OSAS Instructors for 2024:
Please Note: Instructors are subject to change based on enrollment. Instructor(s) for 2025 to be determined
Highland Dance 2024 –
Gemma Baillie is a member of the BATD and represents Granite City festivals as a deputy delegate on the Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing. She is an RSOBHD registered adjudicator and was an RSOBHD competitor for 22 years for which she danced with Wilma Tolmie, she won many championship titles over the UK including the UKA, BATD, British Open and European Championships. She also qualified to dance in the world championship finals 14 times and finished in the top six in the adult world championships in 2003, 2008 and 2009. After finishing competing, Gemma enjoyed dancing at the 2013 Basel International Tattoo and more recently, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo when it was on tour in Australia and New Zealand. Together with Rachel Mclagan, Gemma organised the 2010 charity highland dancing concert, assemble and leap to honour the 60th anniversary of the board whilst raising over £8000 for action Duchene and the MS Society Scotland and in 2013 ran a charity highland dancing competition in Aberdeenshire in aid of breast cancer campaign.
Daniel Carr began dancing at the age of three with the Sheila Milne School of Dance in Owen Sound, Ontario. He received world class training in highland dance from Mrs. Milne as well as ballet, modern, jazz, tap and musical theatre from top instructors that came from all over the world. Some highlights of his highland dance career included winning major championships throughout Canada, US and Scotland including the Ontario, Canadian and World championships. Daniel teaches highland along with Leslie MacDougall in Cambridge, ON. Prior to the pandemic, he was very fortunate to teach workshops throughout North America and UK.
Aside from dancing, Daniel plays bagpipes and teaches local students in Collingwood, ON. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he focused his time on finishing up some educational goals and completed teachers college in Toronto. He is also a member of the Canadian Ski Instructors Alliance and Alpine Canada and has taught/coached skiing for 15+ years in the Collingwood area.
He is thrilled to be asked to teach at OSAS after attending as a student in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Nadiene Gibney began her early highland and ballet training with Gladys Forrester, in Toronto, Ontario. By age 9, she had won her first Highland Championship and was also accepted to the full-time program at Canada’s National Ballet School.
After 4 years at the National Ballet School, Nadiene attended an Arts high school in Toronto, to further explore other forms of dance including modern, contemporary, and jazz, where she was the recipient of several prestigious awards for Excellence in Dance.
Nadiene then studied in the Teacher Training Program at Canada’s National Ballet School, from which she graduated with Honours, receiving Distinction on her Cecchetti Associate exam. She has been teaching ballet for 27 years, and now holds her Cecchetti Licentiate designation. She has been the Director of Ballet at several esteemed studios in Ontario, and was an Instructor at The American Academy of Ballet in New York City. Nadiene was also on the Academic Faculty at Canada’s National Ballet School, teaching Art History and Dance History.
Nadiene is currently a respected guest artist and teaches regularly at studios in Toronto, Kitchener, and Burlington, Ontario. She is also a successful, award-winning choreographer in both ballet and highland.
Nadiene is a Champion Highland dancer and enjoyed a very successful competitive career. She has her B.A.T.D. Members in Highland and Scottish National, and has had her own highland dance studio for 25 years, where she has trained Ontario and Canadian Champions, World Championship Finalists, and B.A.T.D. Scholarship winners.
She has performed both locally and internationally with the dance companies, Celtic Accent and the Scottish Dance Company of Canada. She was also in the original production of “Needfire”, in Toronto, at the Princess of Wales Theatre.
Nadiene enjoys teaching, lecturing, and judging, on ballet, highland, and choreography, throughout Canada, the United States, Scotland, and South Africa. She has been an Adjudicator on the R. S.O.B.H.D. World- wide Judges Panel since 2004, and has judged many major Championships internationally, including the World Championships at Cowal, and the Canadian Championships.
