I have been playing the didgeridoo for the past 20 years. The didgeridoo is a traditional Australian aboriginal aerophone instrument, and it is considered to be the oldest aerophone instrument in the world. The Aborigines maintain that the didgeridoo is thousands of years old, although archaeological evidence only dates them back to a thousand years. Interest in the didgeridoo was generated when several songs written by Rolf Harris -- Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport, in particular -- made the international hit parade in the 1960s. To learn more about the history of this instrument and its place in Aboriginal culture, please check out the Aboriginal Art and Culture Centre Web Site.

I first became interested in playing this Australian aboriginal instrument during a visit to the Northwest Folklife Festival, which is held at Seattle Center every Memorial Day weekend. After I learned the fundamentals of didge playing by attending several festival workshops, I ended up collecting a few of the instruments --many of them authentic Australian imports. If you are interested in purchasing didgeridoos from West Coast vendors, try these Web Sites:

Here are several photographs of me playing a couple of my didgeridoos. I have also played this instrument on several sound stages in the Seattle area.

Photo of Playing My Didgeridoo
Photo of me playing one of my didgeridoos, Fort Bragg, CA, December 2001
 Drum Circle Play
Here is a photo of me playing another of my didgeridoos in a drum circle at Seattle's Labor Day Bumbershoot Festival in 2001. I am holding "clap sticks," or "bilma," in my right hand (these are not traditionally played by the same person who plays the didgeridoo).

Another Didgeridoo
I took this photo of myself showing off one of my authentic imported didgeridoos. This was to satisfy a digital photography class assignment.