Meet the Cast of the 2009 Heartland International Tattoo

Dave Johnston Heartland Tattoo Pipe Major	Dave Johnston - Pipe Major Dave Johnston has been playing the bagpipes for over 25 years and learnt as a a child through the Williamwood Pipe Band in Glasgow, Scotland. Dave played with Williamwood for 23 years before moving to Chicago in 2005 and joining the Chicago Caledonian Pipe Band. Williamwood Pipe Band won the World Pipe Band Championships in their Grade in 2002 and 2003, before being promoted and crowned European Champions in 2006, then further promoted and crowned Cowal Champions in 2007. Dave has been teaching for over 12 years both privately and within pipe band structures. He continues to teach a number of private students in the Chicagoland area, including high school students, police officers, fire fighters and many others. He also works as a full time instructor for the Chicago Police Department Pipes & Drums and the Chicago Fire Department Pipes & Drums. Dave was one of the founding partners of the highly successful bagpiping business Piping Services Scotland, who currently handle approximately 1,500 weddings per year. Dave has played all over the world at festivals, concerts and a variety of private functions. He has played at festivals in Spain, Denmark and Germany, concerts in Denmark, Norway, Chicago and San Jose, California and other functions in Ireland, England, Wales, France, Turkey and New York. Some of the organisations and businesses that Dave has provided musicians for are the Chicago Police Department, the Chicago Fire Department, USA Rugby (national rugby team), Illinois Saint Andrew's Society, HP (computer firm), Caterpillar (construction vehicles), ASDA (UK Grocery form) and the Builder's Merchant Federation (UK).
Kent Burns Heartland Tattoo Drum Major	Kent Burns - Heartland Tattoo Ceremonial Drum Major Together with the Air Force Academy "Flight of Sound" Drum and Bugle Corps, Mr. Burns has helped develop five half-time shows at Air Force Academy football games (three of them Army/Air Force), the half-time show show at the AFC Championship game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Denver Broncos (2006), the opening act for the Lee Greenwood Concert in Denver (2007), numerous after-parade shows for the Aspen (CO) Winterskol, and most recently the Tartan Day ceremony in Arvada, CO and the RMPA championships in Loveland/Ft. Collins (CO). Mr. Burns is currently the Drum Major of the El Jebel Shrine (Denver, CO) Pipe Band, and the bass drummer for the City of Denver Pipe Band and the Denver Consistory Pipe Band.
United States Air Force Academy "Flight of Sound" Drum and Bugle Corps	United States Air Force Academy Drum and Bugle Corps Since 1972, the Air Force Drum and Bugle Corps has entertained audiences across the nation and abroad with their thrilling performances The corps has won 20 of the 32 Interservice Academy Drum and Bugle Corps Competitions and are the defending champions. The competition is held annually during the Air Force vs. Navy football weekend. Recognized as one of America’s premier musical and marching units, the Corps exemplifies the precision and musical blend of a well-directed band or orchestra and the showmanship of a Broadway production. Performing on the average of 150 times a year, they have become known as the Academy’s Ambassadors of precision drill and musical pageantry. The Corps’ primary mission is to support Cadet Wing activities, including military formations and Academy athletic contest at home and away. An extension of the mission continues in the community with concerts, field exhibitions, band festivals, and various military ceremonies. The Cadet Drum and Bugle Corps is comprised of 118 cadets and has represented “Your” Air Force Academy at Presidential Inaugural Parades, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parades, The Tournament of Roses Parade, Mardi Gras Parades, The Festival of States in St. Petersburg, Florida, Walt Disney World’s International Music Festival, The Longs Peak Scottish / Irish Festival, San Antonio, Texas’ Fiesta, to name a few.
United States Navy Band Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois	United States Navy Band - Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois “Pride in Service” has long been the theme for United States Navy Band Great Lakes since its founding in 1917. From bandmaster Lieutenant John Philip Sousa to today’s bandmaster Lieutenant John Cline, our music has presented the pride and professionalism that is synonymous with the United States Navy. Serving Rear Admiral Clifford S. Sharpe, Commander, Naval Service Training Command, in his mission of transforming volunteers into naval service professionals, Navy Band Great Lakes performs for recruits, Sailors, and their families. Being the “Ambassadors to the Midwest,” Navy Band Great Lakes also performs for hundreds of thousands of people per year in support of community relations and recruiting. Navy Band Great Lakes covers a ten state area stretching from Ohio to North Dakota. Comprised of forty-six professional Navy musicians, the band forms a variety of exciting ensembles: Wind Ensemble, Ceremonial Unit, Parade Band, a Contemporary Entertainment Ensemble, Brass Quintet, and a Woodwind Trio. Units of the band perform many styles of music at a variety of events throughout the year.
