Tyrone in pre-school
Tyrone plays for children during recess at a Mercer Island daycare, March 2008.  Chad Coleman/Mercer Island Reporter
 
Elliott Bay Pipeband
Tyrone with students Evan Thomas, John Brock and Mick Diddams after 2005 Elliott Bay concert at Culzean Castle, Scotland.

Instruction

Students are met with privately, either in person or over Skype, and sometimes in a classroom setting with others.  Private students range in age from as young as 8 to over 80, including boys and girls, women and men, raw beginners or advanced players.  Whether students are working with scales or technique, or learning music with an advanced approach, all apply their best attitude to their pursuit of good music with the Highland Bagpipe or practice chanter.  Students' goals range from focus on better technique, recreational enjoyment, sometimes solo competition, and sometimes toward becoming team musicians and leaders with Seattle's Elliott Bay Pipe Band (where Tyrone volunteers as Pipe Major). Details regarding his Private Instruction, or his Intermediate Bagpipe Class are below.

Feel free to browse remarks from Tyrone's students.  Additionally, his August 2009 success was noted with Seattle Times coverage, and in other commentary.

Tyrone began teaching in 1990 with a student named Vince, one of Seattle’s homeless. In 1994, with about a dozen students, Tyrone left his career to pursue piping full-time. View his piping resume here.

Tyrone’s schedule for weekly instruction includes youth and adult beginners through advanced players. Notable advanced students include Aggregate Winners in grades I, II and III in most regional games, including the 2003 winner of the British Columbia Pipers Association Annual Gathering Grade I Piobaireachd.

Tyrone has a Bachelors of Science in Speech Communication (Oregon State University), with a minor in Engineering Physics. Prior to becoming a full time piper, Tyrone specialized in niche marketing strategies for law, architecture, and graphic design firms.

Private Instruction

Tyrone offers private lessons weekdays, from morning to late afternoon.  Private lessons may be in person or over Skype.  Lessons times may vary to meet the needs of both student and teacher.  Weekends and evenings are reserved for performances, rehearsal and travel, as are some Fridays.

Intermediate Bagpipe Class

Currently on hiatus, Tyrone started an evening class in 1994, meeting five Wednesdays over three months, geared for players with some experience. This class was the perfect place for those interested in coming back to play after many years of absence, those moving from weekly instruction to a less rigorous schedule, or those wishing to maintain their piping education in friendly, relaxed setting.
 
If you would like sheet music for music covered in these sessions, or are interested in future classes, please feel free to email tyrone.heade@comcast.net.