430 - Should You Circular Breathe As A Bagpiper? (Dojo Conversations Episode 100)

Piper's Dojo Audio Experience

It's Episode 100 of the Dojo Conversations Podcast! Well, kind of... Anyway, to celebrate 100 continuous weeks of streaming directly into your ears, Andrew's agreed to suffer through all the topics he doesn't want to talk about, but that Jim's been saving up for an occasion just like this... tune in this week to learn more about the nuances of circular breathing, whether bagpipers can use vibrato, using 'non-traditional' notes, and how bagpipe music has evolved over time. Got a topic you'd like us to cover in a future episode? Leave a comment or email us: [email protected]! Here's what we cover this week: 00:00 Celebrating 100 Episodes 01:43 The Great Circular Breathing Debate 03:54 Breathing Techniques for Beginners 12:08 Exploring Vibrato on the Practice Chanter 19:38 Bagpipe Techniques: Finding the Balance 19:57 The Rise and Fall of C Natural and G Sharp 20:55 Challenges of Tuning and Control 22:29 Opera and Bagpipes: A Vibrato Comparison 23:50 The Obsession with Technique 25:35 Learning and Teaching Bagpipes 30:07 The Evolution of Bagpipe Music 32:13 Experimentation and Innovation in Bagpiping 33:46 Reflections on Technique and Creativity 37:41 Concluding Thoughts: The Role of Art and Risk