The Pipe & Drum Team
2025 Pipe and Drum Director
Bobby Durning
Bobby started learning the Great Highland Bagpipes at the age of eight. He was taught for two years by a local pipe band in Bridge, NJ before being taught by Pipe Major George M. Bell of Parlin, NJ for eight years. He competed in amateur solo piping contests at many different Highland Games across the eastern USA starting at the age of eleven. Before being promoted into the professional solo competition level at the age of 18, he won the two top amateur solo piping contests in the world; the George Sheriff Memorial Invitational in Toronto, Canada and the Nicol-Brown Invitational in Albany, NY.
At the professional piping level, Bobby won the Strathspey & Reel competition at the North American Championships at the Glengarry Highland Games in August 2015. He won the Piobaireachd Society (Canada) Gold Medal in 2022, also at the Glengarry Highland Games - one of the top piobaireachd prizes in North America.
Bobby travels to Scotland annually to compete at the two top exclusive solo piping competitions in the world: the Argyllshire Gathering in Oban, and the Northern Meeting in Inverness. He is currently competing at the Silver Medal level; he placed 5th in the Northern Meeting Silver Medal in 2022, and 4th in 2023 in the same contest.
Bobby also played with three top-tier pipe bands. He was a member of the Grade 1 City of Washington Pipe Band from 2007–2010. During that time, he performed with City of Washington at the 2010 World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow, Scotland; he also performed at the White House with CoW for the Presidential St. Patrick’s Day Gala in March 2010. He was a member of the Stuart Highlanders Pipe Band for two years and performed with them at Fenway Park in collaboration with the Massachusetts State Police Pipe Band to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Boston bombing in April 2014.
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Piping Judge
James "Jimmy" Bell
Jimmy is one of the most accomplished North American Highland pipers of the last century. As Pipe Major of the Parlin and District Pipe Band in New Jersey, he directed the band to a North American championship in addition to multiple overall championships in their home association, The Eastern United States Pipe Band Association (EUSPBA). As a past president of that association, he helped steer it to become the largest such association in the world, encompassing Texas to Maine and Florida to Michigan.
As a solo piper Jimmy has been a previous winner of the Metro Cup, United States Piping Foundation (USPF), Midwest Highland Arts Fund Gold Medal (MHAF), Canadian Gold Medal, and EUSPBA Overall Professional Champion among many, many other prizes. He teaches and adjudicates throughout North America, Canada, and Scotland.
Jimmy is a senior adjudicator on the EUSPBA panel and is on the Scottish Solo Piping Judges Association.
Piping Judge
Patrick Regan
Educated far beyond his intelligence, Patrick Regan holds a BFA in Music Performance for the bagpipe, a MA in Adult Education, and a PhD in Historical Ethnomusicology (a word he
frequently misspells). He always wanted to become a piping judge when he grew up.
Unfortunately for almost everyone who knows him, he was able to pass the judges’ exam
without having to grow up.
As a competitor, Patrick has won a lot of prizes, and he has also gotten clobbered a lot of times.
He has played in, led, or instructed numerous pipe bands, most of which have had similar
competitive success. Patrick began teaching at age 11, and believe it or not, he STILL enjoys
teaching, especially adult learners, since it was his father, an adult learner, who was Patrick’s
first teacher. He is amazingly wonderful at commandeering a stage, then deploying his favourite superpower (making people laugh) in the presence of bewildered and unsuspecting audiences. Patrick recently retired from trolling political pages on Facebook.
Piping Judge
Dan Lyden
Dan Lyden is a full-time piping instructor, soloist and judge from Baltimore, Maryland. He is a professional-level soloist who has been awarded many prizes in professional competitions in the USA, Canada, and Scotland.
Dan was the Pipe Major of the Grade 1 City of Washington Pipe Band for many years. He led them as they competed at the top levels of the pipe band world, including the North American championships in Ontario, Canada and the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow, Scotland.
