So….What do you want to be when you grow up?

Every once in a while I go through stages where I think that I want to do something else other than what I am currently doing.  In September, I thought that I wanted to play with a top grade pipe band.  I went to practice for a month.  I loved playing with those...

Keep your eye on the goal!

When we start a new project, we are excited about it because it is new. As we get further into the project, we forget why we are doing it and often lose interest. As a person who teaches people to play the bagpipes, I find that part of my job is keeping the student...

Life IS about winning and losing!

I get a kick out of people who say that “winning isn’t everything”, though we as a society spend a bloody fortune following things having to do with winning and losing. We go to sporting events of all kinds, we watch competitions on TV, and are glued to the current...

Teaching an Autistic Bagpipe Student.

I had an instant message conversation with a fellow bagpiper this morning about a particular person who had inquired about instruction through Facebook. He told me that he thought that this person was autistic and he was concerned. It’s interesting that he said that...

Should I teach myself to play the bagpipe?

That’s a question many people ask as they ponder learning to play. The answer is many-fold. First of all, you must consider how quickly you’d like to progress. If you’re serious about learning and don’t want to take years to master the instrument, these are my...