Piper's Dojo Audio Experience

When was the last time you learned a new tune? This week, Andrew and Jim are diving into “constant variance” - that is, constantly and consistently trying new things, whether that’s trying to play new music regularly, changing practice routines, environments, and other approaches to become a better musician. It has so many benefits, including making you a better, more well-rounded musician, not ju...

Ever tried to multitask? Putting aside the fact that multitasking is a myth (more on that in the episode...) did you end up doing any of those many things *well*?   Multitasking doesn’t work, especially if you’re trying to master a musical instrument. As soon as you allow a single distraction into a practice session, you've cheated yourself out of precious time it will take you to return to a...

Do you avoid recording yourself? Get nervous at the idea of people listening to you play? Although it can be nerve wracking, recording yourself for analysis is a must if you want to improve your playing. This week, Andrew and Jim and talking about all things recording – why to do it, our up to date recommendations on how to do it and what equipment to use, and how to analyze recordings for musical...

Would you want to learn to drive in a Formula 1 race-car, or learn to fly an airplane in a Boeing 787 Dreamliner?  Even if it sounds really cool, in reality, high-end sophisticated tools are designed for masters of their craft, and not at all suited for beginners or intermediates.  Yet, more often than not, a piping beginner has a bagpipe setup that is radically too complex, which create...

Happy New Year – almost! This week Andrew and Jim revisit some of the highs, the lows, and everything in between – including Jim's hair, which is basically a third host at this point – as we reflect on the pod's progress so far... and some of the exciting plans (and guests) we're cooking up for 2025!     Here's what we cover in (a LOT) of detail this week:   00:00 Happy New Year Ref...

In this festive episode, Jim and Andrew present another AI-penned Christmas poem: 'A Piper's Night Before Christmas,' featuring Jolly St Blow, the mythical Highland Loon, and an oddly defensive AI author... Enjoy, happy piping and Merry Christmas from all of us here at the Piper's Dojo! Here's what to expect in today's episode: 00:00 Holiday Greetings and Reflections 02:02 AI-Generated Christmas S...

The mailbag has arrived again! This week, Will asks: “…I want to build a set of pipes, specifically for solo competition… what should I look at for a purpose built solo bagpipe?”   Andrew and Jim chat through whether you need multiple sets of pipes on the boil for band vs solo playing, whether bore sizes matter in bagpipes, and the importance of simplicity, consistent maintenance, and focusin...

Is it better to do a little bit every day… or a massive catch up session every once in a while?     If you’ve ever tried to get fit, go on a diet, or even keep your teeth clean… it should probably go without saying that daily consistent action prevails over massive infrequent action, every single time.     This week, Andrew and Jim explore the importance of maintaining consiste...

Do pipers or drummers make better ensemble judges? This week, Ed Best is back, joining Andrew and Jim to reveal all the secrets about the role of ensemble judges in pipe band competitions. The cover the differences in perspectives between piping and drumming judges, why it’s important to understand both types of instruments, how judges are trained, and challenges they face. They also look at how t...

What is the single greatest correlate to success in any pursuit? This week, Andrew and Jim are chatting all things immersion (including a detour into Adam Sandler movies) and how learning by doing and maintaining an authentic passion can significantly improve your skills. They also touch on the significance of foundational work like instrument maintenance and how it builds leverage for higher...

It's Episode 100 of the Dojo Conversations Podcast!   Well, kind of...     Anyway, to celebrate 100 continuous weeks of streaming directly into your ears, Andrew's agreed to suffer through all the topics he doesn't want to talk about, but that Jim's been saving up for an occasion just like this... tune in this week to learn more about the nuances of circular breathing, whether bagpi...

Have you ever wanted to write a bagpipe tune? This week, Andrew and Jim show you how to do it by composing a brand new tune live on air! They discuss the process of composing music, exploring different techniques and ideas such as using a chord progression, incorporating motifs, and the importance of a good musical idea. They share insights on using notation software like MuseScore, the significan...

What if 11 small changes could make an enormous difference to your piping progress?     This week, Andrew and Jim dive into the 11 commandments of mastery – Andrew’s blueprint of habits that lead to great bagpiping, but are applicable to all mastery-oriented pursuits. They look at the importance of mastering fundamentals to achieve creative freedom, common pitfalls that learners face, an...