Horizon School "Phat Man Clan" Percussion Ensemble	Horizon School "Phat Man Clan" Percussion Ensemble Back in 2006, Music Director Al Lawrence of Horizon Middle School in District 49 decided to try a new approach for his drum students in regular band classes. With the blessing of an open-minded administrator he formed what is now known as the Phat Man Clan. The class is open to 6th, 7th & 8th grade students. There are approximately 70 students that are enrolled in this daily course. The Phat Man Clan members still learn traditional notation and percussion rudiments, but it is more like STOMP meets the Blue Man Group. On a daily basis you can hear the kids playing on plastic tables, music stands, buckets, large metal trash cans, PVC pipe and a host of other percussion instruments.
Flint Scottish Pipe Band Flint, Michigan	Flint Scottish Pipe Band The Flint Scottish Pipe Band has the distinction of being the oldest continuously running Pipe Band in Michigan. It was founded in 1916 by Scottish Immigrants intent on preserving their Scottish Heritage through the music and dress of their homeland. The band proudly wears the MacKenzie Seaforth Highlanders Tartan. The Flint Scottish Pipe Band mission is to introduce the tradition of the Highland Band to communities through performance in parades competitions and special events. Our Parade season begins in March with the Pinckney St. Patrick’s Parade and closes with the Bad Axe Lighted Christmas Parade, Thanksgiving weekend, and takes us all over the State of Michigan. In addition to playing at 15-20 parades or events each year the band competes at several Highland Games throughout the Mid West and in Ontario Canada. Pipe Major, Dennis Lowe has been with the band for 7 years and has developed a very solid competitive band. We are the current Midwest Pipe Band Association Champion Supreme Grade 4 Band. The Flint Scottish Pipe Band can best be described as a family band, with a very strong core of members that have been in the band for decades. We are a band that truly enjoys and celebrates our Scottish Heritage.
Dallas Neirmeyer Prarie Brass Band	The Prairie Brass Band Founded in 1997, the Prairie Brass Band is a not-for-profit performing arts organization which aspires to the highest musical standards and is dedicated to the growth of the brass band movement in the Chicago area and throughout North America. PBB's 35 volunteer members travel from all over Chicago and its suburbs to attend rehearsals and performances. PBB performs about ten concerts per year in the Chicago area. In addition, PBB competes in the North American Brass Band Association (NABBA) Championships and participates in regional brass band festivals such as the Grand Celebration of Brass Bands in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Since its formation, the conductor of the Prairie Brass Band has been Dallas Niermeyer, a nationally recognized music adjudicator and recently-retired director of bands at Hersey High School in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Under his direction PBB has won two NABBA titles, including one in the Challenge Section in 1998, PBB's first year of competition - an outstanding feat for a new band! Since then, PBB has competed in the Honors Section (the next highest section) and has shown improvement each year, including another victory at the 2002 competition, which was held in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Prairie Brass Band uses traditional British brass band instrumentation: cornets instead of trumpets, tenor horns instead of french horns, both euphoniums and baritones, and E-flat and B-flat tubas, as well as percussion. The music for every instrument in the band is written in treble clef, except for the bass trombone (which is a story in itself). Unlike an orchestra or wind band, brass bands have no string or reed instruments and the percussion section is smaller, which increases the musical demand on the musicians to fill all the voices of the orchestra. In a brass band all of the musicians are more active and get to play throughout the pieces, making greater use of their skills. Since 1999, the Prairie Brass Band has made its official home in Arlington Heights, Illinois - a northwest suburb of Chicago. In honor of the Prairie Brass Band's move, May 21, 1999 was declared Prairie Brass Band Day in Arlington Heights.
Red, Plaid and Blue Instruments of War	Red, Plaid and Blue - Instruments of War Red, Plaid and Blue was initially organized to perform at Air Force Academy football games. They have been performing for 6 years and have performed at The NFL American Football Conference Championship in 2006, In Concert at Aspen Colorado’s International Winter Skol Festival, on Stage as the opening act for Lee Greenwood at the Colorado State Parade of Honor Concert, at the National Tartan Day Celebration, and at the Rocky Mountain Percussion Association championships in Loveland/Ft. Collins (CO). The Bag Pipers and everyone in a Kilt have been handpicked from Bagpipe Bands in the Rocky Mountain Area (4 of the Pipers are from Wyoming). All the Buglers are Cadets at the United States Air Force Academy they are playing “G” Bugles, Mr Kent Burns serves as Drum Major, and Pipe Band Coordinator. Bill Smith is the Director.