Dan has been the overall top-ranked professional piper in the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association many times over the years. He has been awarded prizes in countless professional solo piping contests in the USA, Canada and Scotland. Notably, Dan has placed 2nd in the Canadian Gold Medal, 2nd in the Braemar Gold Medal (2023), and 1st place in the Birnam Highland Games open piobaireachd (2024). Most recently, Dan was awarded 3rd place in the Silver Medal at the Northern Meeting in Inverness, Scotland in August 2024 - one of the most prestigious and difficult solo competitions in the world.
Drumming Judge
Ed Best
Ed is a 40+ year veteran of pipe band drumming, an A level drumming and ensemble judge (WUSPBA / EUSPBA), and an experienced educator with a B.A. in Music Education and Percussion, who has won the North American Championship, East Coast Champion Supreme, Ontario Champion Supreme, West Coast Champion of Champions, and Canadian Champion. Ed has placed in Grade 1 at the World Pipe Band Championships, previously served on the Music Board of WUSPBA and as Southern Branch President. Ed is currently the lead drum instructor for the world-renowned Dojo University.
The Highland Dance Team
2025 Dance Director
Vicki Cana
Vicki Caña started Scottish Highland Dancing when she was 7 years old. Her two older sisters danced and she cannot remember a time when she did not want to do Highland Dancing. Vicki thrived under the teaching of Margaret Reichelt in Mount Gambier, South Australia. As a young dancer, she was very
successful and placed top three in her Championships. As a young adult, Vicki moved to Sydney, Australia, where she join the Dorothy Kerr Highland Dancers. This brought new opportunities for Vicki in the Highland Dance world, including being part of a high-level dance troupe, performing at the Sydney
Opera House and Entertainment Centre, dancing in Indonesia and Japan, and, most memorable, performing in the Sydney International Military Tattoo in 1986. In 1989, Vicki travelled to Scotland on a Scottish Heritage scholarship and took lessons from Bobby Watson in Aberdeen (where her mother’s family originated from – the Maconachies). During her time in Scotland, she danced in many castles across Northern Scotland, competed successfully in many Highland Games, danced before the Queen at
Braemar, and competed in the heats leading up to the World Highland Dance Championships in Cowal. Vicki also gained her professional dance teacher certification with the UKA (United Kingdom Association,
Scotland) and the National Dancing Association (Australia). A few years after she moved to McKinney in January 2000, Vicki renewed her teaching certificate with the British Association of Teachers of Dance
(BATD). Vicki has been teaching Scottish Highland Dance in McKinney, Texas, since 2001, both in homeschool programs and through the City of McKinney. She currently teaches at the McKinney Performing Arts Center. Vicki has trained many successful dancers during that time. She has trained six national representatives, three professional teachers, and one Champion. Highland Dancing is her
passion and she excited to raise up the next generation of teachers and dancers in north Texas.
Highland Dance Judge
Pamela Patrick
From when she started dancing at the age of 8, Pamela Patrick has had a passion for all forms of dance but especially Highland Dancing! Moving around a bit as a child she trained mostly with Betty Lawrence, Sheila Mittig, and Catherine Fisher over the years. She enjoyed traveling around the U.S. to compete
and the friends she’s made, many of whom have become lifelong! She successfully competed in many highland dance competitions throughout the United States. Pam has been teaching for over 40 years
and has coached many dancers to both Regional and National levels and they have won championships.
Pam is certified as a Fellow Member with the B.A.T.D., and an adjudicator for the W.S.O.B.H.D Judges panel. She has judged throughout the United States and Canada. She enjoys teaching workshops and traveling which continues to grow her dance family!
Pam also works in recreation and loves hiking with her dog in the great state of Colorado! She has three grown children and two wonderful grandsons!
Highland Dance Piper
Doug Frobese
Doug Frobese began playing bagpipes at age 9 at St. Thomas Episcopal School in
Houston, Texas. In 1991, Doug joined the Hamilton (now St. Thomas Alumni) Pipe
Band, served as pipe major from 1997 to 2000 when the band won grade 3A and took
third prize in grade 2 at the World Pipe Band Championships, and played with the band
when it won the grade 2 World Championship in 2019.
Besides pipe bands, Doug also plays for Scottish highland dancing competitions and
with the Celtic folk bands The Rogues and Scotland Rising. Doug played for the United
States National Dancing Championships in 2008 and 2014. When not piping, Doug is a
lawyer in Dallas.
