FAIR HILL WORKSHOP
FEBRUARY 6-7, 2027
REGISTRATION WILL OPEN IN THE FALL – WATCH THIS SPACE

You won’t want to miss this fun weekend of piping and drumming instruction plus a casual Saturday evening ceilidh,
held in the BWI Airport area of Baltimore, Maryland.

DATE:
Saturday & Sunday, February 6 – 7, 2027

LOCATION:
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Baltimore – BWI Airport
890 Elkridge Landing Road, Linthicum, Maryland 21090
Group Room Rate $99 plus tax; Free Parking
To receive the group rate, book your hotel room no later than January 6, 2027.  You may use the following link: https://group.doubletree.com/xq5l39
or you may phone the hotel at 410-859-8400 and state that you are with the 2027 Fair Hill Workshop

(2027 INSTRUCTORS WILL BE ANNOUNCED CLOSER TO THE DATE)
2026 INSTRUCTORS’ BIOGRAPHIES:
Cameron Macdougall – Piping
Cameron, who hails from the Highlands of Scotland, studied under some of the country’s most eminent pipers, graduating with a music degree from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. He is a silver medalist and plays in the Former Winners MSR at the Argyllshire Gathering, after winning the A grade in 2022. Cameron’s recent wins include the Medley at the Metro cup and the MSR at the USPF contest. Most recently, Cameron placed first in Piobaireachd at the 2025 Lochaber Gathering in Scotland, winning the Gold Lochaber Axe. Cameron recently moved to New Jersey, USA.

Derek Midgley – Piping
Derek hails from Tinton Falls, New Jersey and began piping at the age of 12. His first tutor was George Bell, formerly of Parlin, NJ who was instrumental in Derek’s early education. After his passing, Derek was fortunate to receive instruction from Roddy MacLeod, MBE and Mike Cusack. 

Derek’s notable solo prizes include the Silver Medal and B Marches at the Northern Meeting, and multiple placings in the Highland Society of London’s Gold Medal and A Grade Light Music at both Oban and Inverness. He has won the the A Grade MSR, Hornpipe/Jig, and Piobaireachd at the Scottish Piping Society of London Competition, the Dunvegan Medal, the Col Jock MacDonald Clasp and Open 2/4 and 6/8 Marches at Skye, the Lochaber Axe for Senior Piobaireachd at Fort William, and won the light music at the Royal Highland Gathering at Braemar. In Canada, Derek was the third person ever to win the “Double Gold” Gold Medal and Bar to the Gold Medal of Canada on the same day. In the USA, he has won the Metro Cup Piobaireachd, the United States Piping Foundation Piobaireachd four times, and the USPF Overall in 2022. Most recently, Derek won the P/M Ian Swinton Open in 2023 and 2024, and was the Champion Piper at the Skye Gathering as well as taking a 2nd and 3rd in the Gold Medals at Oban and Inverness. 

Derek also has many years of domestic and international Grade 1 Pipe Band experience, having played with the City of Washington Pipe Band, Toronto Police Pipe Band, the Scottish Power Pipe Band, and is currently a member of the St. Thomas Alumni Pipe Band. 

Derek became a piping adjudicator for the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association in 2016 and a member of the EUSPBA Music Board in 2017. He is also the EUSPBA Metro Branch Chairman. After serving for many years on the Competing Pipers Association Committee, Derek was elected President of the CPA from 2020-2025 and worked to facilitate solo professional piping in Scotland and abroad.

Sam Johnson – Tenor Drumming
Sam, from Baltimore MD, has over 20 years of experience in pipe bands in Snare, Bass, and Tenor. For the past few years, he traveled all the way from Baltimore to play with the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band in Vancouver. BC, Canada. Sam got his start on snare with the Guilford and Glencoe District Juvenile Pipe Band in Baltimore Maryland, and quickly transitioned to the City of Washington Pipe band in 2005. Since then, Sam studied Tenor and Bass under Dina Alexander, Margaret Rodgers and Mike Cole, however, he is mostly self taught as a tenor drummer. He was the Midsection leader for the MacMillan grade 2 pipe band from 2015-2019, during which time he won back to back East Coast champion and back to back Gold Medals in the Winter Storm Gold Medal Tenor competition in 2019 and 2020. During his time with SFU, Sam has also been a part of the back to back World Champion Drum Corps, winning the Medley cup in 2022, and the MSR Cup in 2023.  Additionally, he writes music for Tenor, Bass, and Snare as well as competitive high school marching bands. Sam is a Spanish teacher by day and is also a tenor and bass judge for the EUSPBA.