The Pipes and Drums of the Chicago Police Department	The Pipes and Drums of the Chicago Police Department Founded in 1999, the Pipes and Drums of the Chicago Police Department is a not-for-profit Police Bagpipe and Drum band. Our mission is simple: "Honor Our Fallen" comrades, their families and friends in their time of need. We have been privileged to participate in the honor ceremonies of our own fallen Heroes as well as Police Officers and Firefighters across the mid-west. The Pipes and Drums of the Chicago Police Department is over (30) thirty members strong composed of various cultural and ethnic backgrounds. The only prerequisite to joining the Pipes and Drums of the Chicago Police Department is that you be an active sworn member of the Chicago Police Department; this makes us one of a handful of Police Pipe and Drum Bands in the entire world comprised completely of it's own rank and file; serving with honor, protecting with integrity. In 2004 under the leadership of Pipe Major Dan McGuire Jr. and the tutelage of Jake Watson and John Cairns of the 78th Fraser Highlanders, the entire band ventured into the realm of professional pipe band competition. The band debuted in 2004 placing 3rd overall in the Mid-West Pipe Band Association Grade V competitions where over 25 bands were competing. Our friends from the Iowa Scottish Pipes and Drums had this to say; "...a bunch of quality guys putting together some quality sounds...making some noise in grade 5 this season...". Real cops, reel music, real results. In 2004 the band traveled to Monaco and had the honor to play for Prince Raineer III and Prince's Family - the first time ever for an outside band to do perform with the Cabinieres (photos from the trip can be seen here). In 2008 the band was featured as the "Gotham Police Pipes and Drums" during a funeral scene in the hit film - "The Dark Knight".
Chicago Fire Department Pipes and Drums	Chicago Fire Department Pipes and Drums Created in 2007, the Chicago Fire Department Pipes & Drums is made of members of the Chicago Fire Department and their immediate families. The band has 30 plus members, including 8 snares/tenors, 2 bass, 15 pipers, color guard and students. The band's appearances include memorial services, funerals, benefits and parades. The Chicago Fire Department Pipes & Drums wear the Cunningham Modern Tartan.
Culver Military Academy Pipe Band and Drill Team	Culver Military Academy Pipes & Drums and Drill Team Culver Pipes & Drums offers CMA and CGA students participation in a kilted marching unit. Professional style full embellishment bagpiping is taught on campus as private lessons or in the band group as an extra curricular campus activity. The Pipes & Drums Corps has traveled throughout the Midwest performing at events, competitions, and historical reenactments. The Pipe & Drum corps gives students an opportunity for mentoring and leadership. Students learn the maintenance and tuning of the ancient instrument formally called the “Great Highland War Pipes”, as well as the fingering techniques that have haunted centuries of generations over time. We welcome beginners and those who already play. Our group is made up of students, faculty, staff, their families, and community members. Culver's unique military model for boys in the Culver Military Academy (CMA) has proven itself as an effective model for the development of males of this age group; Culver is firmly committed to it. We believe that self-discipline, cooperative effort, and practical experience in leadership, which our military system embraces, is the best training for young men to become leaders and responsible citizens in society. With 462 boys, we have a full Corps of Cadets with a Band, Infantry, Cavalry, and Artillery battalions. The traditional honor organizations of the three battalions, the Lancer Platoon, the Four Gun Drill and the Honor Guard, perform at all major weekends. In addition, a Drill Team competes throughout the Midwest.
Chicago Highland Rifles	Chicago Highland Rifles The Chicago Highland Rifles provide highly trained and strongly motivated Colour Guards complete with bagpipers, drummers and buglers for special events. They accurately recreated the drill and ceremonies of a Scottish Highland Regiment for the funerals of America’s heros: its police officers, firefighters and military veterans. The members of the Chicago Highland Rifles work to keep alive for present and future generations of Americans, those traditions, values, and attitudes found in the Scottish Highland Regiments. They believe that those traditions, values and attitudes do much to insure the freedom and justice enjoyed by the citizens of the United States and British Commonwealth.
Irish American Heritage Singers	Irish American Heritage Singers In the late 1970's and early 1980's, a group of individuals began to sing Irish songs together, meeting regularly at the IAHC. In 1985, the Irish American Heritage Singers Choral Group was formed under the auspices of the Irish American Heritage Center of Chicago. Between 1985 and 1999, the group grew to a membership of 22 and began, under their new directors, to broaden their repertoire to include pieces involving four-part harmony. In 1996, the group changed its name to the Irish Heritage Singers. Since 2000, the group has grown to approximately 45 members of all ages and increased its visibility through its numerous public performances. The Singers perform traditional Irish and Irish-American music including songs as well as music by contemporary Irish choral composers. To date, the Irish Heritage Singers is one of the very few Irish/Irish American Choral ensembles in the United States.
Classic Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps	The Classic Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps The Classic Cavaliers are a drum and bugle corps made up primarily of former marching members of the seven-time Drum Corps International World Champions, The Cavaliers. The Classic Cavaliers made their debut in 2006 and continue to provide a glimpse into the history of one of the drum corps world's finest corps, The Cavaliers. The director is James G. Shaw.
