Dougie McCance from Glasgow is a finalist in the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician 2017. We asked Dougie the following questions:
How did you get involved in Scottish music?
I have been playing the bagpipes for over 14 years; receiving tuition from Donald McPhee, Roddy MacLeod (MBE) and now currently from Chris Armstrong. At the age of 14, I joined ‘The National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland’ and have performed onstage with the biggest names in Scottish music such as Carlos Nunez, Phil Cunningham and Fred Morrison. My biggest influence is my cousin Phil Smillie, who is an original member of the folk trailblazers ‘The Tannahill Weavers’.
Why did you enter BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Award?
I have been touring with the ‘Red Hot Chilli Pipers’ for the past 7 years and am now looking to broaden my musical experiences and challenge myself by performing solo.
What do you hope to gain from the experience?
So far, from attending the semi-finals weekend, I have met many talented musicians. I hope to continue this networking and hopefully one day, record my own solo album and showcase my own compositions to the world.
Do you have any particular musical highlights?
Some of my notable piping highlights are recording on the soundtrack to the Dreamworks film ‘How To Train Your Dragon 2’, playing on the MainStage at Scotland’s biggest music festival ‘T in the Park’, and performing with Ed Sheeran at the EMA Awards.
What are your plans for the future?
I hope to graduate from the UHI with a degree in BA Applied Music, perform with my own band, meet/collaborate with new musicians, continue to write music and record a solo album!
Why not buy a ticket to hear Dougie McCance or any other of the finalists at the Grand Finals on Sunday February 5th at 5pm. The finals are part of Celtic Connections festival. If you can’t make it along the event will be broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland between 5 & 8pm and on the iPlayer afterwards.