Are You Having Fun Yet?

Jul 23, 2023 | General | 0 comments

Written By Gary Guth

I was watching a video from another bagpiper who made a comment using the word “fun”.  Are you all having fun playing the bagpipe?  I’ve been playing for over 50 years.  I have always thought that playing the bagpipe was fun.  I also find that learning new tunes and practicing is fun as well.  How about you?  He also talked about the number of people who “plateau” in this arena.  They get to a point to where they quit, even after making a substantial investment in a set of bagpipes.

 I think that “fun” is the reward for doing the work.  Learning to play any instrument is work.  The question is: do you like the process?  Again, I’ve said that a bagpiper is a person who can play a list of tunes on the bagpipe, can develop their own music and maintain their bagpipe.  The next question is, how long do you want to work before it’s fun?  Personally, I think that getting to the goal faster is better than slower.  The difference here is how much time you practice on a daily basis.  I tell people that an hour a day gets you on the 2 year program and 30 minutes is the 5 year program.  Wouldn’t you like to have more fun sooner?

 We all have iPhones, right?  Make an appointment with yourself on a daily basis to practice for an hour.  If you are a parent with kids, your kids need to see you pursuing a dream.  That teaches them to dream and that getting to the dream takes work.  Don’t use them as an excuse.  Get up earlier and practice before work then give your family your attention when you get home.  At some point, they won’t want your attention at all and you can practice 2 hours a day.

 Being able to have fun playing the bagpipe takes work.  It’s totally up to you to decide how soon you want to have fun.  If you’ve been struggling with this project for a while, maybe I can help you get to the fun level.

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Written By Gary Guth

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