There Is No Finish Line

One of the hardest truths to accept as a piper or drummer is this: you are not as good as you think you are, and the circle will remind you if you aren’t humble enough to accept it. That doesn’t mean you’re not talented, skilled, or desiccated.

It means the responsibility of carrying this music, this mission, is greater than your ego will ever admit. The moment you think you’ve “arrived,” you’ve already started to slip. You’ve already lost the edge that comes from an honest assessment of where you are in your journey.

Complacency wears the disguise of competence. You play enough parades, enough funerals, enough competitions, and you start to believe you’ve mastered it. But you are not measured by how good you think you are in practice. You are measured by how well you perform when it matters most — at a graveside, on the contest field, or in the silence of a memorial service where every note must carry weight.

That’s who you are.mWhen nerves set in, when the drones shift, when chaos threatens to unravel the sound — your preparation, discipline, and humility either hold the line or collapse. Chaos reveals the truth. And in those moments, your past medals, compliments, and solos mean nothing.

A relentless, humble hunger to strengthen the weak points in your playing is the antidote to thinking you’re better than you are. Be willing to learn from pipers and drummers who are junior to you, senior to you, and those who stand beside you in the circle; they all know something you don’t.

This is where Wake is fortunate. We have the privilege of standing shoulder to shoulder with talented musicians whose skill, experience, and feedback make us sharper. Every note we play together is an opportunity to learn, improve, and raise our standard.

Accept critique, stay sharp, and refuse to coast. The band does not honor arrogance but respects humility, preparation, and grit. Above all, never stop learning, training, and refining your craft — because in piping and drumming, there is no finish line. Only more work to do.