Name: Reuben Santos
Age: 59
Location: San Francisco, USA
Instrument: Great Highland Bagpipes
Years Experience: 46

About Reuben:
Born of Filipino Parents from Ilocos Norte, Reuben is a very avid soloist from California. He started playing the pipes as a Boy Scout in San Francisco, and was one of the founding members of Prince Charles Pipeband, and played with them when they won the Grade 2 World Pipe Band Championships in 2000.

Reuben has been part of the Scottish Highland Games scene for many years and is an active member of the Western United States Pipe Band Association, you can usually find him associating, competing, and socializing at the closest ceilidh.

Name: Viet-phi Vo
Age: 19
Location: Burnaby BC, Canada
Instrument: Great Highland Bagpipes
Years Experience: 3

About Viet-phi:
He’s Filipino by birth, half Vietnamese by heritage and Canadian by citizenship. Viet-phi learned to play the pipes with the Robert Malcolm Memorial Pipe Band in Burnaby BC a feeder band of Grade 1 Pipe Band and former world champions, Simon Fraser University . 

He is considered a piping prodigy by his instructors from (SFU) ”Normally, it takes up to three years for piping students to move from the Beginner 1 class to Beginner 2, Beginner Pipes and then the Robert Malcolm Level 4 band. Viet Vo did the whole thing in four months.” says RMM instructor Rob MacNeil, himself an accomplished SFU band piper.

Prior to the pipes Viet-phi played the bass trombone in the B.C. Regional Cadet Honour Band. He is now now a serving member of the Canadian Forces regiment, Seaforth Highlanders of Canada, Pipes and Drums 

Name: Bruce Quintos
Age: 60
Location: Chicago, USA
Instrument: Great Highland Bagpipes, Guitar, Bodhran
Years Experience: 40+

About Bruce:
Bruce was born and raised on the “West Side” of Chicago by his Filipino & Irish parents. He started his professional musical career at the age of 13, playing lead guitar for the 60′s rock group The Shy Lads. A retired Commander In Chief of the Cook County Forest Preserve, Bruce is the Pipe Major and Musical Director for the Pipes and Drums of the Emerald Society, Chicago Police. Bruce also plays in his own Party Rock band called “RicoQuinn” as a piper, guitarist and bodhran player.

He has appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, performed at Carnegie Hall and has arranged and written many compositions for major Pipe Band performances.

Name: Darrell Calonge
Age: 34
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Instrument: Great Highland Bagpipes
Years Experience: 11

About Darrell:
Darrell’s Mom and Dad are from Pangasinan and La Union respectively. They met each other in Montreal, Canada. Darrell’s interest in the pipes came at an early age of 5 when his father took him to the Calgary Stampede Parade.

He started to take up the pipes when he was 18 years old, and started his tuition with the Clan Maxwell Pipes and Drums, then the Regimental Pipes and Drums of The Calgary Highlanders, Calgary & District/Calgary Scottish Pipe Band, now he is currently with The Calgary Police Service Pipe Band.

Darrell is a Grade 2 solo competitor, and the co-editor of the Alberta Society of Pipers and Drummers Newsletter.

Name: Daniel Eisen
Age: 28
Location: Hawaii, Oregon, USA
Instrument: Great Highland Bagpipes
Years Experience: 9

About Daniel:
Daniel is a piper for the Celtic Pipes and Drums of Hawaii, the Kells Irish Pipes and Drums and the New Orleans Irish Pipe Band. He is currently a student at at the Pacific University in Oregon. In 2003, on a school trip to England with Cambell High School, Daniel had the privilege of jamming with the Queen’s own piper Jim Motherwell. An article about this was published in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.

Name: Sarah Clark
Age: 21
Location: North Ayrshire, Scotland
Instrument: Great Highland Bagpipes
Years Experience: 6

About Sarah:
Sarah’s Dad is Scottish and her Mother is a Filipina from Dagohoy, Bohol. Sarah’s mom is also the Chairperson of the Phil-Scot Trust an organization that promotes Filipino and Asian culture in Scotland.

Sarah started on the pipes in Elementary School through a school sponsored program. She also plays with the St Andrew’s North Ayrshire Pipers, a pipe band formed by her instructor Mr. Jim Butler.

Name: Calum McManus
Age: 19
Location: Inverness, Scotland
Instrument: Great Highland Bagpipes
Years Experience: 6

About Calum:
Calum’s Mom is from Bicol and his Dad is Scottish. Calum has been playing the pipes since he was 8. He used to play with his School Pipe Band as well as the Queens Own Highlanders Association Pipe Band, based in Inverness. Calum is currently taking up Mechanical Engineering at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. 

Name: Mark ” Maharlika, Bobong “Baban
Age: Deceased  - Rest in Peace Mark, you will be remembered. 
Location: Fairfax, Virginia
Instrument: Great Highland Bagpipes, Tin Whistle, Saxohphone
Years Experience: 3

About Mark:
Mark is originally from from Iloilo City, Panay and went to school at Central Philippine University and Silliman University. Mark is a competing piper in Grade 4 Sr. in EUSPBA and plays with the MacMillan Pipe Band. He is currently a Hazardous Materials Technician with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue and has plenty of spare time to practice between calls.

Mark’s interest in the pipes came after seeing his brother Gene playing the Irish Uilleann Pipes. Mark’s journey as a piper is documented in his blog.

Name: Iain Abbott
Age: 16
Location: Hong Kong
Instrument: Practice Chanter
Years Experience: N/A

About Iain:
Iain Abbott is 16 years old and goes to school in Hong Kong. His Mum is from the Philippines and his Dad is Scottish. Iain is currently learning the practice chanter. His Dad plays in the Hong Kong Pipe Band and his grandfather used to play in the Scots Guards and in the Edinburgh City Police Pipe Band.

Name: Lt. Col. Mel Gaba Jr, U.S. Marine Corps
Age: 40-something
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Instrument: GHB, Fireside Pipes, Side Drum, and Asst. Drum Major

About Mel:
Mel is a first generation american-filipino born in California. Musical groups included: Montgomery Marching Aztecs HS band, Drum and Bugle Corps (Hollywood Knights and the Velvet Knights). Currently an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves. Affilated with the Stewart Tartan Pipes and Drums band based out of San Francisco, CA. Even though Mel plays the pipes, his current position in the band is as a Side Drummer, and Asst. Drum Major. Once he retires from the Marines, he will take up the pipes (in public), once again.