Thistle and Heather Highland Dancers	Thistle and Heather Highland Dancers The Thistle & Heather Highland Dancers of Chicagoland, founded in 1981 are “ethnic artists” of Scottish Highland Dance. They perform the colorful, expressive and physically demanding traditional Scottish Highland and National Dances. Ensembles of T&H dancers have performed for half-time at a Chicago Bulls Game, and in “Dance Chicago”. The dancers annually appear in the Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade, at Daley Plaza for St. Andrew’s Day and Tartan Day, at the Museum of Science and Industry for Christmas Around the World, and at many local parades and festivals. Additionally many of the dancers compete at the local, regional, national, and international level. Classes are held in North Riverside and Glen Ellyn, Illinois. The dancers are both male and female, and range in age from four years old to adult. Dancers are available for a wide variety of functions. For more information please contact Nancy Strolle at 630 963-7021, e-mail thhd@comcast.net, or visit www.thistleandheather.net. The dances performed have been specially choreographed for the Heartland Tattoo and are “Strathcarron” and “Celtic Celebration”. Strathcarron will be performed with the Praire Brass Band. Celtic Celebration was choreographed by Jessica Oudin. The dancers range in age from 9 – adult and all are successful competitive dancers, including Jean Stein, who at age 12, won the 12 & Under 14 division for the Midwest and went on to win the United States Inter Regional Championship last July in Denver, CO.
McNulty School of Irish Dance	McNulty School of Irish Dance From humble beginnings in Naperville Illinois, the McNulty School of Irish Dance has grown into one of the largest, most active dance schools in the Midwest. We offer Irish dance lessons throughout the Chicago suburban area, in Bloomington, and Rockford Illinois, and in Dubuque Iowa. Our program is designed to challenge each dancer to achieve his or her personal best - both on and off the dance floor. Students develop concentration skills, coordination, and self-confidence that serve them well in all facets of life. Whether you have ambitions to compete in Irish dance, perform publicly, or simply to dance for the fun of it, we will help you reach your goals. For the Irish-American family, dance is a great way to stay connected with one's heritage. Yet, Irish dance offers tremendous opportunities to all students, regardless of cultural or ethnic background. The McNulty School of Irish Dance was founded by Barbara McNulty T.C.R.G. in 1971 in Naperville, Illinois. Since then, enrollment has grown to over 450 students throughout the Midwest. The School currently offers classes in over 15 locations in Northern and Central Illinois as well as Iowa. The McNulty School offers classes for all ages and experience levels, including teen and adult beginners, and "boys only" classes in many locations. All students have the opportunity to perform and compete. Dancers begin learning in the Irish soft dance shoes, and then progress to heavy shoe dances over time. Students will enjoy learning both solo and team dances. For more information visit www.mcnultyirishdancers.com
Tebala Air Squadron	Tebala Air Squadron The Rockford, Illinois based Tebala Birds are miniature F-16 Fighter plane replicas molded in fiberglass, and mounted on three-wheeled ATV's. They are painted with the same color scheme as the famed US Air Force "Thunder Birds". They were custom built by members of the Tebala Shrine Air Squadron for the purpose of raising money for the Shriner's Hospital for Children and also to publicly promote the Air Squadron and its purpose of providing transportation for burn victims to the Shriner's Burn Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Bugles Across America	Bugles Across America Bugles Across America, NFP was founded in 2000 by Tom Day, when Congress passed legislation stating Veterans had a right to at least 2 uniformed military people to fold the flag and play taps on a CD player. Bugles Across America was begun to take this a step further, and in recognition of the service these Veterans provided their country, we felt that every Veteran deserved a live rendition of taps played by a live Bugler. To this end, we are actively seeking volunteers to provide this valuable service to Veterans and their families. Bugles Across America now has over 5000 bugler volunteers located in all 50 states and growing number overseas. Since the Department of Veterans Affairs is expecting more than 1/2 million veterans to pass every year for the next 7 years, Bugles Across America is ALWAYS recruiting new volunteers.
Lyons Township High School Flag Corps	Lyons Township High School Color Guard The Lyons Township High School Color Guard performs at all home football games, parades, marching festivals & other community events including Boo at The Zoo (Brookfield Zoo), Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade & Chicago’s Columbus Day Parade. The LHS Color Guard also traveled to the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida with the Marching Lyons Band & performed in Disney's Spectro-Magic Parade. The Winterguard perform at selected home basketball games, school assemblies, community events & competitions. The competitions bring us in contact with other color guards throughout Illinois & the Midwest. We have 2 current Illinois State Champions on the Team, and over the years we have won a variety of group awards. The color guard & winterguard both incorporate dance techniques, upper body strength, & artistry. Both programs are open to ALL students at LTHS regardless of color guard experience.

