Gail Brown (musician)

Brown grew up in Milton, Ontario, her family having strong Scottish heritage.[1][2] Her family was connected with the Scottish settlement Scotch Block and attending the Boston Presbyterian Church since its construction.[1]

She commented on her mother's influence in starting Brown's interest with piping at 7,[3][4] where her mother had "always wanted to play as a young teen,"[2] but due to transportation constraints at the time, was unable to and encouraged her daughter's playing instead.[2] She received her first solo lessons at this age with piper Don Deming before she took lessons with Bus Featherstone of the Dundas Pipe Band.[4]

Brown Joined the Milton Girls Pipe Band at the age of 13.[3] She won first place in the Junior Piobaireachd in the 17 and under category at the Markham Highland Games in 1969, winning Detroit's Bob-Lo Highland Games in the same category prior.[4]

In 1969, she was the sole female piper within the Woodstock Highlanders Pipe Band, which had eventually merged with the Highland Fusilliers of Galt.[4] At 18, she was the Oakville Pipe Band's pipe sergeant for 4 years.[2][4]

She attended Milton District Highschool, and spent her spare time tutoring students in piping.[4] She received mentorship by piper John Wilson in 1967, both in group classes and private instruction, until she moved overseas.[2][5]

Brown had initial plans of being a teacher abroad,[4] but was told by a teacher's college in Glasgow that she would need prior college education in Canada before applying.[2] After Brown completed high school, instead of teacher's college,[2] she would leave Canada for Scotland to continue playing in piping competitions.[3]

Brown initially spoke with Pipe Major Tom McAllister in 1970 to join the Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band,[2] which the latter attempted to dissuade her for three years, saying to Brown that she was "just a wee lassie".[6] She eventually joined Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band in 1973, the first woman to be accepted into the band.[3][7] Her approval into the band was solidified with support from McAllister and Lead Snare Drummer Alex Duthart.[6] Brown described her time playing in the band as not unfavourable, except with unwanted attention of being the only female that made her "feel like a freak".[2] She later learned that McAllister received complaints about her inclusion from several other grade 1 pipe majors.[6]

After she left the Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band, Brown founded the Milton Optimist Pipe Band in 1990 at the age of 37.[8][9] The band had 20 members from the Halton region.[10] In the summer of 1993, they won the Canadian Pipe Band championships in Cambridge, Ontario following their victory at the U.S. Open Championships.[11] In 1994, the Milton Optimist Pipe Band won the juvenile grade at the World Pipe Band Championship.[11][5] In 1997, the band had first-place honours in the grade 3 category while competing in the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow, Scotland.[5][12][13] The Milton Optimist Pipe Band was renamed by 1998 the MacDonald Caledonia Pipe Band,[2] and the group continued competing until 2005.[3]

She teaches piping to both youth and adults from her home in Milton, Ontario.[3][5] In addition to teaching and playing piping competitively, Brown was a judge for pipe band competitions until her resignation in 2017 from the Pipers & Pipe Band Society of Ontario.[5]

Brown was inducted into the Milton Walk of Fame in 2010.[3][14] She played in the opening night of the 100 Years 100 Women project in 2019, which was a collaboration between the Canadian Federation of University Women Milton & District and the Fine Arts Society of Milton.[15] She was honoured in the same project under the arts category for her music career.[15]

Brown was diagnosed in 1998 with breast cancer, which she entered remission after a few months of medical treatment.[2]

Brown has three sons: Graham, Glenn, and Blair, who were all born and raised in Milton.[1][5] Her sons all took interest in music,[3] joining the Milton Optimist Junior Pipe Band led by Brown in their youth, which had them playing snare drums and pipes as careers.[1][2][5]

• Gail Brown at BagPipeJourney.com