Week of June 22, 2015

THE DIDGERIDOO!

Have you seen a didgeridoo? It's an interesting instrument that is native to Australia and used in New Zealand as well as all over the world (but the original word for the instrument is "yidaki"). 

This week we learned about Matakiri Festival in New Zealand--the beginning of the "Maori" (indigenous people of N.Z) new year! The festival occurs when the Matakiri cluster of stars is just right in the sky (occurring in mid-June this year). Beginning on June 18th, 2015, people from New Zealand began their celebration which includes themes of letting go of the past, embracing the future, fireworks, traditional song and dance.

The didgeridoo is used in Maori and Aboriginal music and culture. The instrument, which is traditionally made from long strips of hollowed bamboo, makes an interesting low vibration. Check out a video here: Jeremy Donovan, Aboriginal Artist.

In it's natural environment, the bamboo was sometimes naturally hollowed by termite insects, which prompted local indigenous people to experiment with the instrument's creation!

Didgeridoo's are often decorated with Aboriginal and Maori dot and tribal art, which the children enjoyed emulating on worksheets! Everyone decorated their own didgeridoo with interesting patterns and colors using markers. 

The kids had a blast watching me play the didgeridoo and listening to it's interesting low vibrations. We also talked about the technique of circular breathing--where a musician breathes through their nose and out their mouth at the same time...producing continuous sound! We gave that a shot and BOY--is it ever hard!

Check out the extender questions and pictures below of our fun experience learning all about these awesome cultures and their native music.

See you next week!

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR CHILD

1. What is the name of the instrument you learned about in music class this week? Didgeridoo

2. What kind of paint decorations did the didgeridoo have? Dot art

3. What kind of insects like to eat the wood that didgeridoos are made of? Termites!

Week of June 10th, 2013

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!

Week of September 19th, 2011

DIDGERIDOO FUN!

Students were totally fascinated today with this instrument native to Australia! We enjoyed touching, hearing and learning about the didgeridoo. Our friends learned these interesting facts about this instrument, which is believed to possibly be one of the oldest known to man!

• The didgeridoo was originally made from Eucalyptus branches that were hollowed by termites and used by the Aborigines, a native people indigenous to Australia. They were often painted and used in ceremonies and for other musical purposes. Traditionally, men were the only ones to use the didgeridoo.

Many masters of the didgeridoo use "circular breathing", a technique that allows a constant stream of air to flow through the instrument as the player breathes through their nose, fills their abdomen, and releases through the mouth.

It isn't so easy playing the didgeridoo! I discovered that today! :) After playing a woodwind for the last 26 years, my mouth wasn't quite prepared for the relaxed "nicker" sound (like a horse making a vibration with it's mouth closed) and my "didgeridooing" sounded more like an elephant! Haha!

Check out this article for more interesting facts on the didgeridoo, and don't forget to watch our

video below along with the awesome Youtube performances I played for the children today. Keep your eyes out for a hallway display where you can see our didgeridoo and read more facts!

Didgeridoo Facts