Do you Didjeridoo?

I did a today gig for a long time client and buddy named Marko Johnson. Marko is one unique cat. He’s a didjeridoo maker, player and teacher.

What is a didjeridoo? “The didgeridoo (or didjeridu) is a unique wind instrument of the Australian Aborigines of northern Australia. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or “drone pipe”. Musicologists classify it as an aerophone” (google). It is said to be the world’s oldest wind instrument. It is hollowed out piece of wood and you blow into it like a tuba player would. There is a special technique the player uses called “circular breathing.” The player fills his mouth up with air and blows in the “didji” while breathing in air through his nose. By doing this he is able to blow constantly through his didji without a pause in the sound. Marko can play his didji literally for hours without a pause in the sound if he wants.

The main blowing creates a drone tone, and the player also can create some interesting overtones by changing his jaw and lips.

Marko’s house isn’t much of house at all. There’s no furniture that I could see. But there’s plenty of didjis and hand made musical instruments all over the place. Musicians apparently converge there all the time to jam.

Marko’s didjis that he makes and sells at www.rounddoor.com are all over his house. He makes some amazingly beautiful pieces of art that are also musical instruments.

Marko has also invented some very cool mini didjis. They are called didjboxes. Check them out on his site www.didjbox.com.