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Michael Breidenbach began playing the bagpipes in 1992 at Macalester College , under the tuition of Andrew Hoag. Later he studied with Donald Lindsay, Jim McGillivary and the late Lindsay Kirkwood. In 1997 and 1998 he was awarded Champion Supreme by the Midwest Pipe Band Association in Grade II as a soloist. He is now recognized as an accomplished Grade 1 piper. Mike has also played with Kansas City's Grade 2 Band. Since December of 1999, Michael has been the Director of Piping at Macalester College where he teaches lessons and directs the pipe band. Under Michael's direction the band won the champion supreme title for grade IV in the Midwest Pipe Band Association and the was promoted to grade 3. Not to be outdone by themselves, they've won champion supreme in their new grade 4 of the past 6 years. As of the 2010 season the band will be competing as a Grade III band and supporting a Grade V band.
Steve Sutherland began pipe band drumming in his hometown of Birmingham, AL in 1974. From 1976 through 1979, Steve was Assistant Instructor under Tim Gladden at the School of Scottish Arts in North Carolina. In his career he has also received tuition from Eddie Asten, David Wonsey, Bob Ford, J. Reid Maxwell, Gordon Parks, Jim Kilpatrick, Tom Kee and Jon Quigg. Steve joined the Minnesota Pipes and Drums in May of 1992 and was elected Drum Sergeant in October of that year. In September of 2000 he became the Drumming Instructor and Drum Sergeant of the Macalester College Pipe Band under Pipe Major Mike Breidenbach. Under Steve and Mike, the band has progressed from Grade IV to the top of Grade III. The drum corps continuously wins best drum corps and best bass section awards and has produced several prize winning soloists. Steve competes in Grade 1 snare solos and has been the MWPBA Champion Supreme in that grade on multiple occasions. He teaches private lessons in the Twin-Cities along with his duties as Drumming Instructor for the college. In his real life, he is a self-employed single Dad with two kids. |