Dave McKenzie

 

resume

Dave is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Arts degree  in Russian and RTVMP( Radio, Television and Motion pictures)

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Grandfather Mountain Highlanders Pipe Band

1984-89, 1990-92, 1996-Present

Dave plays in the point position between the drum corps and the pipe corps in the competition circle and has graduated to the front rank in the band’s marching formation. He was also involved in the recording of the band’s self-titled first album, and is called upon to play as a soloist to feature more unusual and difficult music and to demonstrate the various styles of piping at concerts and other public performances. As a soloist, Dave competes in Grade I (the top amateur level) at Highland Games in North America and Scotland, consistently winning or placing in the prize list. He is a member in good standing with the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association, The Southern United States Pipe Band Association, and the Pipers’ and Pipe Band Society of Ontario, Canada.

 

1992-Present 

Dave is a founding member of this band, who’s philosophy has always been to use traditional instruments, tunes, and styles as a foundation to cross over and blend contemporary instruments and styles from rock ‘n’ roll, jazz, blues, Caribbean and bluegrass to create our own kind of world music or “new folk”, effectively blurring the dividing lines between the various genres and cultural traditions. In addition to warpipes, he also plays shuttle pipes, a smaller, quieter bagpipe recently developed in Canada. Dave has also added electric bagpipes, tin whistle, the Australian Aboriginal Didgeridoo (the world’s oldest wind instrument), and the Japanese Shakuhachi, an end-blown bamboo flute, to his arsenal of instruments. He sings backup in Gaelic songs and in English, and arranges traditional pipe music for the band’s repertoire, having composed many original tunes for their new material.

  • Voted Best New Music Trend in Creative Loafing’s Best of Charlotte Poll in 1993.

  • First Place winner in the Charlotte Folk Music Society's annual festival and competition in 1993.

  • Opened for Rod Stewart and the Moody Blues at Blockbuster Pavilion 1993-94.

  • Headline act at the Black Mountain Folk Festival twice annually 1994-95

  • Headline act at “Be Here Now” in Asheville, North  Carolina, three times between 1994-95.

  • Headline act at Double Door Inn twice between 1994-95.

  • Headline act at River Place festivals in Greenville, SC; Eno River festivals in Durham, NC and St. Patrick’s Day festivals in Charlotte, NC between 1994-96.

  • Headline Act at the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games’  Gaelic Mod 2002.

 

Charlotte Caledonian Pipe Band

1981-1984

The pipe band where Dave had his first competition experiences and formative lessons from his mentor and 1st Pipe Major, Burt Mitchell.

 

Performances

 General

 

Schools/Educational Performances

  • Spirit Square – Celtic Celebration – Music Day for Charlotte/ Mecklenberg Students

  • Northwest School of the Arts

  • Randolph Middle School

  • McClintock Middle School

  • Marie G. Davis Middle School

  • Huntersville Elementary School

   

Memorial Services/Funerals

  • Firefighter Josh Early ( see photo in the Gaellery section of Dave's site)

  • Police Officer Gene Griffin

  • Police Officer Andy Nobles

  • Police Officer John Burnette

  • Bill Dollar - WSOC-FM Radio Personality

  • Fountain Odom, Sr.

  • John B. Stedman, Sr.

  • Memorial for the Queen Mother (for the Charlotte Office of the British Consulate)

  • September 11 Memorial