Andrew Douglas gets the gig: new Director of Piping & Drumming at Canada’s St. Andrew’s College

Following an exhaustive recruiting and interview process, Andrew Douglas of New York will be the new Director of the Piping & Drumming program at St. Andrew’s College in Aurora, Ontario. In September 2026, Douglas will succeed Matt MacIsaac in September, who has held the position since 2019.

The private, independent boarding and day school for boys from grades 5 to 12 has one of the few full-time piping/drumming teaching positions for non-College/University-level institutions in North America, and the only one in Canada. The full-time position was created in 1998, and Jim McGillivray held the role for 21 years.

From Upstate New York, Douglas was recruited to attend St. Andrew’s College, where he led the non-competing pipe band and subsequently graduated, going on to study at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, where he received a bachelor’s degree and competed with Grade 1 SFU.

Andrew Douglas is the founder of Piper’s Dojo, an online piping education platform he launched in 2010 and continues to operate with business partner Carl Donley. [Disclosure: Dojo University is an advertiser with pipes|drums.] Douglas was pipe-major of the Grade 1 Oran Mor from 2008 to 2013, and over the last decade has been a member of Grade 1 Inveraray & District, winning four World Championships with the band.

As a solo competitor, he’s won the United States Silver Medal for Piobaireachd (2017), the 2004 B-Grade Strathspey & Reel at the Argyllshire Gathering, and gained several prizes in the Argyllshire Gathering and Northern Meeting Silver Medals. He is an accredited judge on the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association panel and has accreditation as a Piping Teacher and Examiner with the Scottish Qualifications Authority.

Douglas and his wife, Stephanie, have a 10-year-old daughter, Hannah, and a son, James, who’s eight.

With Matt MacIsaac returning to his native Nova Scotia, the Ontario piping scene loses one accomplished piper, teacher and leader, but gains another.

We connected with Andrew Douglas for a conversation about his new job, the competing Grade 3 St. Andrew’s College Association, his plans for Dojo University and his hopes for his participation in Inveraray & District.

For those who also like reading, here’s a transcript of our conversation with Andrew Douglas:

pipes|drums: It is April 24th, 2026, and we are pleased to be co-announcing Andrew Douglas’s appointment as Director of Piping & Drumming at St. Andrew’s College in Aurora, Ontario. And we’ve got Andrew with us today to talk about the exciting new post, which is a rare one for a non-secondary school in Canada. Congratulations, Andrew.

Andrew Douglas: Thank you. Yeah, it’s been a crazy six or so months around the Douglas household, I can tell you that much.

pipes|drums: It’s exciting, and a good time to be joining the ranks of Ontario pipers and drummers. Tell us how the appointment came about.

Andrew Douglas: Just around the time that the school announced the opening of the position, I spoke with [current Director of Piping & Drumming] Matt MacIsaac about it. I’ve known Matt for a while, and we were chatting. He definitely wanted me to apply for the position. Matt and Jim McGillivray both have taught at the school in this position. They have a lot of pride in the program. I do as well, because I’m an “Old Boy” [a graduate] from the school. I was there from 1998 to 2003. Jim McGillivray first took that position; it was sort of new for the school to be thinking about elevating the program, and Jim happened to live in the area.

I remember Jim approaching my family about my coming to the school to help raise the program’s level. That’s how I got started there. Coming back to more recent times, Jim and Matt were both hoping that I would be interested in applying for the position. We spoke a little bit about that, and I sent in my resume. It became clear during the interview process that I would be a really good fit, and so would my family. We’ve got young kids, and they’ll be hoping to attend the schools there. So, it seems like a good fit.

pipes|drums: It’s a very proud academic institution in Ontario. We’re familiar with the role through Jim McGillivray, who, as you said, started it, and then Matt MacIsaac, who has decided to go back to his native Nova Scotia. What does the job entail?

Andrew Douglas: The Pipes & Drums at St. Andrews are a part of the greater Cadet Corps. St. Andrews College has a longstanding Cadet Corps that, I believe, dates back to before World War I. It’s still ceremonial, and that’s pretty cool. It’s visually stunning. And the whole school is involved. The pipe band has been a part of the Cadet Corps for over 100 years. It’s a long-standing tradition. And my job, similar to what Matt and Jim have done in the past, is to teach piping and put on a good show at a variety of school functions, including the annual Cadet inspection.

