Drum Sergeant Ryan Barr started playing the snare
drum at the age of six with his father, Ted Barr, as his
first teacher. Major influences on Ryan’s drumming are
his father, his brother, Chris, Drew Duthart, and Alan
Savage. By the age of eleven he was playing in the
Grade One Metropolitan Police Pipe Band, under the
leadership of Drew Duthart. Several years later his father
started his own drum corps in the Grade Two band,
City of Detroit. Ryan joined the City of Detroit and was
a member when they won second place in drumming
at the World Pipe Band Championships in 1994.
After his father retired from pipebands Ryan returned to
Grade One, playing in the Toronto Police Pipe Band
under the leadership of Alan Savage.
Beginning with the 2003 season Ryan joined his brother
as part of the GradeTwo North Coast Pipe Band’s drum corps.
The band had two very successful
seasons winning the Grade Two North American Championships
and numerous drumming prizes. Then Ryan played with the Grade Two Windsor Police Pipe
Band, which won every contest, except the World’s where they took third place.
The band moved to Grade One in 2006, where they enjoyed a successful season,
winning the Saturday contest in Pleasanton, California. In 2007 Ryan returned
to playing under the direction of Drew Duthart in the Grade One 78th Fraser
Highlanders. That year the band placed fourth at the World’s and the drum corps
won the “World Drum Corps” Title. In 2010 Ryan decided to return to play with
his brother in the Grade Two and later Grade One City of Chicago Pipe Band,
where his brother served as Drum Sergeant. During the 2013 season Ryan played
with the successful Grade One band from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada,
Dowco Triumph Street.
Ryan began his solo career in Grade Four and played in every grade before
moving to the professional level. In 1995 he was the runner-up in the World Solo
Drumming Championships held in Bathgate, Scotland in the “18 and Under”
category. He’s been the “Champion Supreme” at every grade level except the
open grade for the Pipers’ and Pipe Band Society of Ontario. He’s been a finalist
four times at the prestigious Winter Storm Gold Medal Snare contest in Kansas
City. Ryan serves as a drumming judge for the Midwest Pipe Band Association.
Ryan is employed as an Information Technology Specialist, and in his spare
time he enjoys playing hockey and snowboarding.
He is married to world-classbagpiper, Lindsay Todd-Barr, GMPB’s Pipe Sergeant.
Ryan credits his sustained success as a musician and leader to Lindsay.
They enjoy family life with their young son, Carson, in Sterling Heights, Michigan.
For Ryan Greater Midwest Pipe Band is “a dream becoming a reality”. He feels it "put the right
people together at the right time in the right place”.
drum at the age of six with his father, Ted Barr, as his
first teacher. Major influences on Ryan’s drumming are
his father, his brother, Chris, Drew Duthart, and Alan
Savage. By the age of eleven he was playing in the
Grade One Metropolitan Police Pipe Band, under the
leadership of Drew Duthart. Several years later his father
started his own drum corps in the Grade Two band,
City of Detroit. Ryan joined the City of Detroit and was
a member when they won second place in drumming
at the World Pipe Band Championships in 1994.
After his father retired from pipebands Ryan returned to
Grade One, playing in the Toronto Police Pipe Band
under the leadership of Alan Savage.
Beginning with the 2003 season Ryan joined his brother
as part of the GradeTwo North Coast Pipe Band’s drum corps.
The band had two very successful
seasons winning the Grade Two North American Championships
and numerous drumming prizes. Then Ryan played with the Grade Two Windsor Police Pipe
Band, which won every contest, except the World’s where they took third place.
The band moved to Grade One in 2006, where they enjoyed a successful season,
winning the Saturday contest in Pleasanton, California. In 2007 Ryan returned
to playing under the direction of Drew Duthart in the Grade One 78th Fraser
Highlanders. That year the band placed fourth at the World’s and the drum corps
won the “World Drum Corps” Title. In 2010 Ryan decided to return to play with
his brother in the Grade Two and later Grade One City of Chicago Pipe Band,
where his brother served as Drum Sergeant. During the 2013 season Ryan played
with the successful Grade One band from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada,
Dowco Triumph Street.
Ryan began his solo career in Grade Four and played in every grade before
moving to the professional level. In 1995 he was the runner-up in the World Solo
Drumming Championships held in Bathgate, Scotland in the “18 and Under”
category. He’s been the “Champion Supreme” at every grade level except the
open grade for the Pipers’ and Pipe Band Society of Ontario. He’s been a finalist
four times at the prestigious Winter Storm Gold Medal Snare contest in Kansas
City. Ryan serves as a drumming judge for the Midwest Pipe Band Association.
Ryan is employed as an Information Technology Specialist, and in his spare
time he enjoys playing hockey and snowboarding.
He is married to world-classbagpiper, Lindsay Todd-Barr, GMPB’s Pipe Sergeant.
Ryan credits his sustained success as a musician and leader to Lindsay.
They enjoy family life with their young son, Carson, in Sterling Heights, Michigan.
For Ryan Greater Midwest Pipe Band is “a dream becoming a reality”. He feels it "put the right
people together at the right time in the right place”.