Scott Gajdos takes his act overseas
Our former piping instructor Scott Gajdos took off for Ireland in May.
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Great end to a successful St. Patrick's Day parade season
The band concluded its final St. Patrick's Day parade at Montauk on March 30th with a strong finish in what was a very successful season.
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Walt Francis
Snare Drummer

Instrument
Snare Drum

Joined the band:

2008

Influences:

Tom Curry/Dan Hart (Columbia & Dist. PB), Connor Francis (ACPB), Damien Murray Jr. (ACPB)

Education:

Oneonta State

Profession:

Chemist

Hobbies:

Soccer, Camping, Zymurgy

 

Walt Francis started his pursuit as a percussionist at the age of 9 with the John L. Edwards Elementary School Band in Hudson, N.Y. (The highlights of his career included being the glockenspielist (is that a word??) in the Percussion Ensemble and a Tympani Drum soloist in the (NYS) 1976 All Columbia County Orchestra.

He joined the band in 2008 after becoming tired of making two trips every Wednesday night to drop off and pick up his piper son (Connor). He also saw this as an opportunity on his part to save gas and minimize emissions in an effort to reduce global warming after viewing Al Gore in "An Inconvenient Truth". (What better way to honor the creator of the internet!!)

He is currently studying pipe band drumming under the direction of Bob Mulligan, who is presented with the challenge of transforming Walt from his concert band drumming experience into becoming a respectable pipe band drummer. Walt's favorite pipe bands are The Pipes and Drums of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards and Field Marshal Montgomery. His favorite drummers include Jim Kilpatrick and The Hip Pickles.

Walt plays a Premier HTS 700 snare drum (one of the CURSED BLUE DRUMS) with a set of Jim Kilpatrick KP2 sticks. His most outstanding memories with the band are his 1st NYC St Patrick's Day Parade and seeing Scott and Pat "attempt" to be drummers. OH YEAH, and watching Scott become airborne on the bus ride home from Montauk.

Walt lives in Babylon with his wife Deborah, and two sons Kyle and Connor.

 
 

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