Mark Rosbach: Back On Track

There was something powerful about the bagpipes that drew me in. I've always been attracted to the sound, and whenever I heard it I would stop what I was doing and find the source.

My wife gave me a practice chanter and 10 lessons for my birthday. I'd never played an instrument before but loved the sound of the pipes. My original goal was to simply be able to play a few songs on the practice chanter and to be able to make the transition onto the full bagpipe.

My struggles are messy embellishments and playing wrong notes (even on songs I've known for years). I've always heard that older beginners would never be as people who started in their youth. I've never wanted to quit playing but I have taken several breaks over the past 12 years.

I've only been a member of the Dojo for a short time but I like the support and follow-up. Also there seems to be a lot of content which I plan on taking advantage of.

I'm still in the "challenges" stage but I like that we are expected to go back to ground zero and build a strong piping foundation. It seems like a better idea than trying to figure out all my strengths and weaknesses and simply filling in the gaps. I play a much simpler setup now and am enjoying playing more than I have for a while.

I feel happy that I am finally taking positive steps toward improving my piping. I have felt that my playing has been a bit stagnant over the past 2-3 years (and probably getting worse) so it felt great to finally get on the right track. And, yes, I do feel better overall as a result.

Mark Rosbach, Massachusetts