Pipe Music from Canadas East Coast

Barry Shears was born in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia in 1956. His first bagpipe lessons were from Angus MacIntyre at age twelve . He currently holds the Canadian Armed Forces (Reserve) Pipe Major's Certificate, The Senior Pipers Certificate and Teachers Certificate from The Institute of Piping in Scotland, and has won the Champion Supreme trophy for professional piping in Nova Scotia five times. Highlights of his piping career include: a 1981 musical tour of Scotland and Nova Scotia with folk singers Stan Rogers and John Allan Cameron; a 1990 performance of Cape Breton music on a lie to air broadcast for Radio France in Paris with Jerry Holland, the late John Morris Rankin, and Dave MacIsaac; and arranging and performing the pipe music for the critically acclaimed Canadian movie Margaret's Museum. Currently retired from competition, Barry spends much of his spare time researching Nova Scotia's extensive piping history, collecting traditional pipe music, performing at concerts and dances, adjudicating piping competitions, and teaching and lecturing on Cape Breton dance music both at home and abroad. Married with two children, Barry now resides in Halifax, Nova Scotia.