There are also special concerts featuring the Pipes & Drums, where the boys put on a really good show. I’m looking forward to being creative and doing exciting things with that. The pipes are part of the academic curriculum, so there will be a lot of teaching.

“The first phase will be learning about and preserving what’s already there.”

pipes|drums: You don’t start until August, but what about your creative vision for the program?

Andrew Douglas: That’s something that came up in our discussions with the school. The first phase will be learning about and preserving what’s already there. I was there, but that was 20, slightly more than 20 years ago, so a lot has changed. The level is a lot higher. I’ll be doing some crossover work with Matt, which will be good for learning more. The first year will just be figuring out how everything works. I’ll worry about any creative changes a little later.

pipes|drums: At St. Andrew’s College, the students don’t have a competing band, although many do enter solo competitions and do quite well. St. Andrew’s College Association is a Grade 3 band that was launched a few years ago. Will you be taking that over as well?

Andrew Douglas: The job definitely involves the Association Band. The exact details of that will be ironed out, but I’ll be involved with that band.

pipes|drums: Many people know you’re a member of Inveraray & District. Will you be continuing to play with them?

Andrew Douglas: I certainly hope so. I like to tell people, Well, you know, it’s kind of up to [Pipe-Major Stuart Liddell] and [Pipe-Sergeant Ali Henderson] whether or not I’ll play in Inveraray, but that’s certainly the plan. I’d certainly love to continue if everything works out and the school is happy with that.

pipes|drums: You’ve had a fantastic run with Inveraray. Unfortunately, you weren’t able to attend our conversation with Stuart, [Leading-Drummer Steven McWhirter] and Ali, but you had a strong hand in that medley.

 Andrew Douglas: I’m just smirking because there was an invite sent to me to come to that. But it was later discovered that Stuart had messaged a different Andrew Douglas about it! But last year was certainly an incredible year for the band, and, no question, it’s pretty cool to be a part of it.

pipes|drums: And what about Dojo University? You’ve been very successful with that and have a lot of participants. The future for Dojo University is . . . ?

Andrew Douglas: That’s obviously a big question. I’ve always been the face of Dojo U., but really, Dojo you has always been a two-man show. My business partner, Carl Donley, has really helped me build the business since he graduated from university. I called him right away: “Hey, come work with me and help me with this Dojo thing.” He’s really been the man. I’ve been the guy out there doing the videos and marketing, but the Dojo will continue to operate really well. Carl will be doing a little bit more, and I’ll be doing slightly less of the business’s operational mechanics. But I plan to teach and be involved in the Dojo. Not much is going to change in terms of the spirit of the project or how everything works. So, it should be pretty smooth. When I told Carl that we were considering this, he’s a great guy – he was really excited about it, and that’s the kind of guy he is. We’re making it work.

pipes|drums: You’re an old hand at seizing technology to do things remotely and making things seamless, whether it’s playing with Inveraray or Dojo University or teaching at St. Andrew’s College.

Andrew Douglas: It’s sort of a secret skill, isn’t it? I’m not a computer wizard, but I have enough interest in computers to make a lot happen in the piping world.

pipes|drums: Technology has made a huge difference to the scene. Last question: You’re born and raised in New York, an American citizen, so will you become a dual Canadian/American citizen?

Andrew Douglas: I don’t know. I’ll say this. I’ve lived in Canada for much of my life so far, albeit on student visas or permits. I was at St. Andrew’s for five years, then lived in Vancouver for five years, and I went to Simon Fraser University, so I’m very comfortable in Canada. It will be interesting to see. I’m sure my family will enjoy it as well. As for citizenship, we’ll just have to see.

In discussions with the school, the goal and the plan are for it to be a long-term thing if everything works out. So who knows what’ll happen there.

pipes|drums: Well, congratulations once again. It’s terrific to see Ontario gain such a prominent, accomplished person, and we’ll look forward to the future.

Andrew Douglas: Thank you very much for your time and for doing this. We’ll see everybody up there in September.

Stay tuned for more from pipes|drums, coming soon.