Dave Johnston

Dave Johnston
Heartland Tattoo Pipe Major

Dave Johnston - Pipe Major

Dave Johnston has been playing the bagpipes for over 25 years and learnt as a a child through the Williamwood Pipe Band in Glasgow, Scotland. Dave played with Williamwood for 23 years before moving to Chicago in 2005 and joining the Chicago Caledonian Pipe Band.

Williamwood Pipe Band won the World Pipe Band Championships in their Grade in 2002 and 2003, before being promoted and crowned European Champions in 2006, then further promoted and crowned Cowal Champions in 2007.

Dave has been teaching for over 12 years both privately and within pipe band structures. He continues to teach a number of private students in the Chicagoland area, including high school students, police officers, fire fighters and many others. He also works as a full time instructor for the Chicago Police Department Pipes & Drums and the Chicago Fire Department Pipes & Drums.

Dave was one of the founding partners of the highly successful bagpiping business Piping Services Scotland, who currently handle approximately 1,500 weddings per year.

Dave has played all over the world at festivals, concerts and a variety of private functions. He has played at festivals in Spain, Denmark and Germany, concerts in Denmark, Norway, Chicago and San Jose, California and other functions in Ireland, England, Wales, France, Turkey and New York.

Some of the organisations and businesses that Dave has provided musicians for are the Chicago Police Department, the Chicago Fire Department, USA Rugby (national rugby team), Illinois Saint Andrew's Society, HP (computer firm), Caterpillar (construction vehicles), ASDA (UK Grocery form) and the Builder's Merchant Federation (UK).

Kent Burns

Kent Burns
Heartland Tattoo Drum Major

Kent Burns - Heartland Tattoo Ceremonial Drum Major

Together with the Air Force Academy "Flight of Sound" Drum and Bugle Corps, Mr. Burns has helped develop five half-time shows at Air Force Academy football games (three of them Army/Air Force), the half-time show show at the AFC Championship game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Denver Broncos (2006), the opening act for the Lee Greenwood Concert in Denver (2007), numerous after-parade shows for the Aspen (CO) Winterskol, and most recently the Tartan Day ceremony in Arvada, CO and the RMPA championships in Loveland/Ft. Collins (CO).

Mr. Burns is currently the Drum Major of the El Jebel Shrine (Denver, CO) Pipe Band, and the bass drummer for the City of Denver Pipe Band and the Denver Consistory Pipe Band.

USAF Academy Flight of Sound Drum and Bugle Corps

United States Air Force Academy
"Flight of Sound"
Drum and Bugle Corps

United States Air Force Academy Drum and Bugle Corps

Since 1972, the Air Force Drum and Bugle Corps has entertained audiences across the nation and abroad with their thrilling performances The corps has won 20 of the 32 Interservice Academy Drum and Bugle Corps Competitions and are the defending champions. The competition is held annually during the Air Force vs. Navy football weekend.

Recognized as one of America’s premier musical and marching units, the Corps exemplifies the precision and musical blend of a well-directed band or orchestra and the showmanship of a Broadway production. Performing on the average of 150 times a year, they have become known as the Academy’s Ambassadors of precision drill and musical pageantry.

The Corps’ primary mission is to support Cadet Wing activities, including military formations and Academy athletic contest at home and away. An extension of the mission continues in the community with concerts, field exhibitions, band festivals, and various military ceremonies.

The Cadet Drum and Bugle Corps is comprised of 118 cadets and has represented “Your” Air Force Academy at Presidential Inaugural Parades, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parades, The Tournament of Roses Parade, Mardi Gras Parades, The Festival of States in St. Petersburg, Florida, Walt Disney World’s International Music Festival, The Longs Peak Scottish / Irish Festival, San Antonio, Texas’ Fiesta, to name a few.

United States Navy Band Great Lakes

United States Navy Band
Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois

United States Navy Band - Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois

“Pride in Service” has long been the theme for United States Navy Band Great Lakes since its founding in 1917. From bandmaster Lieutenant John Philip Sousa to today’s bandmaster Lieutenant John Cline, our music has presented the pride and professionalism that is synonymous with the United States Navy.

Serving Rear Admiral Clifford S. Sharpe, Commander, Naval Service Training Command, in his mission of transforming volunteers into naval service professionals, Navy Band Great Lakes performs for recruits, Sailors, and their families. Being the “Ambassadors to the Midwest,” Navy Band Great Lakes also performs for hundreds of thousands of people per year in support of community relations and recruiting. Navy Band Great Lakes covers a ten state area stretching from Ohio to North Dakota.

Comprised of forty-six professional Navy musicians, the band forms a variety of exciting ensembles: Wind Ensemble, Ceremonial Unit, Parade Band, a Contemporary Entertainment Ensemble, Brass Quintet, and a Woodwind Trio. Units of the band perform many styles of music at a variety of events throughout the year.

