Alliance of North American Pipe Band Associations

The SPBA is a member of ANAPBA, and has sent representatives to the ANAPBA summits over the years. The main thrust of the SPBA's participation in ANAPBA has been to keep current with other North American associations, and to have input into the standardization of playing requirements, grading and other issues affecting solo musicians and pipe bands.

ANAPBA has made some significant improvements in the standardizatiuon of band and solo events across North America, and it has started to define qualifications and processes for establishing adudication panels. As well, ANAPBA has made efforts to communicate openly with the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association, and other national associations.

Over the years, ANAPBA has been the scene of some interesting meetings between representatives of world associations. The Australian Pipe Band Association and the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association have both sent representatives in past years, and this had opened up a dialogue about sharing adjudicators, streamlining grading, and being open to hearing more from each other about the issues bands face when they travel to Scotland to compete. Here, former ANAPBA Chair Al McMullin of the Eastern US Pipe Band Association signs an accord with Ian Embelton, the Executive Officer of the RSPBA. In the photo below, former (and now the current) Chair Jeff Mann (L) exchanges handshakes after signing an accord with Greg Gordon of the Australian Pipe Band Association. The accord with the RSPBA led to a meeting of world pipe band associations following the World Pipe Band Championships in 2003, and there is another planned for 2004. Also, some ANAPBA members from Ontario traveled to Scotland this past winetr to make presentations to the RSPBA AGM.

For complete information on ANAPBA, please visit the web site.