Joy (Allen) Tolev started dancing at the age of 3 under the instruction of Mrs. Evelyn Murray in Toronto, Ontario. During her competitive days she successfully competed in many highland dance competitions and championships throughout Canada and the United States.
She has been teaching at her own school of highland dancing in Toronto for the past 30 years and has produced many dancers of high caliber who have captured titles in various championships including the Ontario, Canadian, Scottish, Commonwealth and World Championships. There have been over 25 Canadian Championship Titles, many Scottish and Commonwealth Championship titles and runner-ups, and a World Champion who holds 10 World Titles.
She is a Fellow and Examiner of the B.A.T.D., North American Co-ordinator of the B.A.T.D., and adjudicator on the S.O.B.H.D. Judges panel.
Joy teaches annually at the Ohio Scottish Arts School which is a week camp in June, the Delco Workshop in February and travels across Canada, United States, Scotland, Australia and New Zealand, judging, examining and conducting workshops.
Fiddle 2024
U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion Elke Baker‘s distinctive, dance-driven fiddle style has made her one of the most sought-after Scottish fiddlers of our time. Performing solo and with Ken Kolodner, Robin Bullock, bands Terpsichore, Sugar Beat, and others, Elke has both a range and depth of skill surpassed by very few. She has performed at the Kennedy Center, the Birchmere, Honolulu Academy of Arts, in most of the fifty States, and on four continents. She is world-renowned as a Scottish country dance musician, bandleader, and arranger, and recently headlined the RSCDS International Branch Event in Italy. A scholar of Scottish music, Elke taught for many years at the Washington Conservatory of Music, as Artist-in-Residence at Montgomery College, and as a panelist at Harvard University. Elke directs the Potomac Valley Scottish Fiddle Club, a non-profit Scottish music educational organization now in its 30th year. She has recorded nine albums, including recent releases On a Cold Winter’s Day with Ken Kolodner and Wait ’til You Hear This One! with Sugar Beat, and a world-premiere single, The Fingerlock, an ancient fiddle pibroch. Elke’s new release Better Days features waltzes, tangos, and other couple dances from around the world played with four of her ensembles. www.elkebaker.com
Fiddle Class information
Harp 2024
Wendy Stewart is a leading Scottish harper, a world class performer and inspirational teacher whose style and repertoire encompasses both traditional music and her own compositions. She has produced 4 solo recordings, several music books and teaches all level of student, from beginner to graduate. These days, much of Wendy`s musical life and inspiration stems from her home range and community in bonny Glencairn in South West Scotland. She continues to explore musical connections with the natural world, the spoken word, dance and science with several commissions on the go! Wendy is also a member of local group The Galloway Agreement, who, with writer Tom Pow, are currently working on a theatre production of their show The Village and the Road. www.cairnwatermusic.com
Kelly Stewart is a harpist who continues to find herself in new and unusual musical endeavors. She is an avid and enthusiastic educator in the fields of classical and traditional music and has performed throughout Europe and the United States. Fortunate enough to be raised between traditions, she has a lifetime of experience in both Celtic and classical music. Kelly performs regularly in chamber ensembles on the renaissance harp, triple harp, lever harp, and modern pedal harp, with repertoire ranging from medieval to 21st century compositions. She maintains a large teaching studio in her home in Atlanta, GA, and coaches students for competitions throughout the country. Kelly tours regularly with the Celtic/Appalachian duo, The Reel Sisters, and has performed in venues from New Mexico to New York. She received a Masters Diploma from the University of North Wales in performance and traditional musicology and is a US National Scottish Harp Champion.
