It was with some pride a few nights ago, as I watched Jeopardy! (America's Favorite Quiz Show) that my host, Alex Trebek, hit me with the $2,000 question in a category called "Hollow" - and I knew it! See if your wit matches mine:
Alex: "This Aboriginal instrument, also called a 'drone pipe,' is traditionally made from a Eucalyptus branch that is hollowed out naturally by termites."
Me: "What is a didjeridu?! What is a didjeridu!"
I yelled the answer so loudly I terrified my cats (who were otherwise unimpressed), but for someone who prides themselves on knowing that Australian culture goes well beyond developing a tolerance for Vegemite, it was a nice moment.
Pronounced "did-jury-doo" (and sometimes spelled didgeridoo), it's believed to be the world's oldest wind instrument - dating back thousands of years. It originates from North Australia, and because it takes at least one year for termites to hollow out a Eucalyptus tree, harvesting has to be timed precisely to ensure that the wall thickness is just right.
Have you ever heard a didjeridu? Its deep drone is not something you'll soon forget. The sonorous tones are hauntingly beautiful. In fact, the term didjeridu is believed to be an onomatopoeia developed by Westerners to describe the sound the instrument makes, not a name of indigenous origin.
A finished didjeridu is around four-to-five feet long and two or more inches in internal diameter. Its mouthpiece is usually made of beeswax or hardened gum, and the player blows into the instrument trumpet style. Traditionally, the didjeridu is played in ceremonial dances called Corroborees, accompanied by clap sticks or boomerangs clapped together; players also tap out rhythms on their didjeridu with their fingers or sticks.
Still in widespread use today - both in Australia and around the world - the didjeridu is often painted in remarkable colors and designs. The instruments are musically soulful works of art.
Thanks to American Idol, millions of people are now better acquainted with the didjeridu - but reality TV does not do it justice. One of our fine locum doctors, Dr. Raymond Lewandowski, took up the didjeridu while he was Down Under. Why don't you go Australia for a lesson, or better yet, a performance? Until then, check out didjeridu artist Jeremy Donovan.
Have your own locum story of didjeridus and more? Bring it on!
Saralynn White is our Creative Director and Resident Sherpa. A season writer, producer, blogger and idea monger, she holds a BA in Communications and English and a Masters in Plethora. She's been strutting her creative and writing talents for going on (gulp) 25 years.