Chris Yeo - Chairman
Chris is a proud Canadian and now lives in the project area in Auchinleck. He retired from HM Canadian Armed Forces in 2017 after 30 years of dedicated service. He moved through a few roles before reaching his dream job of Regular Army Pipe Major and in this role has travelled the world from Moscow, Seoul, The Netherlands, and extensively throughout North America
Chris has played in pipe bands most of his life, starting at age 8 and he still enjoys competing with East Ayrshire's only competing pipe band, Kilmarnock. He also takes lessons with a former World Champion to prepare him for solo competition, heighten his level of performance and become a better student. He wants you all to know that "The learning never ends!"
Chris is really excited to be an EPIC Trustee, and being a part of the 'centre of excellence' the EPIC team are establishing in East Ayrshire.
Heather Allan - Treasurer
Heather is an accountant, having grown up and continuing to live in the project area, she is keen to see piping and drumming flourish here.
When she has a passion for something, she sees it through to completion channeling all her time and effort to ensure her passions are a success. With this sheer determination and passion for the project, she is a great asset to our team.
Stewart Allan - Secretary
Stewart is a Quantity Surveyor, a regular prizewinner in Solo Piping Competitions around Scotland, and a senior member of Kilmarnock Pipe Band.
Having grown up in the project area when quality piping tuition was not available, he hopes to fill this gap in provision and help East Ayrshire revitalise it's piping and drumming past.
Stewart is passionate about ensuring others get the chances he never did - and with his cool logical head and well structured planning - he is a fantastic asset to our team.
Fiona MacKay - Trustee
Fiona has been an ardent supporter of piping and drumming for several years, having recognised the benefits young people can gain from developing their skills and becoming accomplished musicians. Previously she provided background support at her daughter's bands MacKenzie Caledonia Novice Juvenile and Grade 2 bands. More recently she spent 6 years as band manager at the Grade 1 Vale of Atholl Pipe Band, responsible for all day-to-day running of the band, and co-ordinated their community and schools tuition programme, making her experience invaluable to this project. In past years, she has also supported young people's development through being a trustee for the Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust who provide funding to help young musicians across Scotland. Fiona is currently a Service Manager with Perth and Kinross Council with a portfolio that includes transformation and improvement.
Guy Hinks - Trustee
Guy is delighted and thrilled to have been appointed a Trustee of EPIC. He sees the benefit of EPIC as not only providing expert instruction on piping and drumming, but also life skills.
Whilst at university in his early 20's studying law, Guy attended the College of Piping for tuition, and later joined Kilmarnock Pipe Band.
He is a self-employed photographer working in the Marketing and PR fields which followed a successful career as a court solicitor. He is well respected in the business community being a Volunteer for the Federation of Small Businesses, and a member of the Scottish Policy Unit which involves setting policy aims and meeting with MPs, MSPs and Government Ministers.
With Guy's legal background, business experience and Marketing and PR awareness, his skills provide a commercial layer of support to EPIC, which provides young people in East Ayrshire the very best in Pipe Band Education.
Paul B. Warren CIFM - Project Manager
Paul initially served in the armed forces before moving into professional project and fundraising management. He has a successful track record in solo piping and pipe band competition, specialising in pipe band coaching and management. He is currently the pipe major in East Ayrshire's last remaining pipe band, Kilmarnock.
Formerly a piping instructor with the National Piping Centre, he was the founding director of the National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland, and is a registered SCQF/PDQB Assessor for the National Piping Centre.
Paul is a peak-performance coach, and wants young people in East Ayrshire to believe that they can achieve excellence in performance and life, and wants to help them achieve it. He wants to regenerate the piping and pipe band tradition in East Ayrshire, and see pipe bands performing at the top of their abilities, and ultimately, bringing home world titles.
Karen McCrindle BA (Hons) - Project Administrator
Karen was originally taught through two of our project area's schools: Barshare Primary and Cumnock Academy, before she gained her BA (Scottish Music - Piping) Hons from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She is currently the pipe sergeant at Kilmarnock Pipe Band, and runs their youth development training programme.
For the past decade she has been employed as a full time piping instructor, as well as publishing 37 books on the piping and drumming examination syllabus. She has played in every competitive pipe band grade, and in both pipe and drum sections, and in 2018 finished 10th in the top grade in the World Pipe Band Championships competing with the Vale of Atholl Pipe Band. She is also a registered assessor for the SCQF/PDQB exam syllabus on behalf of the National Piping Centre. In 2018 she launched a collection of 5 books at Piping Live Festival in Glasgow entitled "The South West Scotland Collection" which celebrates Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway's lost heritage.
Karen has always wanted to return to East Ayrshire to ensure all students have the chance she had, and to improve the standard and participation in the local piping and drumming community.
