We teach thousands of students around the world how to play good music – mastering the art of learning and playing the bagpipes and drums in the process – in a highly accessible way that is completely unlike anything else you'll find online or in person, anywhere in the world.

We created Dojo U because we noticed that too many pipers and drummers were struggling out there in the world. Bagpiping and pipe band drumming should be a joyful experience, each and every day you pick up your instrument. If it's not, we strive to fix that before it's too late.

At Dojo U, we do things a little differently to how you may have approached learning to play music before.

We'd love to welcome you and show you around!

Our Dojo University team are led by world-champion bagpipers and drummers who have been master instructors for decades, working with bands and soloists all over the world, from complete beginners all the way up to professional pipers and Grade 1 bands. 

Our teaching faculty are similarly skilled – all leaders in their own bands and extremely experienced instructors with a wealth of knowledge to guide you on your path to Musical Freedom. 

As a Dojo U student, you'll be getting the best advice in the world, from people who don't just talk the talk; we've walked (and won!) just about every walk there is at every level in the bagpiping world. 

“My name is Andrew Douglas and I'm the founder of the Piper's Dojo and creator of Dojo University, our online learning portal for bagpipers. I'm super excited to be your guide as we drill into some of the most essential fundamental elements of being a great piper... we'd be honored to have you aboard!"

— 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)
• Accredited Bagpipe Teacher and Examiner with the Scottish Qualifications Authority
• Fully accredited piping judge with the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association

Believe me, you're not the first person to have doubts about the effectiveness of online music lessons.  

Our school is indeed a big shift from the typical "master-->apprentice" approach to teaching drumming. 

It is indeed harder to teach certain skills over the internet (as we can't do much that's truly "hands on.")

It's true, some of the "in person magic" that you can get from a truly great solo lesson or group session might not seem to be as magical in an online setting.

The Thought Experiment

All of these difficult challenges indeed crossed my mind one beautiful day in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. It was the year 2011 and my wife and I were on our honeymoon. We were sipping frozen cocktails, and daydreaming. My wife was presumably daydreaming about normal things... but not me. I was, of course, daydreaming about bagpipe stuff. 

The daydream went like this:

1. "I really used to love bagpipe camp as a kid.
2. As an adult, I love teaching at bagpipe camps, because no one has more fun (and gets better faster) than at a bagpipe camp. 
3. It's too bad bagpipe camps are so expensive, require so much travel, time away from work and family, etc. It's really too bad...
4. You know, if you could do a bagpipe camp using the internet, the price and challenges of going to piping school would be greatly diminished, and the school could serve far more people. 
5. But that will never work. (and here I proceeded to list all the reasons an online bagpipe school would never work. It included many of the "objections" we discussed above)
6. Ok, ok, but what if somehow we could make it work. What would be gained?"

And so, I proceeded to think about all of the incredible benefits that could be had at a fictional, mystical "online bagpipe school." 

1. Instead of a great bagpiping experience for one week per year, we could up it to 52 weeks per year!
2. The price of this service could be much less than "real" bagpipe camp. Much, much, much less.
3. Wherever you were in the world, you could experience incredible bagpipe sessions from the world's best pipers.
4. No commute, no gas money, (and in 2020 and beyond - no health risks!)
5. We could teach students with a longer-term strategy (not confined to just one week). 
6. We could teach students the art of integrating bagpiping into their daily lives; not that bagpiping is just something fun you might get to dive deep into one week per year at a far off place.
7. We could develop an incredible community of pipers that grew together over time.
8. And the list of "good" things went on, and on, and on.

So, just over a decade ago, it became clear that I couldn't afford not to try to build the world's first "online bagpipe school." And so that's what I did (with the help of my extremely talented team, and amazing world-class instructors).

All of the challenging bits above are still challenging. It would be amazing if I could some how magically reach through my computer screen and help a student whip their pipes into tune. 

But the reality is, these challenges have made student and teacher better as a result. And meanwhile, the positive benefits (many of which I predicted back in 2011) keep proving greater, and greater, and greater.

Dojo University is a fantastic product for bagpipers and drummers with and without access to in person instruction:

Players without access to in-person instruction can utilize Dojo U to (quite literally) ascend from the very first day picking up the sticks to becoming an advanced drummer. Many have already done it!

Players with access to in person instruction can and should supplement their in-person lessons with the Dojo. The Dojo can help you develop a more rounded skillset than private lessons typically offer, and can provide you with the support and community any drummer needs to be successful.