At the Stone Mountain Highland Games, Sunday, Oct. 20, John Cantrell, a 12-year old seventh-grader at Tryon Seventh-Day Adventist School, who lives in Green Creek, came away with two silver medals for his performances in the 17-and-under division bagpipe competition.

In the first requirement, the playing of a 2/ 4 march, Cantrell competed against 14 others. The second part of competition was the playing of a Piobaireachd, a highly developed piece of classical music written for the bagpipes and considered by experts to be the most important form of pipe music. Because of its difficulty, the field was smaller consisting of only eight contestants.

Cantrell has played the Scottish bagpipes for three years. He first studied under the late Ken Swinton, Pipe Major of the Grandfather Mountain Highlanders Pipe Band and is currently studying under Pipe Major Sandy Jones, former Pipe Major of the U.S. Air Force Pipe Band and current president of the North American Academy of Piping and Drumming.

When questioned as to how much of the credit for his weekend success should be given to his teachers, John replied, “All, of course.”

– article submitted by Glenn Cantrell