499 - Cane Reeds, Ear Training & Synthetic Myths (Dojo University Q&A Session)

Getting better at piping isn’t about chasing every new piece of gear — it’s about understanding how your instruments, your ears, and your environment all work together.

This week on Dojo U’s Friday Strike-In, Andrew and Carl tackle student questions on cane drone reeds, ear training, synthetic chanter reeds, competition judging, and more practical piping topics. 

Here's what we cover this week:

• 00:00 – Old cane reeds vs buying new
• 06:33 – Cane season, setups, and batch buying
• 10:00 – When cane won’t cooperate (weather and ageing)
• 12:45 – Championship-winning reeds nostalgia
• 15:20 – Training your ear to understand judges
• 18:00 – Should score sheets be public?
• 20:10 – Why not to stress about ear training
• 23:30 – Synthetic chanter reeds — challenges and demand
• 27:00 – Ridge-cut reeds feeling easier after warm-up
• 29:45 – Member directory: privacy vs connection
• 31:30 – Ideal 6/8 tempo for drum majors
• 33:20 – Efficient drone reeds for lighter setups
• 35:00 – Do quartets improve band unison?
• 38:30 – Instructor misconceptions in the piping community
• 41:00 – Getting friends interested in bagpipes