Cascadia Pipe Band
American pipe band
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Cascadia Pipe Band is a Grade 2 pipe band based in Seattle, Washington. It is led by pipe major Patrick Downing and leading-drummer Steven Wheeler.
| Cascadia Pipe Band | |
|---|---|
Cascadia Pipe Band at the 2025 World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow, Scotland | |
| Established | 2021 |
| Location | Seattle, Washington |
| Grade | 2 |
| Pipe major | Patrick Downing |
| Drum sergeant | Steven Wheeler |
| Tartan | Ancient Hunting MacMillan |
| Website | cascadiapipeband |
History
The Cascadia Pipe Band was formed in 2021 by four friends; Patrick Downing, Kyle Gaul, Matt Maier, and Aaron Stone; with the shared goal of forming a competitive Grade 3 pipe band based in Seattle, and beginning to compete in 2022. After attracting some more members, the band had a successful 2022 season, competing in the BC Pipers' Association competition circuit, and being promoted to Grade 2 for the 2023 season.[1] This made Cascadia the first Grade 2 pipe band in Washington since the old City of Seattle Pipe Band, which disbanded in 1990.[2] Since being promoted to Grade 2, the band has won the BCPA Grand Aggregate award in every one of its seasons.[3]
The band travelled to the Scottish Highland Gathering and Games in Pleasanton, California in 2023[4] and 2024[5]; the Chicago Highland Games in 2024; and the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow, Scotland in 2025, finishing in 7th place in a class of 21 Grade 2 bands.[6][7]
In 2024, Cascadia created a Grade 4 development band to help develop talent in the Pacific Northwest.[6]
Personnel
The band is led by pipe major Patrick Downing, who is one of the band's founders. Before founding Cascadia, Downing was a long-time member of the Vancouver-based Triumph Street Pipe Band. Steven Wheeler took over as leading-drummer in 2023. Before joining the band, Wheeler played in the Grade 1 City of Dunedin Pipe Band for two years and led the Grade 2 Robert Malcolm Memorial Pipe Band before that.[8] Although the band is based in Seattle, it has several Canadian members from Vancouver, who commute to band practice bi-weekly.[9]