Piper's Dojo Audio Experience – Details, episodes & analysis

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 the most powerful tool in your pipe case. They also offer some advice on maintaining steady progress, overcoming common setbacks, and the importance of creative personal expression in learning the bagpipe.

In this episode, we cover:
00:00 Morning Banter and Book Discussion
01:38 Terry Pratchett's Wisdom
03:10 The D Throw Debate
05:44 Golf and Bagpipe Analogies
14:39 The Importance of Short Practice
21:22 Leverage in Bagpipe Practice
30:52 Understanding Failure in Learning
33:21 The Role of a Good Teacher
34:15 Embracing Failure for Improvement
38:56 The Importance of Simplification
46:02 The Value of Consistent Practice
51:28 Creativity and Personal Growth in Bagpiping
54:51 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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 ultimate formation and evolution of the Piper's Dojo.

This week, we cover:
00:00 Imagining Alternate Careers for Andrew
01:33 The Birth of Dojo University
02:29 Recreating the Piping School Experience Online
04:29 The Evolution of Dojo University
05:42 Subscription Models and Innovations
10:55 Technological Challenges and Solutions
14:09 Iterating Ideas and Overcoming Failures
18:11 Andrew's Journey and Dojo Methodology
20:20 Making Sense of Bagpiping
21:00 Diverse Perspectives in Piping
22:19 Challenges of Private Instruction
25:59 The Birth of Dojo University
26:51 The Anatomy of Bagpipe Learning
32:29 From In-Person to Online
36:49 The Dojo's Evolution and Future
37:11 The Dojo's Mission and Impact
40:31 Wrapping Up: Reflections and Insights

Would you rather perform at a wedding, or compete solo in front of a judge? 

This week, Andrew and Jim look at the world of solo bagpipe competing, focusing on both the fun and the potential challenges involved. They also touch upon practical tips for enhancing one's solo performance experience, like the benefits of having expert help in tuning on competition day, and how competing can improve your skills, personal repertoire, and offer satisfaction in other ways you may not have considered…

Got a topic you’d like us to cover in a future episode? Leave a comment or email support@pipersdojo.com!

Here’s what we cover this week:

00:00 Introduction and Personal Anecdotes

01:17 Discussing Solo Competing

03:25 The Appeal of Solo Competing

05:39 Challenges and Dangers of Solo Competing

08:36 Maintaining Motivation and Enjoyment

14:15 Judges and Competitors Dynamics

24:15 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Ken is one of the most prolific pipers in North American history. Be sure to visit thecaptainscorner.com to learn all about his career, his teaching, and his works. _____ If you enjoyed this, you should try a Dojo University Premium Membership. Our premium membership features over 50 courses, 17+ live classes each week, social interaction channels, feedback on your playing, weekly challenges, and more! Try one month for just $1 by visiting DojoUniversity.com/testdrive today! Join us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter… wherever you do your social media!

Most bagpipe world has trapped itself in a destructive negative feedback loop that essentially guarantees its decline (and failure for the vast majority of enthusiasts...). Can you summon the strength to break free from the gravitational pull of the mainstream bagpiping world to "succeed" with your own piping? If you enjoyed this, you should try a Dojo University Premium Membership. Our premium membership features over 50 courses, 17+ live classes each week, social interaction channels, feedback on your playing, weekly challenges, and more! Try one month for just $1 by visiting DojoUniversity.com/testdrive today! Join us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter… wherever you do your social media!

A student shared this: Here's a very interesting article/podcast about why learning difficult tunes or passages by starting slowly and gradually increasing practice speed has some inherent limitations, and offers a research-based rationale for different strategy. There's also a fascinating bit about why you should use a metronome that can randomly skip beats. https://bulletproofmusician.com/jason-sulliman-on-why-fast-practice-can-be-more-efficient-and-effective-than-slow-practice/ Is there anything to this? If you enjoyed this, you should try a Dojo University Premium Membership. Our premium membership features over 50 courses, 17+ live classes each week, social interaction channels, feedback on your playing, weekly challenges, and more! Try one month for just $1 by visiting https://DojoUniversity.com/testdrive today! Join us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter… wherever you do your social media!

This week we have a lot of great questions and some good banter. Question of the week is: Why should you NOT be playing a hard reed? The answer may open your eyes... If you enjoyed this, you should try a Dojo University Premium Membership. Our premium membership features over 50 courses, 17+ live classes each week, social interaction channels, feedback on your playing, weekly challenges, and more! Try one month for just $1 by visiting https://DojoUniversity.com/testdrive today! Join us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter… wherever you do your social media!

In this class we have a great end-of-week Q&A for our Premium Members, beginning with a great review of the BEST way to transition from the practice chanter to the full bagpipes. If you enjoyed this, you should try a Dojo University Premium Membership. Our premium membership features over 50 courses, 17+ live classes each week, social interaction channels, feedback on your playing, weekly challenges, and more! Try one month for just $1 by visiting https://DojoUniversity.com/testdrive today! Join us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter… wherever you do your social media!

Supercharge Your Leadership! A 2-Day Intensive Workshop for Pipe Corps Leaders - September 12-13, 2020 - Featuring World Champions Stuart Liddell, Robert Mathieson, and Alan Bevan Unparalleled knowledge and worldwide support specifically curated for pipe corps leaders to drastically improve your pipe band, guaranteed. Go to https://dojouniversity.com/lead today to learn more.

It's becoming clearer and clearer that the bagpipe world may take a long time to return to anything that even remotely looks like normal. Are you prepared to adapt? If you enjoyed this, you should try a Dojo University Premium Membership. Our premium membership features over 50 courses, 17+ live classes each week, social interaction channels, feedback on your playing, weekly challenges, and more! Try one month for just $1 by visiting https://DojoUniversity.com/testdrive today! Join us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter… wherever you do your social media!