First of all, I have to say, if you get a chance to see Phil Jones, do it. He’s incredible.
I’m mad I left my camera at home. He had a display of probably 20 of these things, all in different shapes and patterns, and they were beautiful.
A pic that I snagged off the internet so you’d have an idea:
It’s eucalyptus branches that have been hollowed out by “white ants.” (I think the term is termites, but I didn’t ask.) There is beeswax on the mouthpiece, and they’re all handpainted by the aboriginal tribes depicting things from their particular area of Australia.
Now, I found one that I was immediately drawn to, but I couldn’t tell what the animal was on it. It looked like a platypus. It was all reds and browns and looked like fire. I asked him what it was after the workshop, and he said it was a crocodile eating a turtle. Hmm. I’m not sure what to think about that.
The sound was…magnificent. It really was. A low dirge sounding thing — I’m not sure if that’s even the right word for it, but it’s the first thing that popped into my mind. Like a tugboat. Or a monk’s chant. Add a little bit of vocals, a dash of syncopation and it’s just fabulous.
Now, the thing about this instrument is that it is *immediate*. I’ve noticed that, in life, there are sounds that can cause a gut reaction. A gunshot, for example, if you’re not used to them. That instinctual jerk that your stomach does in response to that original stimulus. The didgeridoo has that quality, although not *quite* the same effect as a gunshot. From the first time he played it with patterned breathing, it didn’t take half a breath for my mind to go totally blank. And by blank, I mean that open, receptive state that you dip into when you’re meditating.
It was bliss.
The workshop ran long — over three hours, and we played for a good portion of it. I learned circular breathing, which I think will come very much in handy in the coming months, and how to alter the tone of the playing, although I didn’t quite get the hang of that.
It was fun, fun, fun. We laughed a lot at our sad attempts, accomplished a lot, and learned a few spiritual lessons along the way.
And for the record, my lips are still tingling.
Filed under: spirituality
