The 11 Commandments of Mastery
... a Dojo University Foundational Course
Do you want to be a better bagpiper?
What if you could do something, right now, that requires absolutely no skill, experience, or 'talent', and that would rapidly improve your bagpiping?
Dojo University's new course 11 Commandments of Mastery will guide you to become rapidly and drastically better at the bagpipes.
Join me as we work through these 11 core concepts of musical mastery, which apply to every bagpiping school of thought, and will skyrocket your progress if you embrace them.
We'll seismically shift your mindset, refocus your approach, and help you undo old habits, replacing them with new ones that will supercharge your musical development.
Radically refocus your mindset to rapidly improve your bagpiping...
After three decades spent playing and teaching bagpipes at every level, I’ve noticed a common trait in the vast majority of pipers.
Most of them are afflicted with what psychologist Dr Carol Dweck calls a 'fixed mindset' when it comes to their piping.Â
People with a fixed mindset believe their basic abilities, intelligence, and talents are fixed traits.
They think they were born with all the ability they will ever have, and thus dread failure or critique, interpreting it as never being able to succeed in the future.
Do any of these sound familiar?Â
"I started learning when I was too old, so I'll never be any good at piping."
"I'll never be able to blow steadily."
"Tunes take me forever to learn and I can never remember them properly."
Somewhere along the line, most players have forgotten that we got into this to be creative and free, and fixate on the false idea that our skills are limited by who we are and what our circumstances dictate.
Here at the Dojo, our mission is to flip the script for anyone who’s willing to embrace the truth – that a bit of effort applied in the right areas, combined with consistent, regular feedback from the right teachers, and some persistence, can yield incredible results for your piping.
Every day, we encourage our students to embrace the 'power of yet' – the idea that if you add 'yet' to any of these defeatist fixed-mindset statements that so many of us resign ourselves to, you can trick your brain into embracing a growth-oriented learning curve.Â
"I'm not good at piping... yet."Â
"I can't blow steadily... yet."
"I can't remember tunes... yet."
Can you see how this subtle shift can have a massive impact on your thoughts, approach, and therefore your potential for improvement?Â
The 11 Commandments of Mastery includes a deep discussion of how these approaches affect your ability to learn, before exploring the 11 'commandments' I have tried and tested with thousands of students over 30 years at all levels of piping, and truly believe to be the core fundamentals you need in order to achieve true creative freedom on the bagpipes.Â
Although it's bagpiping-focused, this course is actually the perfect mindset reset to help you master any skill.Â
Ready to refocus your mindset and dramatically improve your bagpiping?
Click Here to Enroll Now
Brian Gillespie, Pennsylvania, USA
"My previous experience with learning to play the pipes was usually focused around memorizing the notes and embellishments and then trying to get a tune onto the full pipes, at tempo, as quickly as possible. If the result was close to what I expected, then I was happy.
But this course made me really step back and think about the specific ways that I should approach becoming the best player that I can be and how to do so in deliberate ways each and every day. It's not an approach that I had taken before.
Only a few days in to working with the commandments mindset, I already feel that my practice sessions are much more productive and focused.
Overall, I think that the commandments approach has me on the right track really improving the quality of my playing."
Heather McFarlane, Vancouver, Canada
"This course allowed me to make a realistic assessment of where I'm at now, and where I can go from here.
I can focus on some areas where I feel that I desperately need improvement that I might not otherwise have identified, even with an in-person instructor.
The 11 commandments are focused on areas that lead to overall improvement and support meaningful growth in my -piping – even if I only improve one area, it's still an improvement over where I started.
I've never had an opportunity for such tailored guidance that supports all aspects of my piping, and I feel that I'll be better able to continue to grow going forward. I also now have a solid foundation on how to stop, and check in with my piping from here on out!"
Glen Fletcher, Ontario, Canada
"The 11 Commandments is a structured framework of common sense ideas ensuring the fundamentals of bagpipe playing are locked in.
Traditional bagpipe learning focuses on the development of playing tunes as quickly as possible and 'winging it' in actual technique.
The tedious and repetitious task of exercises is often ignored, leaving many to fend for themselves and wonder why improvement seems to be unreachable.
By laying out an uncomplicated process and targeting specific focus areas in a logical order, Andrew and his team have simplified the learning process so that aspiring musicians can not only improve but actually become good and have fun fulfilling their passion."
Derek Travers, Quesnel, Canada
"As a beginner, figuring out where to start learning a new skill can be just as challenging as actually doing the work.
Andrew has taken the confusion out of beginning the GHB by laying out a simple, structured plan of attack.
Following this “paint-by-numbers” approach helped me remove the stress of what to do and, perhaps more importantly, why I should do things the way he's laid them out.
By telling me how to increase my knowledge of piping music, remove distractions, practice effectively and simplify everything I’m doing, I’ve already gone farther in my learning than ever before. I’ve been able not only to move forward quickly but really enjoy the process!"
Course Details
The 11 Commandments of Mastery are first principles that help humans master any worthwhile craft – and the concepts are especially valuable when it comes to learning the bagpipes.
This course is guaranteed to be an epiphany for your musical development – and requires absolutely no skill, experience, or 'talent'!
Embrace these foundational concepts with an open mind, and you will notice radical and rapid improvement in your bagpiping
Module 1
Course Welcome
Module 2
The 11 Commandments of Mastery
Module 3
The Challenges
COMPOSING FOUNDATIONS COURSE
(WITH QUIZZES AND FINAL EXAM)
Enroll today for instant access to:
- 11 Commandments of Mastery course
- 3 Core Modules Comprising 13 Instructional Lessons
- 10+ Hours of Instruction
- Interactive challenges to apply the commandments directly to your piping development
Course Details:
Level: Any – complete beginners through to pro-level pipers will find value in this course.
Setting: Online/Virtual
Course Length: 15–20 Hours
Expected Completion Time: 6–12 weeks (depending on how consistently you work!)
Ready to refocus your mindset and dramatically improve your bagpiping?
Click Here to Enroll Now
About your instructor
“I'm excited to be your guide as we set off on this path through some of the foundations of learning to shift your mindset and improve your piping!"
— Andrew Douglas
- Founder, Creator, and CEO of the Piper's Dojo and Dojo University
- 2017 & 2019 World Champion with Inveraray and District Pipe Band
- 2017 Winner of USA Silver Medal for Piobaireachd
- 2008-2013 Pipe Major of Grade 1 Oran Mor Pipe Band
- Multi-prize winner, Silver Medals at Oban and Inverness
- Former Winner of B-Grade Strathspey/Reel at Oban (2004)
- EUSPBA Adjudicator
- Bachelor of Fine Arts from Simon Fraser University
- Certified Teacher and Examiner with the Scottish Qualifications Authority
Frequently Asked Questions
"Is this course right for my ability level?"
"How long will it take to access my course when I deliver it?"
"Can I download the course to watch offline?"
"Can I do this course on my phone/tablet?"
"Is there a guarantee?"
Dojo University Is Different.
Yes, you can find bagpipe instruction elsewhere on the internet and in person, but a Dojo University course is unique because it's built and taught by real-world bagpipers who have actually built these courses based on real-world experience (read: successes).
In other words, we aren't people who couldn't do so we made a course instead. We've been in the trenches teaching AND performing - we detest untested theory and believe that the best way to learn something is to roll up your sleeves and get your hands a little dirty. If that sounds appealing, then welcome! In Dojo U you've found your bagpipe home.
