KYLE WARREN
I started aged 8 with a few local tutors. Aged 15, I went to the National Piping Centre in Glasgow for tuition, and then had various tutors during my time studying on the Scottish Music – Piping degree at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. All in all, I have had 9 tutors over the years, ranging from spending a year with some, to more with others. The changing between tutors was always circumstantial. This perhaps led to a rather unconventional way to learn, with so many changes, but it did give me great diversity in opinion and styles. My year with Gavin Stoddart on the degree course before he retired stands out. He was uncompromising, and his attention to detail was incredible.
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I composed my first tune aged 11. I remember playing it at a concert in primary school, though it has long since been lost and perhaps not missed! My first half decent tune I wrote was called ‘Reloaded’, and can be found in my first book ‘Tunez’. This tune was played by Lomond and Clyde Pipe Band when I was a member of the band as a teenager. The band gave me a great platform to write music. This outlet, a band actually playing my music in concerts and competition, spurred me on to write more and more.
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I am currently full time with music. Between teaching, performing and composing, I have been a career bagpiper even before I graduated university with a First Class honours back in 2010. Having recently returned from spending five years in Melbourne, Australia, I have re-joined Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band. I’ve been lucky that some of my tunes and arrangements have been played by bands across the World, and throughout the competition grades, right up to Field Marshal Montgomery, Inveraray and District, and Scottish Power amongst others.
My biggest idol in the piping world is PM Richard Parkes MBE. I had the best piping years of my life playing in Field Marshal Montgomery between 2011-2014 prior to emigrating to Australia. It was an unbelievable 4 years in the band, winning 17 of the 20 major championships. Something I will cherish forever.
Chris Armstrong has been the steadiest influence over my years as a tutor from my mid-teens, through university and beyond. I certainly have always looked up to Chris from an early age. Not that he’s that much older than me actually, he was just so good from such a young age!
Learning in the mid to late 90’s the music of Victoria Police was hugely inspiring. As a learner, I didn’t realise how influential it was, and at times how different and ground breaking some of their material and recordings were. Having now spent time in Australia, while it is over 20 years ago since the band famously one the World’s in 1998, the effects are still felt there, and the band rightly revered to this day.
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Book 1 - ‘Tunez’. This is the first collection of music for the bagpipes by Kyle Warren. Containing 50 original compositions for the bagpipes, including tunes played by some of the leading pipe bands in the world today. From hornpipes and jigs to wee strathspeys and driving reels, this book is full of contemporary bagpipe music.
"I am in no doubt we will be enjoying much more of Kyle Warren's music now that this first collection is in the public domain. Let's hope it is the first of many!" Roddy MacLeod MBE
Book 2 - ‘EAT SLEEP PIPE REPEAT’. This the new collection of bagpipe music by Kyle Warren. The book consists of 50 tunes, of which 42 are by Kyle. These include 34 new compositions, and 8 arrangements of modern and classic pipe tunes, with the original tunes also published in the book from famous composers such as Gordon Duncan, Chris Armstrong, Mark Saul and more!
This book is all about driving jigs, reels and hornpipes! Whilst a nice mix of strathspeys, dances, slow airs and a few light marches complete the collection. The book consists of tunes suitable for all players, from the pipe band competition field to the folk music stage, or for having a wee tune at home!
The book includes tunes played by some of the best pipe bands in the world; Field Marshal Montgomery, Inveraray and District, Scottish Power Pipe Band and more!
