Steven Shedden wins Oceania Championships; Scott Birrell also gains spot in World Solo Drumming semi-final

Christchurch, New Zealand – June 29, 2024 – Steven Shedden of Melbourne won the first Oceania Solo Drumming Championship held at St. Andrew’s College. Shedden and runner-up Scott Birrell qualify for the semi-final of the 2024 World Solo Drumming Championships in Glasgow in October.

Per the other sanction RSPBA qualifier events, the nine snare drummers in the Adult section were judged on a single MSR performance.

The event was a collaboration between the Royal New Zealand Pipe Bands Association and the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association, and held under RSPBA rules.

Adult
1st Steven Shedden, Hawthorn
2nd Scott Birrell, Canterbury Caledonian Society
3rd Douglas Bilsland, Auckland & District
4th Richard Black, Hawthorn
5th Georgia Eagle, New Zealand Police
6th Adam McCollum, ILT City of Invercargill
Judges: Paul Brown, Ross Levy

Juvenile
1st Connor Higgs, Canterbury Caledonian Society
2nd Peter Devery, ILT City of Invercargill
3rd Damon Wright, Scot’s School Albury
4th Hayden Lam, St. Andrew’s College
5th Kaitlyn Braithwaite, Canterbury Caledonian Society
6th Theo Lagias, St. Andrew’s College
Judges: Paul Brown, Ross Levy

Shedden and Birrell join Blair Brown, Simon Fraser University; Glen Creighton, Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia; Stephen Creighton St Laurence O’Toole; David Henderson Police Scotland & Federation; Jake Jorgensen, ScottishPower; Cameron Lawson, Inveraray & District Eric MacNeill, City of Dunedin; Reid Maxwell, Simon Fraser University; Kerr McQuillan, People Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia; and Rachel Thom, Inveraray & District who have already qualified through the European, Scottish, Intercontinental and Pacific Rim championship events previously held.

The other qualifying contests for the RSPBA World Solo Drumming Championships on October 19th in Glasgow are the British and United Kingdom Solo Drumming Championships on August 12th and September 7th.

Including the World Solos, points accrued in the eight events go towards determining the RSPBA’s new Adult World Solo Snare Drumming Champion of Champions title.