Jim began competing as a professional in 1972 and in the next two decades he won the major piping prizes on both sides of the ocean, including the Gold Medals at Oban and Inverness and the Clasp at Inverness. For 10 years Jim was a large part in the Guelph Pipe Band's rise to the top rank of premier bands, and led the band to it's second North American Championship in 1981. From 1988-92 he was a member of The 78th Fraser Highlanders winning three more North American Chamnpionships.
Since retiring from competition, Jim has turned to teaching and publishing. In 1988 he published Rhythmic Fingerwork, an exercise tutor with CD which is now in its fifth printing, and has two instructional videos, Pipes Ready and Pipes Up which continue to sell.
Since 1998 Jim has been director of the Piping and Drumming Program at St. Andrew's College, an independent boys school in Aurora, and was co-founder and director of the Ontario School of Piping and Drumming at St. Andrew's College.
Jim has adjudicated across North America and in major contests such as the Gold Medal and Senior Piobaireachd at Oban and the Bratach Gorm at the London Piping Society Contest.
Jim has a business, McGillivray Piping, selling bagpipes of various makes and also vintage bagpipes. You may visit McGillivray Piping online at http://www.piping.on.ca .
Also, check out Jim's great new website that contains pipe tunes for downloading at PipeTunes.ca .
