The Piping Diaries – Stuart Easton
For the first of what will be many interviews with top-class New Zealand musicians, we interview Stuart Easton. Currently one of New Zealand’s top A Grade pipers, Stuart has achieved a considerable amount in his short piping career. He took the time to answer some questions posed by PBNews.
Easton’s interest in piping almost certainly spawned from his father’s involvement with piping. “As a youngster my father would take me along to various competitions such as the Claidhmor and Wellington Cup. It was almost inevitable that I would learn the pipes one day.” – his father being Murray Easton, a well-known piping identity.
Stuart has also won virtually all the top prizes in New Zealand – Silver Chanter, Gold Medal, Former Winners Clasp, the Celtic Inn Targe -Most Points at every competition. His solo record for a young piper is substantial already, and growing both domestically and internationally. He puts it down to preparation and dedication; “I suppose like anything, if you want to do it then you can’t make excuses. You just need to get on with it and be a bit smarter about how you do it. Preparation is everything.”
PBNews: What would you say was your proudest solo piping achievement?
There are a lot of prizes which I have always strived for. To put a tick next to that particular prize is always satisfying. My proudest piping achievement, I would hope, is still yet to come.
Easton has also had a lot of high-level tuition from some of the world’s greatest players -“I have been very lucky to have had tuition and attended seminars with the likes of Greg Wilson & Murray Henderson. In recent times it has really been thanks to the Comunn na Piobaireachd NZ, the Donald Bain Memorial Fund and the Bill Boyle Foundation that we get these opportunities to learn from the greats. The BBF in particular has been a towering support and given me the best opportunities to successfully compete and learn in Scotland.
But Stuart doesn’t limit his involvement in a personal sense – he has been heavily involved in tutoring both young solo players and band players. His work with the John McGlashan College Pipe Band led them to several high points in their history, including the Grade 3 Medley at Hamilton 2006 and 2 Juvenile titles back-to-back. “It is very rewarding to see the growth & development in players you have taught. I get a huge kick out of seeing the young toe rags that I taught in Dunedin now competing amongst the A grade players. Likewise, with the students I teach in Palmerston North. It is especially rewarding that two of my pupils Matt [Fraser] & William [Rowe] have won the Comunn na Piobaireachd Silver Medal in its three year existence. Having some of my pupils playing in the ranks of the band at the World Pipe Band Championships was a huge achievement.”
Easton has competed successfuly overseas too, predominantly in Scotland, and with some considerable success. We asked him how he compared the standard here with over here – “The quality of the pipers who compete in Scotland is certainly impressive. They have great depth of talent in the solo competitions. The key is to get over there, gain as much experience as possible, and gauge where the benchmark really is.”
He has also been involved heavily in the Manawatu Scottish Society Pipe Band – one of the greatest New Zealand pipe bands to date – since its beginning Grade 1 days. “I joined the band when I was 16 after the Palmerston Nationals in 1996. When I started, Greg Wilson was the P/M and a tough one at that. He laid the foundation for the bands style in which we still try to achieve today. Stew McKenzie took over in 2001 and has led the band to numerous National and International successes. The band has more or less become a part of the furniture now, a fantastic bunch of guys and an abundance of talented musicians…. Although in recent times there seems to be an abundance of babies…”. Stuart could probably add engagements to that – his fiance, Shelley Reid, also plays in the band as a tenor drummer and is a talented Highland Dancer, having won the New Zealand Championships on numerous occassions.
PBNews: Where do you see the band going in the next few years?
Day care centre….The band is always developing and looking at ways to move forward. We are very hard on ourselves and forever pushing the boundaries to achieve musical excellence. Stew is doing a fantastic job managing the global network of our band. The next few years will be very exciting with some frightening young talent moving up the ranks.
Stuart is well known for setting his goals high – and unashamadly too. His sights are set pretty high for the next 10 years – “In 10 years I would like to have the Argyleshire or Inverness Gold Medal.” And, knowing Stuart, there is no doubt he’ll try his hardest to do it.
His one piece of advice for pipers (and drummers, we assume) is simple yet poignant -“Make excellence a habit.”And anyone that knows Stuart will know he does make excellence a habit. One observer at the recent Queens Birthday Competitions noted that “all the other pipes were of excellent standard, however, his [Easton’s] just stood out. Magnificent tone and well blended. It was a different standard altogether”. Stuart won Most Points Open/A Grade at that competition.
Finally, PBNews asked Stuart about a story he heard – excellent anecdotes in the pipe band world are always available. “ha ha I have many many stories…. Perhaps we can share one over a beer. But for a laugh, a friend of mine working in the Piping College received a phone call from an American woman wanting to order a reed that could play Amazing Grace…. Go figure”
There is no doubt Stuart Easton is a fitting first musician for our series on top-class pipers and drummers. Many people involved in the Solo Piping scene see Stuart Easton as the next star of New Zealand Piping – most believe he is already. PBNews wishes Stu all the best for this season in Scotland for the band and for his solo circuit, which this year includes the prestigious Silver Medal competition, and thanks him for agreeing to this interview.