Mike Cole – Bass Drumming
Mike Cole, originally from Chicago, now residing in Annapolis, Maryland began his pipe band career in  1987 as a Grade Three snare drummer. Mike has experience as a leading drummer, and in 1993 he played rhythm tenor with the 78th Fraser Highlanders. Mike started playing the bass drum in the mid-1990’s with the Grade Two band, Midlothian Scottish. In 1998, he won the Best Bass Title in Grade Two at the World Pipe Band Championships. His bass sections have won the Grade One and Grade Two North American titles in Maxville, Ontario multiple times. In 2007 and 2012, Mike won the Mid-West Highland Arts Gold Medal in the professional bass drumming competition at Winter Storm in Kansas City. In 2010, Mike guested as the bass drummer for the Grade One Inveraray and District Pipe Band, living in Scotland that summer and playing all the major contests with them. In 2012 Mike was the bass drummer on the “Pipes and Sticks on Route 66” tour with Jim Kilpatrick, Stuart Liddell, Angus MacColl, and Willie McCallum. Mike was most recently the bass drummer for the Grade Two MacMillan band, where he enjoyed playing with his stepson and his grandson, both drummers in the band. He retired from the band at the end of the 2023 season. A retired professional mathematics’ educator, Mike has instructed at workshops, seminars, and summer camps in the US, Canada, and Scotland. He serves as a bass and tenor drumming adjudicator for EUSPBA and the PPBSO.

Jon Quigg – Snare Drumming

In 1973 at the age of 13, Jon Quigg began his drumming career in the Annapolis [Juvenile] Pipe Band in Maryland. His primary influences include the likes of John Bosworth and Alex Duthart.

In 1976, he moved into the professional solo competitor ranks and into the Grade 2 Denny and Dunipace Pipe Band of Washington, DC, more recently known as the City of Washington Pipe Band. While that band has always been home, over the years he has guested with a number of groups around the world, including bands in Monterey, Honolulu, Tokyo and Vancouver.

In 1989, he assumed the Drum Sergeant position of the City of Washington Pipe Band and helped them garner numerous North American contest wins, culminating in their winning performance at the 1999 World Pipe Band Championships.

In addition to his competition career, he has taken part in recording projects and drumming clinics around the globe. Highlights from recent years include the CoW corps’ successive wins in the drum salute contest at Winter Storm in Kansas City and an appearance at the White House. He currently oversees instruction for the drum corps of McMillan-Birtles Pipe Band, as well as the United States Naval Academy Pipes & Drums and the Virginia Military Institute Pipes & Drums.

Jon currently lives near Baltimore, Maryland with his wife, Beth.

REGISTRATION:
Registration Fee $220 – includes classes all day Saturday and half day Sunday, plus lunch Saturday
(Additional Saturday lunches for traveling companions who are not workshop registrants may be purchased in advance)
$20 Discount for registrations received by January 6, 2027
Registrations will be accepted after the discount deadline, space permitting, including at the door
Band Discount – $20 discount per person for bands registering six or more people
Last minute additions to band groups are no problem – email lindamhall465@outlook.com and I will send you a link to add to your group
ONLINE REGISTRATION PORTAL WILL OPEN IN THE FALL
All workshop proceeds will benefit the Fair Hill Scottish Games

SCHEDULE:
Friday, February 5 –
Registration Check-In 7pm – 9pm
Saturday, February 6 –
Registration Check-In 8am – 9am
Classes 9am – 11:45am
Lunch (included with tuition) 12pm – 1pm
Classes 1pm – 5:15pm
Ceilidh (free admission) 8pm – 11pm
Sunday, February 7 –
Classes 9am – 11:45am

Registrants are free to attend any classes they wish.  Dress all weekend is casual, highland attire not required.  The class schedule, including specific class itineraries will be posted closer to the date.

CEILIDH:
Saturday evening’s ceilidh will be a casual get-together with a cash bar and door prizes. Everyone will be free to share their love of piping & drumming (or any other Celtic instruments as well) by getting up and playing if they wish.  There will be no admission charge for the ceilidh.  All are welcome.  Dress is casual.

QUESTIONS?
For more information or any questions, contact:
Linda Hall – lindamhall465@outlook.com
Piping & Drumming Director
Fair Hill Scottish Games