459 - Peek Behind the Curtain at the Dojo with Carl Donley (Dojo Conversations Episode 129)

Is this the man behind the curtain at the Dojo?

This week, Andrew and Jim welcome Carl Donley, who’s been a mainstay co-running Dojo University with Andrew from nearly the beginning!

We’ll chat about how Piper’s Dojo went from a scrappy side project to the giant online piping school it is today. From humble beginnings and evolving roles to the game-changing tech that helped them bring their vision to life, Carl takes us behind the scenes of the Dojo’s digital journey. You’ll hear how he and Andrew’s layered teaching method has changed the way people learn the pipes – and how they’ve stayed ahead in the fast-changing world of online music education.

Plus, Carl shares some personal stories and how piping has shaped his life – from a grad job to teaching bagpipes on a boat from where we’d rather be, cruising around somewhere in the Mediterranean…

Got a topic you’d like us to cover in a future episode? Leave a comment or email us: [e-mail]

Here’s what we cover with Carl this week:

00:00 Introduction and Greetings

00:55 Carl's Role and Early Dojo Videos

01:50 Meeting and Early Collaboration

03:35 Starting the Piper's Dojo

05:48 E-commerce and Business Expansion

12:30 Transition to Online Learning

13:50 Early Online Teaching Challenges

21:40 Dojo University and Semesters

24:33 Early Struggles and Breakthroughs

24:54 The Birth of the Subscription Model

26:11 Pioneering Online Bagpipe Education

28:12 Technological Transitions and Adaptations

29:12 Embracing Remote Work and Digital Nomadism

29:56 Innovative Teaching Methods

38:42 The Dojo's Unique Approach to Bagpipe Education

45:29 Creating New Bagpipers from Scratch