Miscellaneous - Pay the Piper

  by Fiona Hutchings

published: 21 / 1 / 2011

intro

Our Website of the Month is ‘Pay the Piper’, a site which provides information about both buying and learning an instrument

January is the month of good intentions and badly kept resolutions. But who really wants to go through a couple of smoke/wine/cake free months when in reality come March you will have fallen so far off the wagon you can't even see the wheels? Self deprivation is for masochists. Instead I urge you to consider making a resolution you will want to keep, will make you infinitely more attractive to the gender of your choosing and make you slimmer and healthier - learn to play a musical instrument. Pay the Piper http://www.paythepiper.co.uk/ will tell you everything you need to know if you are serious about learning any major instrument from the strings, woodwind, percussion or brass family not to mention the piano. Topics include not just how to play but how to choose your instrument and then buy it, other associated costs, music exams if that's your bag and how to upgrade your instrument. There are plenty of links to other sites and even helpful information about copyright and finding opportunities to play. All this information is coming for a reliable source. Pay the Piper was created by David Bramhall who has more than 25 years experience as a musician and teacher. In this role he realised he always seemed to get asked the same basic questions by parents helping their kids set out on the road with learning their first instrument and so the idea for Pay the Piper was born. There are no really slick design features and its clear content is heavily prioritised over looks. It is, however, straightforward to navigate and well written which is important. More pictures would be nice and Pay the Piper is unlikely to appeal to a more casual browser but if you are already playing or very seriously committed to your musical endeavour there will be a lot here to interest and engage you.