Tutors and Instruments
Accordion
Sandy Brechin
Sandy has played in many bands, but is probably best known for his work with the Scottish bands, Bùrach and Seelyhoo, with whom he has toured extensively. Sandy is also well known as a teacher of accordion. He teaches annually at the Celtic Connections festival workshops and is guest tutor at the RSAMD, Newcastle University, Lews Castle College Benbecula, Fèis Ghleann Albainn (Fort Augustus), Fèis Lochabair (Fort William), Fèis an Earraich (Skye), Fèis Rois Inbhich (Adult Feis in Ullapool), Sabhal Mòr Ostaig Summer Courses (Skye), Fèis ‘sa Mheadhan (Fest o the Mids, Stirling), Fèis Dhun Eideann (Edinburgh), Edinburgh Youth Gatherin, and ALP Scots Music Group.
Bagpipe
Iain MacFadyen
Hailing from a famous family of pipers from the Isle of Mull, Iain took up the pipes at an early age, going on to become one of the most successful competitors of all time. In 1973 Iain became piping instructor for Skye and Lochalsh, retiring in 2001 after having influenced the upsurge in piping standards both locally and nationally through his work as examiner and advisor to the SQA. Iain was made a Fellow of the Educational Institute of Scotland for his outstanding contribution to Scottish education, inducted into the Traditional Music Hall of Fame in 2007 and awarded the Balvenie medal for services to piping in 2008.
Clàrsach
Ingrid Henderson
Ingrid Henderson lives in Glenfinnan, at the head of Loch Shiel. Being born and brought up in Lochaber, she was lucky enough to be surrounded by traditional music since birth. With early guidance from music tutors such as Savourna Stevenson, Angus Grant and strong family influences, she began performing, touring and recording at a young age.
Winning the 1990 BBC Radio 2 Young Tradition Award at thirteen resulted in world-wide performance opportunities including the Vancouver Folk Festival, Lorient in Brittany, and Dranouter, in Belgium. Solo work turned into more collaborative projects firstly working with her brother Allan, (Blazin’ Fiddles) to produce a number of albums and in more recent times with Gaelic band ‘Cliar’, and in a duo with Skye-based singer Anne Martin. She has also performed live and recorded with many other great artists such as Margaret Stewart, Julie Fowlis, Altan, Iain MacDonald, Daimh and Mary Smith.
As well as performance and recording work she is involved in other aspects of the Gaelic arts field such as composing for television, musical direction and developing youth arts provision within my home area of Lochaber. She released her first solo album 'The Little Beauty” in 2005 on Old Laundry Productions, the record label and studio she runs with her husband Iain MacFarlane.
Fiddle and 6th Year Studies
Innes Watson
Innes Watson, from Glasgow, is an award-winning multi-instrumentalist with over two decades of experience in performing, recording, teaching and producing. He grew up in the Scottish Borders in very supportive musical surroundings encouraging an extremely eclectic mix of skills, abilities, interests and accolades that combine to make Innes one of the most highly-regarded and sought-after musicians on the folk scene today.
He has taught at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (having graduated from there with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Scottish Music in 2006) and is a firm favourite for adult and youth learning organisations up and down the country. He has appeared on at least 42 albums released in Scotland in the last 16 years and has worked with some of the most notable performers in the country. In 2011 he won the title of “Instrumentalist of the Year” at the MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards and has featured heavily therein with bands and as accompanist to dozens of performers.
Fiddle
Megan Henderson
Megan is multi instrumentalist and singer hailing from the West Highland town of Fort William and was crowned ‘Musician of the Year’ at the 2022 Scots Trad Music Awards. Her early musical training was received through local Feisean and the Lochaber Musical School.
Megan went on to study Classical Violin at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama where she gained her degree and valuable experience in performance, composition and arrangement.
Traditional Scottish music always remained a strong passion and shortly after graduating she joined highly respected Scottish folk group Breabach. In her 12 years with the band, Breabach have carved out international recognition as one of Scotland’s most innovative and creative acts.
Gaelic Song
Rachel Walker
Rachel was brought up in the small village of Kinlochewe in Wester Ross. There she was encouraged by her school-teacher to compete at local Mòd’s and perform at local cèilidhs, and with regular attendance of Fèis Rois, she soon fell in love with the songs, language and culture of the Gael.
After studying classical music at Napier, Rachel was accepted onto the first year of the BA Scottish Music course at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Since then, Rachel has performed extensively throughout Scotland and further afield. She has recorded three solo albums, and has added her voice to many other recordings.
