Interview with Jordan Bailie
We recently caught up with Grade 1 World Championship winner Jordan Bailie to find out a bit more about his career in bass and tenor drumming and how he’s using DrumWriter in his day-to-day work as an instructor.
DW: When did you start out in tenor drumming?
JB: I started tenor drumming at the age of 10. Being from Northern Ireland I joined a local band Dr Wright Memorial Pipe Band (4B). Whilst playing with the band I was also receiving tuition at the Northern Ireland Piping and Drumming School, also being influenced by John McFetridge, Tyler Fry and Norman Macleod.
DW: Tell us a bit about your drumming career since then?
JB: Since the age of 13 I then moved up to the Grade 1 competition circuit, again playing for a Northern Irish band, Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band.
In 2014, I joined Inveraray and District Pipe Band, where I have enjoyed success at many major championships, including winning the 2017 World Pipe Band Championships, as a band and as a drum corps.
Aside from playing within ensembles, I dedicate myself to solo competitions which has allowed me to triumph in events such as the International Juvenile solos and the Gold Medal event at Winter Storm.
Alongside playing with a Scottish band, I’m now residing in Glasgow, working as a bass and tenor instructor within schools.
DW: You are an instructor with the Scottish Schools Pipes & Drums Trust (SSPDT) - can you tell us more about that initiative?
JB: The Scottish Schools Pipes and Drums Trust was founded partly to help protect and expand our musical heritage, but also to give young people opportunities to develop a unique set of skills that will stay with them for life. The dedication, discipline and teamwork needed to be part of a successful pipe band match attributes needed to be successful elsewhere in school and make a real contribution towards helping young people achieve their goals.
The one school that I’m involved with through the SSPDT, is the Preston Lodge High School, pupils generally start to learn in P6 in clusters of primary schools that feed into Preston Lodge High School. With the current program, we currently have a Novice Juvenile B and a Juvenile Pipe Band. Each pupil gets one-to-one tuition on a weekly basis, and also come together for band practices twice a week.
Pupils continue to learn until they leave school. This model supports transition, encourages friendships across schools, and gives pupils time to progress to their full potential.
DW: What's your experience of DrumWriter been?
JB: Previously I have favoured composing drum scores by hand, as I have felt that there is no easier method. Recently I have been using DrumWriter, and quickly realised that a finished score can be produced efficiently when using the software.
The browser-based software (working on/offline) allows me to select a structure for the tune which I’m working on, and then use shortcut keys to rapidly produce the desired score. I have found effective copy and pasting tools also means that repeated phrases can be swiftly generated within the scores.
The main feature which benefits me as a tenor drummer, is the option to group notes and highlight them corresponding with the notes of the bass and tenor drums which I’m writing for. Then using the playback option I can hear the overall orchestration of what is being achieved by the various voices used.
Using the Pro Edition in conjunction with Simon Grant (Drum Major – SSPDT), I have found that the process of sharing scores can be done effortlessly, when two or more people are using the software. This means that I can receive a snare score - compose bass and tenor scores - then forward the following scores in a PDF format, annotated to the bass section which I’m working with.
Overall, this software is evolving quickly and it is a great aid for me as a tenor drummer and a full-time instructor. I look forward to seeing what new features DrumWriter brings in the future.
Check out Jordan’s range of tenor sticks and tuition services at www.jordanbailie.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JBJordanBailie
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