Renee David: Just Getting Started

My father was partially Scottish and was very proud of his heritage and ancestral tartan. I loved my Dad. He always made us laugh. I read a story to our home-schooled children once about an old man who "piped the cows" home each evening in the mountains. It seemed lovely and pastoral and beautiful. It was something I wanted to do to honor my Father.

I had always loved listening to a bagpipe band coming down the street during our Oktoberfest parade. It sounded so exciting! I wanted to know how to get involved and how to become a piper so I started looking around. I joined a class to learn piping. The gracenotes weren't explained well, and with a home full of young children, I never found time to practice. But the pipes have always been my secret love!

I was cruising the internet recently, looking for bagpipe references, wondering about taking up a long desired dream. I came across Dojo U, and with a son into karate, I found the name intriguing. Does this make Andrew & Carl Sensei's?

It took a long time to try to find my original chanter. I finally ordered a new chanter from Amazon, and while waiting for it to arrive, I couldn't help but sign up for membership. Meanwhile, I was reading all the free stuff I could find at Dojo. I am amazed that very proficient pipers would want to help us. I want to learn the right way and to learn well, so the Dojo is a very good fit for me!

I feel like I have found a home with fellow enthusiasts. An example of how I feel? I stitch. I joined a needlework guiId for a few years. I was so happy to find people who could appreciate how hard I would work on a piece of embroidery or see how beautiful it was....something non-stitching members of my extended family could never understand. I feel this way about the Dojo and am so excited to find others who appreciate fine effort. So far, it has been and wild and fun trip!

It is really nice to feel welcome and appreciated.

Renee D from LaFarge, Wisconsin