Barry Shears is a native of Glace Bay, Nova Scotia. He has been playing the bagpipe for over 50 years, and at an early age began collecting and composing music for the Highland bagpipe. He is an acknowledged expert on the history of traditional piping in Nova Scotia and its intrinsic connection to the Gaelic language, music and culture of the province. Barry is an award-winning musician and has performed at festivals and concerts throughout North America and Europe. Barry was appointed to the judges panel of the Nova Scotia Pipers and Pipe Band Association (later The Atlantic Canada Pipe Band Association) at age 19 and adjudicated pipe bands and solo piping for over 40 years. Barry was awarded the Pipe Major’s certificate with the Canadian army reserve in 1980 and won the Champion Supreme award for professional piping in Nova Scotia 6 times before he retired from competion in 1986. He has published 6 books of bagpipe music and history, the most recent being a large two volume collecton of Highland music and culture from Nova Scotia. Barry has performed or appeared in two movies (Margaret’s Museum and Baby), and appeared on several recordings of traditional music. Highlights of his musical career include a short tour with Stan Rogers and John Allan Cameron(1981), and a Live to Air broadcast of Cape Breton music for Radio France (1990) with fellow musicians Jerry Holland, Dave MacIsaac and John Morris Rankin. Barry plays both Highland bagpipes and Scottish smallpipes. Barry retired to the west coast a few years ago and now spends much of his spare time lecturing, playing and teaching the unique piping styles of Cape Breton.
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