Tiffany Schaefer is a singing harper, arranger, and educator based in Northeast Ohio. Aided by a background in classical voice studies and many summers studying at the Ohio Scottish Arts School, she performs regularly as a solo artist and with several musical colleagues, including the Cleveland Celtic Ensemble, a touring Celtic chamber music quartet. Tiffany has been involved as either a volunteer or competitor in Scottish harp competitions since 2009, and in 2022 was awarded the US National Scottish Harp Championship and the Scottish Harp Society of America (SHSA) Travel Scholarship to Scotland. She is an active participant in the folk music world, hosting a local beginner-friendly session open to all folk instruments and playing regularly at Cleveland Irish sessions; serving as Harp Chair of the Scottish American Cultural Society of Ohio, and as Editor in Chief of the Kilt & Harp, the newsletter of SHSA. In addition to her work as a performer, Tiffany has been providing private lessons and workshops for students of all levels and ages since 2016, and has developed a reputation as a patient, knowledgeable teacher and advocate for adults learning the folk harp; amassing a loyal online following of students on her Patreon website, the Mastering Celtic Music Club. She is excited to be teaching at OSAS for the first time, as the organization has been such a positive influence on her career. www.tiffanyharpandsong.com
Haley Hewitt is a New England-based harp player, educator, and multi-media artist. Steeped in music from North America, Scotland and Ireland, her music has a distinctly traditional flavor. With a Bachelor’s Degree from the Hartt School of Music in pedal harp performance and a Master’s Degree from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Scottish Traditional Music, she founded Celtic Harp departments at Quinnipiac University and the Neighborhood Music School. Passionate about new music, she has also worked closely with composers including Michael O’Sullivan, Ken Steen, Robert Carl, and Dan Lis, to produce new literature for the harp. Her harp playing has taken her to Carnegie Hall, Benaroya Hall, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, and won her the New England Open Scottish Harp Competition in 2006 and the US National Scottish Harp Championship in 2013.
Perpetually surprised by what comes out of her mouth, Jen Narkevicius prefers to let her harp do the talking – sometimes. From the Washington DC area, where talk is cheap, she leverages wit to bridge the gaps between the two. Jen enjoys teaching and performing. She also is taken with traveling through Scotland with others, pairing the music with the places, people and events that inspired it. She is Co-Director of Harp Camp in SE Pennsylvania and is beyond delighted to be invited to OSAS. Currently Competition Committee Chair of the Scottish Harp Society of America, Jen is a credentialed SHSA judge. She has been privileged to play for “important people” and to be part of the Harpa tours, but she will be even more fortunate to share some tunes with you! She blogs weekly on topics that range from touring Scotland with a harp to staying healthy and fit as a musician, on to fulfilling your promise as a harper on http://www.jeniuscreations.com/blog/ and she especially enjoys writing about herself in the third person.
Harp Class information
**Returning for 2024** – Kilt Making
Jon Lilley first attended the Ohio Scottish Arts School as a piper. After a few years of piping, his passion became kilt making. He has attended the Braemar School of Highland Dance and Kiltmaking in Troy, New York under the instruction of Judy Sullivan. He furthered his skills with Barb Tewksbury at the Kilt Kamp at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York. In 2013 and 2014, Jon taught kiltmaking at the Ohio Scottish Arts School.
Kilt Making Class information
Pipes 2024
Barry Conway has studied under Doug Ross, Ken Eller, Sandy Keith, Noel Slagle, and Bob Worrall, and had his Piobaireachd training from Jim McIntosh. He is a successful solo player having won the Ohio Scottish Games Piper of Day 3 times and won or placed at virtually every major contest in Ontario, Midwest and East including North American Championships in Maxville. Barry finished his solo career at Open level.
He is the current Pipe Major of Great Lakes Pipe Band and a former member of Windsor Police Pipe Band Gr. 1 and City of Washington Gr. 1 Pipe Band, 87th Cleveland Gr. 2 Pipe Band, and Western Reserve Gr. 2 Pipe Band. He began his career playing with The Caledonian Pipe Band, Cleveland, OH and he is founding member and former Pipe Sergeant and Pipe Major of North Coast Pipe Band.
He has produced or co-produced four recordings in career. Pipes UP, New Crossroads and “Dirty Laugh” while with North Coast Pipe Band and Generations while a member of 87th Cleveland Pipe Band.
