THE East Ayrshire Pipe Band Academy - known as EPIC - held a very successful Spring School last week in Netherthird Community Centre.

This was an intensive week of tuition, exam preparation, and band practice, interspersed with games and a pop-up piping cinema –

showing all things from the World Pipe Band Championships, to pipe band concerts, Bagad Cap Caval from Brittany and even Riverdance.

Kilmarnock Pipe Band came to Cumnock and did an open practice evening where students were able to go along and see how a competition band practices, and at the end of the night were able to get up and join the band for a tune on the pipes and drums.

The week concluded with SCQF Level 3 exams, where Dr Andrew Bova and Dan Nevans of the National Piping Centre came down and did all of the testing.

The students were so well prepared and the exams passed so quickly that the examiners had time to mark all the papers before catching the train home, and they were delighted to confirm that all students had passed.

A spokesperson for EPIC said: “What an EPIC end to our Spring School this week – everyone sat and passed their SCQF Level 3 exam.

“We would like to say a big ‘well done’ to all of our students who worked so hard all week, and performed so well in their exams.

“Well done to all of our EPIC students who have worked so hard this week, and huge thanks to Dr Andrew Bova and Dan Nevans, of The National Piping Centre, for coming through to do all of our exams, and speak to all our students and parents.

“Huge thanks also to everyone at Netherthird Community Centre who have done such an amazing job of looking after us all week.”

EPIC East Ayrshire Pipe Band Academy are always looking to enhance young people’s skills and understanding of the instruments.

You can find more information about their work on their Facebook page, or by going to epicea.scot.