Phat Man Clan Percussion Ensemble

Horizon School "Phat Man Clan"
Percussion Ensemble

Horizon School "Phat Man Clan" Percussion Ensemble

Back in 2006, Music Director Al Lawrence of Horizon Middle School in District 49 decided to try a new approach for his drum students in regular band classes. With the blessing of an open-minded administrator he formed what is now known as the Phat Man Clan. The class is open to 6th, 7th & 8th grade students. There are approximately 70 students that are enrolled in this daily course. The Phat Man Clan members still learn traditional notation and percussion rudiments, but it is more like STOMP meets the Blue Man Group. On a daily basis you can hear the kids playing on plastic tables, music stands, buckets, large metal trash cans, PVC pipe and a host of other percussion instruments.

Flint Scottish Pipe Band

Flint Scottish Pipe Band
Flint, Michigan

Flint Scottish Pipe Band

The Flint Scottish Pipe Band has the distinction of being the oldest continuously running Pipe Band in Michigan. It was founded in 1916 by Scottish Immigrants intent on preserving their Scottish Heritage through the music and dress of their homeland. The band proudly wears the MacKenzie Seaforth Highlanders Tartan.

The Flint Scottish Pipe Band mission is to introduce the tradition of the Highland Band to communities through performance in parades competitions and special events. Our Parade season begins in March with the Pinckney St. Patrick’s Parade and closes with the Bad Axe Lighted Christmas Parade, Thanksgiving weekend, and takes us all over the State of Michigan.

In addition to playing at 15-20 parades or events each year the band competes at several Highland Games throughout the Mid West and in Ontario Canada. Pipe Major, Dennis Lowe has been with the band for 7 years and has developed a very solid competitive band. We are the current Midwest Pipe Band Association Champion Supreme Grade 4 Band.

The Flint Scottish Pipe Band can best be described as a family band, with a very strong core of members that have been in the band for decades. We are a band that truly enjoys and celebrates our Scottish Heritage.

Prarie Brass Band

Dallas Neirmeyer
Prarie Brass Band

The Prairie Brass Band

Founded in 1997, the Prairie Brass Band is a not-for-profit performing arts organization which aspires to the highest musical standards and is dedicated to the growth of the brass band movement in the Chicago area and throughout North America. PBB's 35 volunteer members travel from all over Chicago and its suburbs to attend rehearsals and performances. PBB performs about ten concerts per year in the Chicago area. In addition, PBB competes in the North American Brass Band Association (NABBA) Championships and participates in regional brass band festivals such as the Grand Celebration of Brass Bands in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Since its formation, the conductor of the Prairie Brass Band has been Dallas Niermeyer, a nationally recognized music adjudicator and recently-retired director of bands at Hersey High School in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Under his direction PBB has won two NABBA titles, including one in the Challenge Section in 1998, PBB's first year of competition - an outstanding feat for a new band! Since then, PBB has competed in the Honors Section (the next highest section) and has shown improvement each year, including another victory at the 2002 competition, which was held in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The Prairie Brass Band uses traditional British brass band instrumentation: cornets instead of trumpets, tenor horns instead of french horns, both euphoniums and baritones, and E-flat and B-flat tubas, as well as percussion. The music for every instrument in the band is written in treble clef, except for the bass trombone (which is a story in itself). Unlike an orchestra or wind band, brass bands have no string or reed instruments and the percussion section is smaller, which increases the musical demand on the musicians to fill all the voices of the orchestra. In a brass band all of the musicians are more active and get to play throughout the pieces, making greater use of their skills.

Since 1999, the Prairie Brass Band has made its official home in Arlington Heights, Illinois - a northwest suburb of Chicago. In honor of the Prairie Brass Band's move, May 21, 1999 was declared Prairie Brass Band Day in Arlington Heights.

Red, Plaid and Blue photo

Red, Plaid and Blue
Instruments of War

Red, Plaid and Blue - Instruments of War

Red, Plaid and Blue was initially organized to perform at Air Force Academy football games. They have been performing for 6 years and have performed at The NFL American Football Conference Championship in 2006, In Concert at Aspen Colorado’s International Winter Skol Festival, on Stage as the opening act for Lee Greenwood at the Colorado State Parade of Honor Concert, at the National Tartan Day Celebration, and at the Rocky Mountain Percussion Association championships in Loveland/Ft. Collins (CO).

The Bag Pipers and everyone in a Kilt have been handpicked from Bagpipe Bands in the Rocky Mountain Area (4 of the Pipers are from Wyoming). All the Buglers are Cadets at the United States Air Force Academy they are playing “G” Bugles,

Mr Kent Burns serves as Drum Major, and Pipe Band Coordinator. Bill Smith is the Director.

Pipes and Drums of the Chicago Police Department

The Pipes and Drums of the
Chicago Police Department

The Pipes and Drums of the Chicago Police Department

Founded in 1999, the Pipes and Drums of the Chicago Police Department is a not-for-profit Police Bagpipe and Drum band. Our mission is simple: "Honor Our Fallen" comrades, their families and friends in their time of need. We have been privileged to participate in the honor ceremonies of our own fallen Heroes as well as Police Officers and Firefighters across the mid-west.

