Lyon College Pipe Major wins bagpiping gold medal

By Samantha Jones
Lyon College Communications Assistant

BATESVILLE, Ark. (LYON) - Ringing in his tenth year at Lyon College this fall, Scottish Heritage Director and Pipe Major Jimmy Bell has quite a bit to celebrate. Bell has won many awards for piping since joining the Lyon community, but his recent win at the Glengarry Highland Games tops them all.

Performing "The End of the Great Bridge," Bell won the Piobaireachd Society Gold Medal in Ontario, Canada. The medal is awarded to the most premiere pipers in the world, being withheld if the competing pipers don't perform outstandingly.

The Glengarry Highland Games is one of the many contests Bell has competed in since childhood. His parents being from Scotland, Bell began piping at a young age. He worked in a hospital 14 years before coming to Lyon, judging and participating in piping competitions in his downtime.

But he didn't really begin competing until he joined the Lyon community in 2003.

"I always won prizes, but I have so much more opportunity here," Bell said. "Lyon is a unique place for bagpipers in that way."

Since 2007, Bell has won all the major piping awards in the country, including the overall title last year. His students, too, have been on a winning streak.

According to Bell, his students excel both at Lyon and in competitions. Bell said that he encourages members of the pipe band to take academics seriously, telling them to always stay two weeks ahead of their syllabi.

"What we do is about life lessons," he explained. "You have to have focus and determination no matter what you do."

These values have led to student-driven management in the pipe band, allowing pipers to succeed long after graduating from Lyon. Bell named several successful alumni, such as Patrick McLaurin, an instructor in the chemistry department at Texas Tech University College of Arts and Sciences.

"If you're dedicated and focused, you'll succeed in every facet of life," he continued.

Bell also noted how much he's enjoyed working at Lyon the past 10 years, noting how there are many intelligent people at Lyon.

"There are not many places like this in the world," he said, emphasizing the opportunities he's had at Lyon. "I get to do my hobby for a living. I love it here."

(Source: Lyon College)

Source: http://batesville.todaysthv.com/news/news/254943-lyon-college-pipe-major-wins-bagpiping-gold-medal

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