Biography

Steven Graham ranks winning the World Pipe Championships as a member of the Shotts and Dykehead Pipe Band as one of his greatest achievements to date.

Steven started drumming at six, by the age of 14 he became one of the youngest drummers to play in Grade 1 when he competed with the Dysart and Dundonald Pipe Band.

On the solo scene, Steven’s achievements have been equally impressive, winning every solo contest available at Junior grade at least twice. In 2004 he played Djembe and snare drums with the Red Hot Chilli Pipers when they supported ‘Darkness’ on stage at T in the Park. He achieved all this without a drum of his own.

From Inverkeithing in Fife, Steven is coming to the end of his studies in piping at RSAMD, under the tutelage of world-class percussionist, Jim Kilpatrick, where Steven’s tutors predict a stellar career.

Snare drumming is Steven’s passion, although he is equally talented on Djembe, Bohdran and other percussion instruments.

How the Award Helped

A Dewar Arts Award helped Steven to buy a performance-standard snare drum to match his prodigious talent.

Since the Award

Steven graduated with a music degree in 2005 and was set to teach snare drumming. His band, Red Hot Chilli Pipers, won the “When will I be Famous?” competition hosted by Graham Norton and since then have begun to carve out a performing career.

They released the highly successful ‘Bagrock to the Masses’ CD in 2007, performed at New York’s Tartan Week in 2008 and at Ewan MacGregor’s annual Burns Supper in London two years running.