of Piping and Celtic 
    Performing Arts of Canada in her hometown of Summerside, PEI. During those formative years, 
    she also attended summer camps at the Gaelic College in St. Ann’s, Cape Breton. She found 
    her musical calling at one of those summer sessions when she was introduced to the smallpipes 
    by pipe maker Hamish Moore of Scotland.  

       In recent years, Ellen has delighted listeners around Eastern Canada and the United States 
    including performance highlights at Celtic Colours International Festival and PEI’s Festival 
    of Small Halls. She has also taught at PEI Fiddle Camp, the Gaelic College, Hamish Moore’s 
    Piping School in Richmond, VT, and The Piper’s Gathering in Killington, VT.  

       At each stop, Dr. Ellen, who daylights as a chiropractor, encourages healthy playing habits 
    through her seminar:e Prevention of Overuse Injuries in Musicians.  

                              Ellen playing in Maine with Ward on piano

          

    Dr. John MacPhee - Scottish Smallpipes, Border Pipes   

       We are very pleased to have Dr. Ellen MacPhee's brother, Dr. John MacPhee as a new 
    instructor for MPF.DrDr. John also began his studies with the College of Piping in Summerside, 
    PEI and was once part Cape Breton Island's Gaelic College Pipe Band and was the piper for the 
    now legendary "Celtic Fusion" band Slainte Mhath. While "Celtic Fusion" may not suggest it, 
    Slainte Mhath's music always stayed deep within it's Cape Breton/Maritime roots, and students 
    who want that "pure Cape Breton trad", will find John's piping very pleasing to their ears. You 
    can here John playing pipes with the band here:  

Slainte Mhath
          

    Ward MacDonald – PEI Scottish Fiddle  

       Ward MacDonald grew up in the Scottish fiddling traditions of Prince Edward Island. His 
    playing reflects four generations of family fiddling and is spiced with a unique blend of Cape 
    Breton, Acadian, and Irish influences.  As an emerging composer, Ward is honoured to have had 
    his tunes published by other artists including the late Jerry Holland, Timothy Cummings, and 
    Alistair Gillies; and recorded by Andrea Beaton, Colin Grant, Chrissy Crowley, Vishten and 
    others.  
       Ward has been featured at concerts, festivals, and square dances across Atlantic Canada 
    and has traveled with his music as far as Cuba and the Bahamas. He has also taught and 
    performed at fiddle camps in New Brunswick, Vermont, Maine, Colorado and the Yukon.  Over the 
    last decade, Ward has worked to promote the traditional music scene on Prince Edward Island and 
    develop new performing and learning opportunities. Along the way he created PEI’s Festival of 
    Small Halls, initiated workshops at the Rollo Bay Fiddle Festival, and founded the PEI Fiddle 
    Camp.  
       As a teacher, Ward continuously grows his own understanding of the music while striving to 
    expand his bag of tricks for explaining it in simple terms. His method includes guided ear 
    training aided by singing tunes, dancing demonstrations, marching, and sheet music.  

                Watch a video of Ward performing at the Rollo Bay Fiddle Festival.



    Tim Cummings – Scottish Whistle  

       Tim Cummings, a native of Tennessee, began his musical studies at the age of 6 as a student 
    of the piano. He took up the pipes at age 8, and piping has been his primary musical focus ever 
    since. Tim has studied piping with Al MacRae, Sandy Keith, Scott MacAulay, and briefly with the 
    faculty at the RSAMD and National Piping Centre in Glasgow.  He earned his undergraduate degree 
    in Music Education (The College of Wooster, Ohio); and both a B.A. Honours degree in 
    Ethnomusicology and an M.A. in Musicology (Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand). 
    During the 2002-03 school year, he was the Artist in Residence at The College of Piping in 
    Summerside, PEI. While living in New Zealand, Tim was a member of the highly competitive Manawatu
    Scottish Pipe Band, and he continues to arrange much of their repertoire. He has also published 
    several pieces and collections of piping music via Beithe Publishing.  
       Currently based in Vermont, Tim works as a private teacher, performer, arranger/composer, and 
    publisher of piping and Celtic-related music. In his spare time, he enjoys clawhammer banjo, 
    shape-note singing, the great outdoors, and causing a little mischief here and there.   


    Ryan MacNeil - Piano  

       Ryan's pedigree cannot be dismissed. Ryan was the piano player for Slainte Mhath and since 
    2005 has been playing with his family in the world famous Barra MacNeil's. We're very excited to 
    have a dedicated piano player for the weekend, especially Ryan who is one of the best.  

Piano Solo

    Nate Banton -  I'll be doing a bit of maintenance and reedmaking demos during the weekend. I'll also 
    have at least one set for loan if someone wants to give bellows piping a whirl. Natebanton.com   

    Here is a video of John and Tim on smallpipes (among others), with Ryan on piano. Please excuse the 
    tuning as the video progresses (into the wee hours! Plus, outside of the frame was a very talented 
    GHB piper trying his hand at smallpipes with bellows for the first time).  
        

                                        PEI Fiddle Camp Session