Welcome to the North American Academy of Piping and Drumming!
Dear NAAPD community,
We want to thank you all for the outpouring of love and support over the last month since Sandy Jones’ passing. The family and other members of the community have been working to put together memorials in Sandy’s honor, and we would like to share that information here. As you can imagine, when considering Sandy’s immense international reach through his life’s work, we knew we would have to consider offering a couple different in-person events and one virtual option. We realize we may not be able to accommodate every person who may wish to join us in-person, and we are happy that so many will still have the option to honor his legacy both together and apart.
Here are the scheduled events:
We want to thank you all for the outpouring of love and support over the last month since Sandy Jones’ passing. The family and other members of the community have been working to put together memorials in Sandy’s honor, and we would like to share that information here. As you can imagine, when considering Sandy’s immense international reach through his life’s work, we knew we would have to consider offering a couple different in-person events and one virtual option. We realize we may not be able to accommodate every person who may wish to join us in-person, and we are happy that so many will still have the option to honor his legacy both together and apart.
Here are the scheduled events:
- The family has organized a memorial for close and extended family and friends for Sunday, May 28th at 2:30pm at the Valle Crucis Conference Center in the Apple Barn. Space is limited (we are told that space holds 150). If you are certain you’d like to attend, please email Cathleen at cjnix27@gmail.com to let us know how many folks to expect. There are also limited accommodations available at the Conference Center that weekend and Cathleen can email you with how to inquire about availability. Alternatively, there are plenty of hotels/AirBnBs in the area. Please understand that we may reach capacity and will let you know if that is the case, so we do not recommend booking accommodation until you hear back from Cathleen.
- The good folks over at the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, of which Sandy was a long-standing contributor and once president, are inviting the community to attend a memorial service in his honor the Sunday afternoon of the games (July 9th). We will share more information as we get closer. We anticipate many folks joining this day as it will already be a major gathering of many pipers and drummers from across the country.
- For those who cannot make it to either in-person event, we would ask that you play a tune for Sandy. We can't think of anything he would like more than for folks to dedicate time and practice to their craft. So whether it’s a jig, a slow air, a piobaireachd, or an MSR set, we know he’ll be listening.
| NOTE FOR SNARE, TENOR, AND BASS DRUMMING SESSIONS | ||
| Session #10 (One Week): | July 2, 2023 - July 7, 2023 | (SNARE is available. TENOR and BASS drum is NOT available) |
| Session #11 (One Week): | July 9, 2023 - July 14, 2023 | (SNARE, TENOR and BASS drum available) |
The piping and drumming school was started by the late John McFayden, of Glasgow, Scotland, and Pipe Major Sandy Jones. The school's professional instructors conduct one-week classroom instruction on all aspects of piping and drumming.
Covid Safety Protocols: We will continue to observe all relevant guidelines regarding Covid-19. At this time, we are requiring a negative Covid test administered within 72 hours of arrival. Alternatively, you may provide proof of vaccination. Social distancing will be observed where appropriate/in close quarters. We will make every effort to honor any additional requests and look forward to another successful and safe summer.