CELTIC TASTING CHEFS
Chef
Rusty Weatherly
Chef Rusty Weatherly is the Director of the Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts programs at Grayson College, a role he has held since founding the program in 2010. Before joining the Grayson team, Chef Weatherly spent 20 years in the restaurant and hotel industry. He holds certifications as a Certified Executive Chef and Certified Chef Educator from the American Culinary Federation. Additionally, he serves as the Director of the Red River Chapter of the Texas Chefs Association.
Chef Weatherly has received numerous awards throughout his career, including Texas Chef of the Year in 2024, Chef Educator of the Year for both the State of Texas and the American Culinary Federation's Central Region in 2020, and the Leavy Award in 2015. He was also recognized as the top-performing manager with LQ Management in 2007.
Chef
Chris Foster
With twenty-seven years of culinary experience, nineteen years in the restaurant industry, and 5 years in private catering, Chef Chris Foster is a seasoned chef and dedicated caterer. Passionate about crafting exceptional dining experiences, he prioritizes the needs of clientele and the success of every event. From intimate gatherings to large-scale functions, Chris brings expertise, precision, and a commitment to excellence to every dish, ensuring that each event is both seamless and unforgettable
Chef
Vijay
With over 25 years of culinary mastery, Chef Vijay is a distinguished and highly skilled chef,
renowned for crafting bold, flavorful dishes that span a diverse array of global cuisines. Having
trained under culinary legends such as James Beard Award-winning Chez Francois in
Washington DC, Chef Stephan Pyles, Chef Tim Byers, and Michelin-starred Chef Hemant
Mathur, Chef Vijay has honed his craft across India, the Middle East, Mediterranean regions, as well as Western and Latin cuisines. His expertise in advanced cooking techniques such as Tandoor, wood-fire cooking, charcoal grilling, and hot stone cooking elevates his culinary
prowess to an exceptional level.
Chef Vijay's culinary talents have been celebrated on the national stage, most notably as a winner on Beat Bobby Flay(2016), with appearances on Supermarket Stakeout (2022) and Cutthroat Kitchen (2013). In 2024, he was selected as one of the top 24 chefs to compete in the prestigious 24 N 24 Last Standing Chef competition on Food Network, which highlights the nation's top culinary talents.
Known for his innovative culinary approach, unwavering commitment to premium ingredients, and a passion for mentoring the next generation of chefs, Chef Vijay continues to push the boundaries of flavor and creativity. His dedication to excellence ensures that every dining experience he crafts is nothing short of extraordinary.
Chef
Romer
With almost 50 years of food and beverage and hotel operations experience in all types
of hotels as well as free-standing restaurants, Romer brings a wealth of knowledge to any
team. He has worked at both property and corporate levels with as many as 90 hotels under
his supervision . Whether it be a city luxury hotel, conference center, airport property, or a
resort, he has a proven track record of improving quality, service and financial performance in
many types of operations.
Over the past 12 years, Romer has owned several restaurants including Apollonia’s
Italian Kitchen in Richardson, GB Tumbleweeds Modern Texas Cuisine in Richardson, and
most recently Gillespie’s Tavern where Romer has had a chance to demonstrate his Irish
Heritage. If you happen to be in North Richardson, stop by Gillespie’s for a pint and some
good Irish food!!
The Whisky Tasting Team
Whiskey Enthusiast
Marius Donnelly
Marius Donnelly: Whiskey Enthusiast! With 35+ years in the bar and hospitality trade, Marius has worked extensively with whiskey. Well-known in Dallas as the former proprietor of Trinity Hall Irish Pub—home to 20 years of tastings, live Celtic music, and the largest whiskey collection in DFW—he brings a wealth of experience to every event.
He keeps his tastings lighthearted, informative, and filled with stories, making them always fun to attend.
"We drink for fun and taste to learn… making learning fun!"
Marius is now the owner of Off The Vine Wineshop & Cellar, offering wines from around the world, gifts, and accessories, with regular tastings and events on Grapevine’s historic Main Street. www.offthevinetexas.com