Is Scottish snare drumming really that different from other kinds of drumming... or from piping?     This week, prolific drummer, judge and tutor Ed Best once again drops in to chat all things snare drumming with Andrew and Jim, covering whether rhythm is different between piping and drumming, how tempo affects drummers, why pipers and drummers should both learn each others’ parts, and h...

Anyone for some hot cakes?!     Jim’s been diving into the bagpipe forums on Reddit again, so this week, he and Andrew offer advice to solve a bunch of bugbears bothering bagpipers from across the web, including:   • How to get bandmates to show up to practice   • Better ways to improve at sight-reading   • How to be more welcoming to new band members   • Improving st...

After a piping hiatus, it can be exhausting to play for even a short time until your stamina builds again. So what's the best way to get your piping fitness back?     This week, Andrew and Jim answer a reader question about how to build stamina after a break, focusing on the importance of finding joy and fun in playing – because enjoyable practice will naturally lead to improved stamina...

What does it really take to build a successful band?     This week, Andrew and Jim discuss how much the skill of individual players contribute to pipe band success, exploring how focusing on individual improvement can elevate a band’s overall performance, the importance of balancing bandcraft and individual player development, alongside real challenges like tuning, practice routines, and...

It's another Reddit deep dive! This week, Andrew and Jim discuss questions pipers have posted to Reddit – about whether you should play standard settings in solo competitions, and how judges should treat you as a competitor if you don't; Andrew's personal recommendations for the best piping albums of all time; and when it's appropriate to share recordings of Grade 1 band sets on social media. Fina...

  This week, Andrew and Jim reunite after a six-week break to answer a listener’s question about dealing with bagpipe instructors who may be overly focused on perfection or do not make learning fun – along the way, they discuss self-reflection, teaching strategies, the importance of immersion, and whether or not you should "learn around" and see other teachers... Here's what we cover thi...

One of the mainstay in-person events for us at Dojo University is our semi-annual bagpiping cruise – and in 2024 we joined forces with Jack Lee and Piping Hot Summer Drummer to launch our first co-hosted cruise in Alaska! This week, Andrew and Jim recap the realities, the itineraries and the logistics of running a bagpiping cruise, and paint a picture of what a piping school on the high seas looks...

Do you feel like you're always struggling to learn tunes, with no time left over to actually improve your piping? Tune in for free on Monday the 16th at 8:00AM New York time to end this challenge for good!  --> Click Here to Register for Free 🇺🇸 New York Time (Eastern Time): Monday, September 16th, 2024, 8:00 AM 🇺🇸 Pacific Time (PDT): Monday, September 16th, 2024, 5:00 AM 🇬🇧...

As in any pursuit, the best thing you can do is approach everything in piping with an open mind. Failure is a teacher. And we can always learn new and better ways to do things if we don't assume we know something absolutely... In this episode, Jim and Andrew dive into the final chapter of Finding Bagpipe Freedom, to reflect on how your mindset and approach to practice, piping, and improvement is t...

This week, Andrew and Jim reflect on how the Dojo evolved from an idea about teaching a piping school in semesters online at the dawn of online classroom software, into what is now the world's largest and longest running online piping and drumming school. Andrew reflects on how he the journey from thinking of the idea on his honeymoon, the original in-person classes, initial skepticism, and the ul...

“Forget prizes. You’re out to be the best you can be, and that’s what you should aim for. Take care of that, and all your performances will improve.” ― Stuart Liddell, Pipe Major, Inveraray and District Pipe Band This week, Andrew and Jim are diving into Finding Bagpipe Freedom once again, this time focused on how to 'free' your pipe band using the bagpipe freedom process. They talk through how to...

Ever had a workout where you pushed it way too far? You may be surprised to learn you can do something similar when you’re playing your bagpipes… This week, Jim and Andrew discuss the consequences of overdoing physical activities and how it relates to playing bagpipes. Jim shares his recent experience with shoulder pain from felling trees and lifting weights, while Andrew introduces the concept of...