We offer workshops for individuals and for bands at all levels. Our services include piping, snare, bass, and tenor drumming instruction. From coast-to-coast, across the border, and ‘over the pond’, we’re ready when you are.
Instructional Staff
Mike Cole
Mike Cole is one of the world’s foremost experts and educators in pipe band bass and tenor drumming. Mike has also had experience as a leading drummer. He has instructed in workshops throughout North American as well as Scotland.
In 1994 “Twisted Thistle” was the name given to a bass drum mallet that was designed and created by Mike Cole. Since that time Twisted Thistle has evolved into a company that offers a wide variety of musical and instructional services.
Mike began playing the drum set in 1964 and started his pipe band career in 1987. He has written volumes of bass and tenor scores and has played the side, tenor, and bass drum at the highest competitive levels. He also has served as a drum technician and consultant to some of the world’s top level competitive bands, including Simon Fraser University Pipe Band. Mike is an accomplished drum set player and hand drummer. Before becoming active in pipe bands he played professionally for 15 years, drumming in a wide variety of bands including work with Chicago blues artists Junior Wells, James Cotton, Sam Lawhorn, Lefty Dizz, as well as R&B legends Sam & Dave.
In 2010 Mike was the bass drummer for the Grade 1 Inveraray and District Pipe Band. He lived in Scotland for the summer and played all of the major contests with the band. Mike serves on the board of directors of The Midwest Highland Arts Fund (Winter Storm). He is currently playing the big drum in his hometown with the City of Chicago Pipe Band with his good friend and leading drummer, Chris Barr.
Chris Barr
Chris started his drumming career at the tender age of 5 with his father, Ted Barr. With his father’s guidance and instruction, he progressed to his first Grade 1 band, the Metro Police Pipe Band, at 12 years of age. This was his first experience playing under the legendary Drew Duthart.
Five years later, Chris played under his father’s guidance again with the City of Detroit Pipe Band in Grade 2. They went on to place 2nd in drumming at the 1996 World Pipe Band Championships. Upon his father’s leave of absence, he went back to Grade 1 for the next 5 years with the Toronto Police Pipe Band, drumming under Alan Savage.
The opportunity to lead his own drum corps came in the years 2003-2004 with the North Coast Pipe Band. With his brother Ryan as his right hand man, they accomplished great success winning the 2004 North American Championships in Grade 2. In 2005, Chris joined the Grade 2 Windsor Police Pipe Band under leading drummer Michael Crawley. That year, they won the North American Championships and placed 3rd at the World Pipe Band Championships. He continued with the band in 2006 as it successfully moved into Grade 1.
From 2007-2009, Chris once again played under Drew Duthart with the notoriously famous 78th Fraser Highlanders, led by Bill Livingstone. This amazing experience allowed him the opportunity to win a Grade 1 Worlds Drum Corps title at the 2007 Worlds Pipe Band Championships, with the entire band placing 4th overall.
In 2010, Chris became lead drummer for the Grade 2 City of Chicago Pipe Band. After an award winning season, he is looking forward to leading the newly promoted Grade 1 City of Chicago Drum Corp onto the field in 2011. He continues to compete in open solo competitions, like he has for the past 14 years. Chris credits his success to his instructors: Ted Barr, Drew Duthart and Alan Savage. He also acknowledges his brother, Ryan Barr, who has shared success with him every step of the way.
Adrian Melvin
Adrian Melvin was born in Dundee, Scotland, began learning bagpipes at the age of 13 years from his father, P/M Kenneth Melvin. With a strong introduction to piping they played together in the Mackenzie Caledonian Pipe Band.His piping education continued with instruction from P/M Ian Duncan of the Scotrail Vale of Atholl pipe band. Adrian was a member of the ‘Vale’ from 1988 to 1992, when the band won the European and British Championships.Adrian moved to Melbourne, Australia in 1992 to become a police bandsman with the Victoria Police Pipe Band under the direction of P/M Nat Russell. He played with them in 1998 when they won the World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. That same year he won both the Silver Chanter and past winners Clasp in New Zealand in the same weekend, an achievement repeated only one time since.After the Victoria Police Pipe Band stopped competing in 1999, Adrian moved to North America and played with past world champions, The 78thFraser Highlanders, winning a North American title in 1999. He has also played with Strathclyde Police, LA Scots and City of Washington. He was P/Sgt and P/M of Midlothian Scottish Pipe Band during a 6 year stint, twice taking the band to 2ndplace in Grade 2 at the North American Championships in Maxville, Ontario. Adrian has many solo awards on his CV. He achieved a personal favorite in 2004 at the Argyllshire Gathering in Oban, Scotland, winning the ‘B’ Grade Marches and taking 2ndin the ‘B’ Grade Strathspey & Reel.Adrian now resides in Batavia, Illinois with his wife Jenny and their new baby boy, Angus. In addition to working as a full-time bagpipe instructor for individual students and bands in the area, he teaches workshops and judges solo and pipe band competitions throughout North America. He also has gained his Advanced Piping Certificate from the VHPBA in Australia.Currently, Adrian is playing with the Grade 1 City of Chicago Pipe Band.
Tristan Wilson
Tristan Wilson started piping when he turned 9 years old as a third generation member of the Kansas City St. Andrew Pipes & Drums. Although living on a family farm has its many upsides, rural Kansas was pretty far away from a bagpipe hub. After receiving a strong foundation in proper playing technique and musicality from current KCSA P/M Tom McKee, Tristan began attending workshops throughout the United States, Canada, and Scotland to learn as much as possible. His most consistent and influential instruction came from P/M Jim Higgins, the late P/M Angus MacDonald MBE, P/S Jake Watson, the late Lindsay Kirkwood, Jimmy McIntosh MBE, Alasdair Gillies, and Andrew Wright.
Tristan strongly focused on his competitive solo career as an amateur. His notable solo accolades include 1st places at the George Sheriff Memorial and United States Piping Foundation competitions. He also holds a unique distinction of being placed in the top 5 of all Major US Pipe Band Associations Grade 1 solo Champion Supreme standings simultaneously. Throughout this time, he was involved in the Grade 3 and, later, Grade 2 Kansas City St. Andrew Pipes & Drums which holds an unprecedented streak of aggregate first places in piping for nearly 7 years in all contests played including the World Pipe Band Championships.
Tristan’s traveling solo career was put on hold until he completed his bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering in 2006, but he received numerous champion supreme awards from the MidWest Pipe Band Association during this time. While studying for his bachelor’s in Chicago, Illinois, he became the piping instructor for a small upstart band known as the Chicago and District Pipe Band – later the City of Chicago Pipe Band. His expertise helped the band break a streak of 100% last places in grade 3 to its first, first place in grade 2 in 3 short years.
Tristan is currently the Pipe Sergeant of the Grade 1 City of Chicago Pipe Band. He handles a full load of private students and instructs numerous bands throughout the MidWest. His bagpipe compositions have been featured on the Winter Storm Concert Series as well as by Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band. In his spare time, he has become quite proficient at snare drumming and has composed numerous tenor and bass scores and voicing patterns. He has been a piping instructor at the prestigious Winter Storm Workshop since January of 2003.