Eric Froese
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My bagpipe sojourn started in the fall of 1976. I was seventeen and for the past few years of my life was inundated with the sound of bagpipes. You see my dad Frank Froese Sr. had taken up the pipes at the ripe old age of thirty something and as was his way it became the major focus of his spare time which meant practice, practice, practice which also meant that you could not hear yourself think in our house let alone try and watch television. Needless to say I developed a healthy dislike for the pipes but I digress.

In 1976 I toke up the bagpipes with the motto “If you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em” attitude. Naturally I joined the Branch 4 Royal Canadian Legion Pipe Band under the direction of you guessed it Pipe Major Frank Froese Sr. pay back began. (He had to listen to me squeak and squawk my way through learning the bagpipe.) By 1977 I had been bitten by the bug and could not get enough of the instrument of torture as I used to call it. It was practice, practice, practice. (Like father like son) Then in 1981 my eyes were opened to real practice and dedication. I had joined the 1979 Grade 1, 1^st at the Worlds Drum corps and 5^th place overall at the World Pipe Band Championships, Triumph Street Pipe Band. In 1981 Triumph Street was under the direction of Pipe Major Robert Menzies. With a lot of help from Rob and numerous other band members Jill, Graham, Christine and pretty much the whole band I began to make the grade and played with the band until 1988 or 89.

With a young family at home and an electrical career to pursue I took a couple of years off. In May of 1991 I changed careers and became a Vancouver Firefighter it was also then that I realized how much I missed my piping. I joined the Maple Ridge Pipe Band under the direction of Pipe Major Graham Davidson. After a few years around 1993 or 94 after bringing the band up to Grade 2 Graham left the band and Angus MacPherson took up the reins as Pipe Major. I played with the Maple Ridge Pipe Band until 2000 during which time the band competed and did well in numerous contests as well as the North American Pipe Band Championships and the World Pipe Band Championships.

In the fall of 2000 I moved back to where it all began the Chilliwack and District Pipe Band (formerly the Branch 4 Royal Canadian Legion Pipe Band) in Grade 3, Pipe Major Fred Hansford after a very successful year of competition and a 6^th place finish at the World Pipe Band Championships in 2001 Fred Stepped down and Doug Bird took over as Pipe Major. We returned to the Worlds stage in 2003 with a very respectable 3^rd place finish in piping. Chilliwack and District Pipe Band is now competing in Grade 2 locally and we have plans to return to the World Pipe Band Championships in 2006.