Instrument/Department: Group Instruction - Snare Drum
Joined Hochstein Faculty in: 2022
Tom started learning WWI style pipe band drumming from his grandfather at the age of eight. At elementary school age, he was training classically at the Hamburg NY Schools and received private instruction with Steven Henry. He played in both All County and All State bands several times. He was taught pipe band drumming by Jack Strickland of Fort Erie, ON Canada and Jimmy Agnew of St. Catherine’s, ON Canada. Tom has received PPBSO (Canada) Champion Supreme Honors through all grade levels during his individual and band career.
Tom played briefly with The Clan McFarlane Pipe Band in St. Catherines and then joined the 78th Fraser’s, Toronto. After a brief family hiatus, Tom began to instruct local bands in Upstate NY, and now teaches many bands and individuals across North America both in person and via web-based lessons.
He played for the Toronto Metro Police Band with Drew Duthart, and then with Peel Regional Police and with the innovative Toronto Police Pipe Band with LD Doug Stronach.
Tom is a certified snare drumming adjudicator with EUSPBA and PPBSO and holds the highest level of certificate in drumming from the combined Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association, The Army School of Piping and Drumming, and the Institute of Piping, known collectively as the Piping and Drumming Qualifications Board.