Scott Little: Chasing That Proud Feeling

I'd wanted to join my police department's pipe and drum band forever, but I never knew anyone who played the bagpipes to show me around.

I saw an ad from the department saying they would show anyone who was interested how to play.

My goals were to be able to play with the band before National Police Week. A friend of mine died in the line of duty last year and so my goal was to learn the bagpipes faster than usual so I could play at Tony’s memorial wall induction.

I have always been intrigued by the bagpipes. I attended many funerals as an officer and hearing them at funerals always gave me a proud feeling.

Learning a new instrument and musical clef at 40 scared me. At first, I thought I would never get it.

The first time I tried using the practice chanter, the noise was awful and I thought, "Will I even like this instrument at all?!"

One of the pipers in the police band suggested trying out the Dojo. I started with the green book but it was really hard to get through it. One week after he told me, I was signed up.

I love the Dojo! When I’m feeling overwhelmed with practicing, the Dojo really guides me how to manage that practice. Learning common songs first made it easier to comprehend. As much as I’d like to admit otherwise, I didn’t know many bagpipe tunes at first. So trying to learn from scratch was kind of hard.

Recording my assignments and having that feedback was so helpful. It’s motivated me to also be diligent and intentional with my practices.

Dojo has made me a student who likes to play! I’ve played a few instruments in my life and have always got stuck in a rut with the progress.

The Dojo allows me to continue improving everyday and to stay engaged!

Scott Little, Texas, United States