In 2013 Rachel was voted Gaelic Singer of the Year at the Scottish Traditional Music Awards. She was also nominated in the Composer of the Year category in 2015. Rachel won the An Comunn Gaidhealach Gold Medal for solo Gaelic singing in 2017.
Guitar
Jack Evans
Multi instrumentalist Jack Evans has been involved in the Scottish music scene for many years, as a member of Jock Tamson’s Bairns, The Easy Club and The Cauld Blast Orchestra. Known primarily as a guitarist, Jack also plays mandolin, bass, whistle and flute. He has played on many albums as a session musician and has written music for several stage presentations. More recently, Jack has established a reputation as one of traditional music’s leading record producers, working on a variety of projects from the very traditional to the contemporary dance stylings of his Keltik Elektrik projects for G2 records. Jack is a lecturer and tutor on the RSAMD’s B.A. (Scottish Music) course.
Piano
Andy Thorburn
Andy Thorburn is one of Scotland’s busiest and most versatile musicians, and is probably best known as the piano player with Blazin’ Fiddles. His new solo CD of own compositions, Piano, was released to great critical acclaim in January 2005. Recent work includes the With Strings Attached tour with Blazin’ Fiddles, playing on Peatbog Faeries’ forthcoming album, writing music for Grey Coast Theatre’s production Song of Sutherland, typesetting Paul Anderson’s Cromar Collection, acting as the external examiner at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, working as the musical director for the opening concert at the Hebridean Celtic Festival 2003, and advising the government on music curriculum development in schools.
6th year studies
Mhairi Hall
Mhairi Hall was born and brought up in Aviemore, Strathspey. She received her undergraduate degree in Gaelic Studies from the University of Aberdeen and continued on to a post-graduate programme at the University of Limerick. There, she completed an MA in Irish Traditional Music Performance from the Irish World Music Centre under the guidance of renowned pianist, composer and academic Professor Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin. Mhairi has created a unique Scottish/Gaelic style of piano playing, and is now working on projects with Gaelic singer Kathleen Graham and Swedish singer Ulrika Gunnarsson. She has performed throughout Scotland, Ireland, England and Germany with bands such as ‘Cluanas’, ‘Dannsa’ and ‘Dòchas’.
6th year studies and Gaelic language
Deirdre Graham
Growing up in a musical family on the Isle of Skye, Deirdre was steeped in Gaelic culture from an early age. She went on to study at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland before moving to China and Malaysia, where she embraced the local music and traditions. Since returning home Deirdre has been active in promoting Gaelic music.
Taking a contemporary approach to Scottish Gaelic singing, Deirdre Graham’s raw and emotive vocal performances combine with rich orchestration to evoke powerful themes in song and story.
Deirdre’s passion for the story behind the songs resulted in her self-produced podcast series, Gaelic Song Stories (2021), in which she interviewed revered tradition bearers, historians, and local experts.
Song
Siobhan Miller
Siobhan Miller is a multi award winning Scottish folk singer and songwriter, including being crowned Scots Singer of the Year four times at the Scots Trad Music Awards.
Born in Penicuik, Scotland, Siobhan Miller grew up in the folk scene singing at festivals she attended with her parents from a young age. Growing up in a musical family, Siobhan Miller made her singing debut at the Auchtermuchty Festival when she was 13 years old winning both the children’s and women’s competitions. Siobhan graduated from Glasgow’s RSAMD with a 1st Class Honours degree in Scottish traditional music.
In 2015 Siobhan released her first solo album 'Flight of Time' and her career as a solo artist took off, touring internationally with her band. Recent albums have included Bloom (2022), All Is Not Forgotten (2020), Mercury (2018), and Strata (2017).
Whistle
Angus MacKenzie
Hailing from the village of Mabou, Cape Breton Island on Canada’s east coast, Angus grew up surrounded by Highland culture and with Gaelic as the language of the home. He started on the pipes at a young age and soon got involved with the Gaelic College Pipe Band, where he received instruction from some of the best pipers in North America and went on to win many competitions both at home and in Scotland.
After leaving school Angus headed to the Isle of Skye to study Gaelic at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig. It was during this time that he started his professional musical journey, playing sessions and dances with the original members of Dàimh and many other musicians that were playing on the thriving west Highland music scene.
Media Assistant
Robert John MacInnes
Robert is a former student of the music school and is currently the only student to complete the six years of high school at the centre. He is from Kishorn originally, but is now based on the Isle of Skye.
His released his debut music EP 'Ri Taobh a' Chuain' in 2023.
Alongside his music, Robert also works as a radio presenter at Radio Skye and showcases traditional music through his programme Friday Night Trad.