The Didgeridoo: Aboriginal Myth, Matakiri and Australia!
Our music class was jam packed with fun and cultural learning today as we explored the didgeridoo, the indigenous instrument of Australia, along with the New Zealand new year Matakiri and the culture/myth of Aboriginal people! Students very much enjoyed seeing our real JN didgeridoo, learning all about how one is played and made, and hearing the unique Aboriginal myth about the first instrument along with the making of the stars (see my video below to hear me tell this story!).
Students also decorated paper didgeridoos with Aboriginal style dot art, and our school age class actually painted their works of art. Look for a hallway display to see the beautiful designs they came up with!
Ask your child the following questions to follow up on the knowledge they gained today about this amazing instrument and the culture from which it came!
1.) What instrument did you learn about today? (Didgeridoo)
2) What country did it come from? (Australia)
3) What is the name of the native people of Australia? (Aborigine, or Aboriginal people)
4) What insect likes to live inside the trees that make the didgeridoo and eat the wood until the tree is hollow? (Termites)
5) In the myth about the first didgeridoo, when the man blows the termites into the sky, what is made? (The stars)
6) Bonus question: what design or shape is very popular in Aboriginal art and used to decorate the didgeridoo quite often? (Dots or polka dot designs. Squiggles, lines and drawings of animals like lizards are also very popular!)
MYTH OF THE FIRST DIDGERIDOO (Told by Miss Chantal)
Also check out these neat Youtube videos of didgeridoo crafting and playing! Enjoy!