Barry has been a bagpipe instructor in the Cleveland, Ohio area for many years and has taught at the Ohio Scottish Arts School since 2008. He is an adjudicator on both the EUSPBA and MWPBA panels.
Barry Donaldson was a police officer by profession retiring in 2006 as Chief Inspector. He was a founder member of the Strathclyde Police Pipe Band, formed in 1975 winning 11 World Championships.
From the late 70s through to the early 90s, Barry was a highly successful solo piper winning many major light music competitions (premier graded by the Competing Pipers Association). In 1995, he was invited onto the solo piping judges panel and appointed senior light music adjudicator. He is a pipe band adjudicator with the RSPBA as well as being an examiner for the Piping and Drumming Qualifications Board.
Advancement within the police service unfortunately excluded further involvement with the band, however it allowed him to work with lower grade bands and he eventually found himself Pipe Majoring the following, Strathclyde Fire and Rescue, North Lanarkshire and City of Edinburgh, all competing successfully in grades 4, 3 and 2, winning Championships at each level and gaining promotion.
During this period Barry was responsible for establishing a number of youth development initiatives which produced two highly successful juvenile pipe bands, namely North Lanarkshire Schools’ and City of Edinburgh Schools.
On retirement from the police, he was asked to support The College of Piping, Glasgow. Shortly thereafter Barry was appointed senior piping instructor and a member of the Board of Directors. He has taught piping locally and internationally and whilst he is no longer part of the College, teaching remains high on his agenda.
Craig Munro is the Master Craftsman and Director of Wallace Bagpipes. He started learning the chanter at the age of 8 through the Linwood Caledonia Pipe Band under tuition from Gordon Lawrie before joining the Renfrew District Association (latterly Paisley Pipe Band) at the age of 10 under Pipe Major Colin Johnstone where he won various RSPBA Major Championship titles in Novice Juvenile and Juvenile until joining the Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band Under Pipe Major Robert Mathieson at the age of 15. He has played at the top of grade 1 for 20 years with the last 10 years as a member of the St Laurence O’Toole Pipe Band where he currently runs their Scottish branch of the bands pipe corp. As well as his commitment to St Laurence O’Toole, Craig is in demand as a guest player and mentor for bands worldwide where he has also won Championships in Europe, Australia, South Africa and North America.
He is in high demand worldwide for his teaching and adjudication services such as Europe, North America and South America. His Understand & Appreciate Your Bagpipes lecture which takes the audience on the journey of an African Blackwood seed through the plantation and harvesting process in Tanzania then a virtual tour of his factory is the highlight of any workshop! He is also an approved IPBA Adjudicator as well as an SQA Assessor for the National Piping Centre.
Out with the competing circuit, Craig is also a member of the Red Hot Chilli Pipers touring the world and performing to crowds as large as 60,000 at venues including the SECC Hydro and BT Murrayfield Stadium. As a keen golfer, his favourite Chilli Pipers gig is performing at the 2014 Ryder Cup in Gleneagles, Scotland. He was featured on the Disney Pixar “Brave” soundtrack as well as the DreamWorks “How To Train Your Dragon 2 & 3” soundtrack.
Palmer Shonk has been the Director of Piping at the College of Wooster since 2017. Palmer played with one of the top pipe bands in North America, the Grade 1 Toronto Police Pipe Band, for eight years, during which time he performed at the Festival Interceltique in Lorient, France, the largest Celtic music festival in the world, competed in the finals of the World Pipe Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, and recorded an acclaimed CD album. Currently, Palmer competes solo in the professional ranks in Canada, the U.S., and Scotland. Beginning his studies at the young age of 10 in Ligonier, PA, Palmer has been lucky to study with some of the best performers and tradition-bearers from Scotland (Jimmy McIntosh, Alasdair Gillies, Willie Morrison, and Duncan Watson.) In addition to performing regularly, he teaches four different pipe bands weekly in OH and PA, along with maintaining a large private lesson studio. Palmer was the 2017 Professional Piper of the Day at the Ohio Scottish Games. Palmer performed with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in 2017. In 2020 he began teaching bagpipes at OSAS. In 2022 he was the “Artistic Pipe Major” for the Cleveland International Tattoo in addition to re-kindling a high school bagpipe program in the Greater Pittsburgh Area.
