The 18th annual pipes|drums New Year’s Honours

2018 Drummer of the Year

Steven McWhirter

Once again, McWhirter was a near-unanimous choice by our panel as our Drummer of the Year. The Northern Ireland native picked off his ninth World Solo Drumming Championship, and astounding eighth in a row, while leading his Inveraray & District to a close second-place in the RSPBA Champion of Champion tables, with a win at the British Championships and second-place finishes at three others. Composing always sympathetic scores, he’s known as a piper’s drummer, and McWhirter proves once again that he is a pipe band snare drummer for the ages.

Panellists’ comments:

• “Some record of wins in the solos plus championships with the band.”
• “An exceptional player, leader and teacher. One of the few drummers that combine musical feel, emotion and technical ability. The total package.”
• “Simply the best!”
• “Steven’s solo success is outstanding. Add to that the extensive teaching at Dollar Academy, private students, summer camps, band workshops, the continued success of the IDPB corps, and a very busy score-writing service, and Steven seems an easy choice.”
• “Seems Stevie has the Worlds drumming sewn up for now and the future.”

Also nominated (alphabetical order):

Stephen Creighton – the St. Laurence O’Toole lead-drummer had another excellent year, capped off with securing the 2018 RSPBA Champion of Champions drum section title after leading his corps to another win at the World’s.

Tyler Fry – Fry’s contribution to the art of pipe band tenor drumming should not be under-appreciated. In fact, he pretty much resurrected the near-dead category and created a whole new global market. In 2018, Fry continued his mid-section evangelism in virtually every corner of the earth.

Jim Kilpatrick – the most successful competition pipe band drummer of all time has been retired from competing for a few years, but he continues to make a mark on the art. In heavy demand as a teacher and judge, Kilpatrick made the news when he discontinued his long-time relationship with Peal Percussion, joining the upstart British Drum Co., leaving the pipe band world on edge to see what’s next.