The Pipes and Drums of the Chicago Police Department is over (30) thirty members strong composed of various cultural and ethnic backgrounds. The only prerequisite to joining the Pipes and Drums of the Chicago Police Department is that you be an active sworn member of the Chicago Police Department; this makes us one of a handful of Police Pipe and Drum Bands in the entire world comprised completely of it's own rank and file; serving with honor, protecting with integrity.

In 2004 under the leadership of Pipe Major Dan McGuire Jr. and the tutelage of Jake Watson and John Cairns of the 78th Fraser Highlanders, the entire band ventured into the realm of professional pipe band competition. The band debuted in 2004 placing 3rd overall in the Mid-West Pipe Band Association Grade V competitions where over 25 bands were competing. Our friends from the Iowa Scottish Pipes and Drums had this to say; "...a bunch of quality guys putting together some quality sounds...making some noise in grade 5 this season...". Real cops, reel music, real results.

In 2004 the band traveled to Monaco and had the honor to play for Prince Raineer III and Prince's Family - the first time ever for an outside band to do perform with the Cabinieres (photos from the trip can be seen here).

In 2008 the band was featured as the "Gotham Police Pipes and Drums" during a funeral scene in the hit film - "The Dark Knight".

Chicago Fire Department
Pipes and Drums

Chicago Fire Department Pipes and Drums

Created in 2007, the Chicago Fire Department Pipes & Drums is made of members of the Chicago Fire Department and their immediate families. The band has 30 plus members, including 8 snares/tenors, 2 bass, 15 pipers, color guard and students.

The band's appearances include memorial services, funerals, benefits and parades. The Chicago Fire Department Pipes & Drums wear the Cunningham Modern Tartan.

Culver Military Academy
Pipe Band and Drill Team

Culver Military Academy Pipes & Drums and Drill Team

Culver Pipes & Drums offers CMA and CGA students participation in a kilted marching unit. Professional style full embellishment bagpiping is taught on campus as private lessons or in the band group as an extra curricular campus activity. The Pipes & Drums Corps has traveled throughout the Midwest performing at events, competitions, and historical reenactments. The Pipe & Drum corps gives students an opportunity for mentoring and leadership. Students learn the maintenance and tuning of the ancient instrument formally called the “Great Highland War Pipes”, as well as the fingering techniques that have haunted centuries of generations over time. We welcome beginners and those who already play. Our group is made up of students, faculty, staff, their families, and community members.

Culver's unique military model for boys in the Culver Military Academy (CMA) has proven itself as an effective model for the development of males of this age group; Culver is firmly committed to it. We believe that self-discipline, cooperative effort, and practical experience in leadership, which our military system embraces, is the best training for young men to become leaders and responsible citizens in society. With 462 boys, we have a full Corps of Cadets with a Band, Infantry, Cavalry, and Artillery battalions. The traditional honor organizations of the three battalions, the Lancer Platoon, the Four Gun Drill and the Honor Guard, perform at all major weekends. In addition, a Drill Team competes throughout the Midwest.

Chicago Highland Rifles

The Chicago Highland Rifles provide highly trained and strongly motivated Colour Guards complete with bagpipers, drummers and buglers for special events. They accurately recreated the drill and ceremonies of a Scottish Highland Regiment for the funerals of America’s heros: its police officers, firefighters and military veterans. The members of the Chicago Highland Rifles work to keep alive for present and future generations of Americans, those traditions, values, and attitudes found in the Scottish Highland Regiments. They believe that those traditions, values and attitudes do much to insure the freedom and justice enjoyed by the citizens of the United States and British Commonwealth.

Irish American Heritage Singers

In the late 1970's and early 1980's, a group of individuals began to sing Irish songs together, meeting regularly at the IAHC. In 1985, the Irish American Heritage Singers Choral Group was formed under the auspices of the Irish American Heritage Center of Chicago. Between 1985 and 1999, the group grew to a membership of 22 and began, under their new directors, to broaden their repertoire to include pieces involving four-part harmony.

In 1996, the group changed its name to the Irish Heritage Singers. Since 2000, the group has grown to approximately 45 members of all ages and increased its visibility through its numerous public performances. The Singers perform traditional Irish and Irish-American music including songs as well as music by contemporary Irish choral composers. To date, the Irish Heritage Singers is one of the very few Irish/Irish American Choral ensembles in the United States.

Classic Cavaliers
Drum & Bugle Corps

The Classic Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps

The Classic Cavaliers are a drum and bugle corps made up primarily of former marching members of the seven-time Drum Corps International World Champions, The Cavaliers. The Classic Cavaliers made their debut in 2006 and continue to provide a glimpse into the history of one of the drum corps world's finest corps, The Cavaliers.

