With 40 years experience, John is an A grade
Solo and Pipe Band Piper.
He has performed in Celtic Festivals in New Zealand,
Australia, Canada, France and including four annual events of Scotland's
famous Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
Beginning at the age of 10 years, John
was initially taught by his father Jim Patterson who was in the
1940's a prize winning A grade soloist and pipe band tutor.
It was when Band Master Ken Morris left Nelson, that John made his
debut and became instructor of the Nelson Intermediate Pipe Band and the Nelson Air Training Corp
Pipe Band.
While attending Nelson College, John was in charge of the Pipe Band and
it was at this time that he concentrated his efforts in solo playing.
The result was, winning many prizes in the South and North Island
Competitions,
initially in the B grade, then the A grade.
When 18 years old, John moved to Lower Hutt and became a member of
the Piobaireachd Society and attended classes taught by Sir Ian MacKay,
who is today the Societies Patron. During this time, opportunity arose to practice
daily under the guidance of George Pilcher who was then New Zealand's premier reed maker, a
prominent piper and competing rival to Jim Patterson in the 1940's
Joining the City of Wellington Pipe Band, John
played under the direction of Pipe Majors
Frank MacKinnon QSO and Lewis Turrell MBE Gold Medallist.
On moving to live in Scotland, John joined the Black Watch
Territorial's as
a piper and performed duties in Scotland and England. While there he
received piobaireachd lessons from Murray Henderson, Gold and Clasp Medalist and four times the Glendiddich Champion.
Returning to New Zealand John played in the Innes Tartan Pipe Band under
the direction of Pipe Major Bill Robertson of the Royal Scots, and had tuition from Gold Medalist
Donald Bain.
