Draft:Kerr McQuillan

Kerr McQuillan (born 27th June 2004) is a Scottish pipe band snare drummer from Scotland and the Leading Drummer of People's Ford Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia Pipe Band.

Life
McQuillan was born in Glasgow, Scotland on 27th of June 2004. Since then, McQuillan has remained in Scotland, currently living in Bearsden, East Dunbartonshire.

After his initial schooling, McQuillan continued his studies on the BMus in Traditional Music course at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

From birth, McQuillan was steeped in pipe band music, due to his parents' involvement with People's Ford Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia Pipe Band. This meant that McQuillan has been learning the snare drum his entire life.

Pipe Band
McQuillan began his pipe band career playing the tenor drum, taught by his father, Stephen McQuillan. However, from the age of six, McQuillan was taught the snare drum by Tom Brown MBE (the previous leading drummer of People's Ford Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia Pipe Band). McQuillan won 5 world tenor titles before moving full time to the snare drum where he has never looked back.

In 2013, McQuillan played in his first pipe band competition with People's Ford Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia Pipe Band's Novice band. McQuillan was then promoted to the Grade 1 band, playing his first season in 2019 under Leading Drummer, Gordon Brown.

In 2022, Gordon Brown retired after a monumental 30 years in charge. McQuillan was then appointed as Leading Drummer at the age of 18, making him the youngest leading drummer at the top flight of the grade 1 in the pipe band circuit. The following season, People's Ford Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia Pipe Band won the UK Pipe Band Championships, as well as gaining the title of World Pipe Band Champions for the first time in their history.

Solo
McQuillan started his solo career by winning 5 World Solo Tenor Drumming competitions from 2012-2016, where he won both the tenor and snare events on the same day.

Debuting in the adult solo circuit in 2023, McQuillan won the Scottish Solo Drumming Championships in April, and went on to win the World Solo Drumming Championships in October, making him the youngest ever winner of the title, winning on his first attempt.

In 2024, McQuillan won the Scottish Solo Drumming Championships for the second time in a row, followed by the Intercontinental Solo Drumming Championships and the European Solo Drumming Championships.

Teaching
McQuillan currently teaches at the High School of Glasgow, who won their Junior B category at The Scottish Schools Pipe Band Championships (2024), receiving their first ever drumming prize.

Outside of school, McQuillan also offers online tuition, teaching students from all over the world. These worldwide connections have led to McQuillan leading workshops in multiple places, such as Brittany.

Performing
In addition to his pipe band accomplishments, McQuillan is a member of the Celtic rock band Drums n' Roses, which has taken him all over the world to perform in some of the most renowned venues, such as Sony Hall and Times Square.