The director is James G. Shaw.

Thistle and Heather
Highland Dancers

Thistle and Heather Highland Dancers

The Thistle & Heather Highland Dancers of Chicagoland, founded in 1981 are “ethnic artists” of Scottish Highland Dance. They perform the colorful, expressive and physically demanding traditional Scottish Highland and National Dances. Ensembles of T&H dancers have performed for half-time at a Chicago Bulls Game, and in “Dance Chicago”. The dancers annually appear in the Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade, at Daley Plaza for St. Andrew’s Day and Tartan Day, at the Museum of Science and Industry for Christmas Around the World, and at many local parades and festivals. Additionally many of the dancers compete at the local, regional, national, and international level.

Classes are held in North Riverside and Glen Ellyn, Illinois. The dancers are both male and female, and range in age from four years old to adult. Dancers are available for a wide variety of functions. For more information please contact Nancy Strolle at 630 963-7021, e-mail thhd@comcast.net, or visit www.thistleandheather.net.

The dances performed have been specially choreographed for the Heartland Tattoo and are “Strathcarron” and “Celtic Celebration”. Strathcarron will be performed with the Praire Brass Band. Celtic Celebration was choreographed by Jessica Oudin. The dancers range in age from 9 – adult and all are successful competitive dancers, including Jean Stein, who at age 12, won the 12 & Under 14 division for the Midwest and went on to win the United States Inter Regional Championship last July in Denver, CO.

McNulty School of Irish Dance

From humble beginnings in Naperville Illinois, the McNulty School of Irish Dance has grown into one of the largest, most active dance schools in the Midwest. We offer Irish dance lessons throughout the Chicago suburban area, in Bloomington, and Rockford Illinois, and in Dubuque Iowa.

Our program is designed to challenge each dancer to achieve his or her personal best - both on and off the dance floor. Students develop concentration skills, coordination, and self-confidence that serve them well in all facets of life. Whether you have ambitions to compete in Irish dance, perform publicly, or simply to dance for the fun of it, we will help you reach your goals.

For the Irish-American family, dance is a great way to stay connected with one's heritage. Yet, Irish dance offers tremendous opportunities to all students, regardless of cultural or ethnic background.

The McNulty School of Irish Dance was founded by Barbara McNulty T.C.R.G. in 1971 in Naperville, Illinois. Since then, enrollment has grown to over 450 students throughout the Midwest. The School currently offers classes in over 15 locations in Northern and Central Illinois as well as Iowa.

The McNulty School offers classes for all ages and experience levels, including teen and adult beginners, and "boys only" classes in many locations. All students have the opportunity to perform and compete. Dancers begin learning in the Irish soft dance shoes, and then progress to heavy shoe dances over time. Students will enjoy learning both solo and team dances. For more information visit www.mcnultyirishdancers.com

Tebala Air Squadron

The Rockford, Illinois based Tebala Birds are miniature F-16 Fighter plane replicas molded in fiberglass, and mounted on three-wheeled ATV's. They are painted with the same color scheme as the famed US Air Force "Thunder Birds".

They were custom built by members of the Tebala Shrine Air Squadron for the purpose of raising money for the Shriner's Hospital for Children and also to publicly promote the Air Squadron and its purpose of providing transportation for burn victims to the Shriner's Burn Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Bugles Across America

Bugles Across America, NFP was founded in 2000 by Tom Day, when Congress passed legislation stating Veterans had a right to at least 2 uniformed military people to fold the flag and play taps on a CD player. Bugles Across America was begun to take this a step further, and in recognition of the service these Veterans provided their country, we felt that every Veteran deserved a live rendition of taps played by a live Bugler. To this end, we are actively seeking volunteers to provide this valuable service to Veterans and their families.

Bugles Across America now has over 5000 bugler volunteers located in all 50 states and growing number overseas. Since the Department of Veterans Affairs is expecting more than 1/2 million veterans to pass every year for the next 7 years, Bugles Across America is ALWAYS recruiting new volunteers.

Lyons Township High School
Flag Corps

Lyons Township High School Color Guard

The Lyons Township High School Color Guard performs at all home football games, parades, marching festivals & other community events including Boo at The Zoo (Brookfield Zoo), Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade & Chicago’s Columbus Day Parade. The LHS Color Guard also traveled to the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida with the Marching Lyons Band & performed in Disney's Spectro-Magic Parade.

The Winterguard perform at selected home basketball games, school assemblies, community events & competitions. The competitions bring us in contact with other color guards throughout Illinois & the Midwest. We have 2 current Illinois State Champions on the Team, and over the years we have won a variety of group awards.

The color guard & winterguard both incorporate dance techniques, upper body strength, & artistry. Both programs are open to ALL students at LTHS regardless of color guard experience.