CONNECT:
the band
Dressed in kilts and sunglasses, Tartanic gives its audiences a barrage of sound from not one but TWO Highland Bagpipes, and three percussionists. Imagine one dancer, six drums, six drones, 18 notes, fast fingers, high comedy, flying bagpipes, taste-defying stunts and scorching hot music played at over 120 beats per minute with driving speed and high-volume, all brought to you by five men without pants.
Description
Band members: (listed alphabetically)
Micah Babinski
Micah Babinski
Micah is 22 years old and joins Tartanic from the rainy streets of Seattle, Washington. He has been playing the pipes for 13 years and has won numerous awards in piping as a soloist and a band member.
Sophia Balentine
Sophia Balentine
A former member and instructor for Body By Bellydance, Sophia has spent the last two years in Manhattan participating and performing with the Casbah Dance Experience with Morocco, one of the first dancers admitted to the AAMED Mideastern Dance Hall of Fame as a “world class” performer and instructor as well as a lifetime achievement award winner from both the Isis Foundation and Zaghareet Magazine.
Andrew Beck
Andrew Beck
Andrew Beck began his piping career at the tender age of 10 years old taking lessons from Bill Smillie.
He started down the Great Highland Bagpipe Competition path two years later with Northwest Indiana Pipes and Drums and quickly qualified as Champion Supreme at Grade III.
David Duncan
David Duncan
David began bagpiping at age 12. He has since played in many traditional pipe bands including: North Coast Pipe Band, 7 Pipers Society, 78th Frasers, Toronto Police, Midlothian Scottish and the College of Wooster Pipe Band.
Geordie Hall
Geordie Hall
Haling from Duncannon Pennsylvania
A recent Graduate, she will be continuing in the field of music education this September.
Irene Jaan
Irene Jaan
A self-taught filmmaker and self proclaimed wanderluster, Irene Jaan, sold her 12 year-old eclectic Texas "earthstore" in 2010 and hopped on a plane to see the world. With 2 kiddos in tow and hubby John they jetted off to live in Ecuador for the duration of the year. She thought she had their life planned out. Little did she know...
John E Jaan
John E Jaan
John E Jaan has been dancing, acting, performing, and drumming since the age of six when his Scottish grandfather (with roots from the Innes clan, whose ancestor is Berowald) gifted him a Muppet Show drum kit. His desire to play like Animal has never waned. When he was invited to play with Tartanic he pounded at the opportunity!
Jill Anne Jack
Jill Anne Jack
A former member of Celtic Menagerie, Jill Jack spent over five years performing professionally before lending her skills to this project. Now a partial owner and full time road dog, she draws her inspiration from the many cultures and areas she visits. “Life is a highway. Let’s ride.”
Alex Korolov
Alex Korolov
Scott MacLeod
Scott MacLeod
Scott has been playing bagpipes for close to two decades. Scott has had the privilege to play in several grade 1 and 2 bands in both the United States and Canada, wining many prizes along the way.
Max McDougall
Max McDougall
Max has had a passion for drums ever since he was but a wee one, but started learning and playing more seriously by the age of fourteen. He has played percussion, mostly drum kit, with many different bands and genres of music in the Houston and Greater Houston Area such as: Violent Iris (Alternative Rock), Erase the Virus (Industrial), All the Above (Punk), and Sever Syndrome (Emo).
Will Thayer
Will Thayer
It all started years ago at the Arizona Renaissance Festival when Will saw a group called Tartanic. From then on, he knew he wanted to play the pipes.
Adrian Walter
Adrian Walter
Adrian Walter is the booking contact, drummer, dancer, and front man of Tartanic. If you let him—he’ll pick up guitars and penny whistles or a didgeridoo—but heavy medication has aided greatly to quell this urge.
Mark James Varelas
Mark James Varelas
© 2013 Tartanic LLC