**NEW** – Smallpipes
Timothy Cummings is a Vermont-based composer and multi-instrumentalist (chiefly a piper) who enjoys an uncommonly diverse repertoire. His music spans from contemporary and sacred music to the traditional melodies of the British Isles, Appalachia, Cape Breton, Brittany, and beyond. Tim earned his undergraduate degree in Music Education (The College of Wooster, OH); and both a B.A. Honours degree in Ethnomusicology and an M.A. in Musicology (Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand). While living in New Zealand, Tim was a member of the Manawatu Scottish Pipe Band (Gr.1), winning the Royal NZ Pipe Band Championships in 2001. He was also the 2002-03 Artist in Residence at The College of Piping and Celtic Performing Arts of Canada (Summerside, PEI).
In recent years he has appeared as a performer, workshop leader, and dance musician at Acadia Trad School (ME), the Bellingham Celtic Festival (WA), the Beinn Gorm Smallpipe Weekends (VT), Càirdeas (VT), the Celtic Arts Foundation (WA), Colaisde na Gàidhlig / The Gaelic College (NS), Maine Pipes & Fiddle Weekends, the Northeast Heritage Music Camp (VT), PEI Fiddle Camp, The Pipers’ Gathering (VT, CT), The Piper’s Rendezvous (QC), Trad Camp (VT), the Upper Potomac Piper’s Weekend (WV), the Wooster Smallpipes Workshop (OH), the Spanish Peaks International Celtic Music Festival and Piping Retreat (CO), the Boxwood Festival (Australia), the Celtic Harmonies International Festival (QC), the Champlain Valley Folk Festival (VT), Festival Chants de Vielles (QC), the New World Festival (VT), and Swing Into Summer at Pinewoods (MA).
In addition to teaching and performing, Tim operates Birchen Music & Publishing, a cottage industry devoted to publishing a diverse array of new music for Scottish-style pipes. He has also written extensively for Piping Today magazine. Additional creative pursuits have included an award-winning duo album with Jeremiah McLane, ‘The Wind Among the Reeds’ (2016), as well as ‘On This Day Earth Shall Ring’ (2017), an extensive printed collection of carols arranged for Scottish-style pipes. More recently, Cummings released ‘The Birds’ Flight’ (2021), a Scottish/Appalachian-crossover album with Brad Kolodner and the late Middlebury music emeritus Pete Sutherland, and was the featured guest artist with the Vermont Fiddle Orchestra (Spring 2022). He most frequently performs in a duet with McLane, and also with Triton, a trio with McLane and Alex Kehler. Their debut album, ‘Rule of Three’, was released in 2023.
Pipe/Smallpipes Class information
Snare Drum and Tenor/Bass Drum 2024
Snare Drum: Grant Maxwell is the lead drummer of the Vale United Pipe Band in Penticton, BC. He previously played with the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band, winning 2 World Pipe Band Championships and 3 World Drum Corps Championships. Grant is a successful solo competitor and competes regularly locally, internationally and online. He is the current World Online Drumming Champion, winning the grand aggregate award for 2022.
Tenor/Bass Drum: Owen Russell is excited to return to OSAS as an instructor. He first attended OSAS as a student in 2003. Owen is a tenor drummer in the renowned Simon Fraser University Pipe Band from Vancouver, British Columbia. At the 2022 World Pipe Band Championships, Owen and the SFUPB received the Best Drum Corps Award. He loves teaching students of all ages and abilities and looks forward to teaching this summer!