SLOT’s Mikey McKenna wins British Adult Solo Drumming Championship; four qualify for World Solos semi-final

Glasgow – August 8, 2022 – Mikey McKenna of St. Laurence O’Toole was the winner of the RSPBA’s Glasgow & West of Scotland Branch hosted the first British Adult Solo Drumming Championship, a qualifying event for the World Solo Drumming Championship in Glasgow in October. The competition was held at the National Piping Centre’s Otago Street premises and the 13 contestants had to submit two MSRs, and play one selected by the judges before they start.

1st Mikey Mckenna (Ireland)
2nd Steven Shedden, Hawthorn (Australia)
3rd Robert Graham, Simon Fraser University (Canada)
4th Grant Cassidy, Uddingston (Scotland)

All four get to skip the first round and receive and go straight to the semi-final at the World Solos.

McKenna received the Joe Noble Trophy, presented by and named for the former World Solo Champion and long-time lead-drummer and member of several Grade 1 bands.

Also competing: Douglas Aitken, Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia (Scotland); Calum Burns, Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate (Scotland); Fraser Bruce, Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia (Scotland); Harvey Dawson, Peel Regional Police (Canada); Russell Essler, ScottishPower (Scotland); Mackenzie Forrest, Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia (Scotland); Cameron Mckail, Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate (Scotland); Rachel Thom, Police Scotland & Federation (Scotland); Stuart Walker, Paisley & District (Scotland).

Blair Brown of Houston was the winner of the 2022 Scottish Solo Drumming Championship, and he and three others have also qualified for the World Solo semi-final.

The World Solo Drumming Championship is scheduled to return after a two-year hiatus on October 22nd. Inveraray & District’s Steven McWhirter will compete for his tenth consecutive and eleventh total World title. Now retired, Jim Kilpatrick holds the record with 16 World Solo Championship wins.