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Volume CXXXIII, Number 19 |
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Pub Update: astrophysics meets Aborigines
CHRIS BAIL
STAFF WRITER
What do you get when you cross a Ph. D. in physics from Oxford, an Australian didgeridoo, and a generous helping of electronic sampling equipment? Why, Dr. Didg of course.
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| Dr. Didg demonstrates his mastery of the Australian didgeridoo. He will perform in the Pub on April 4. (Courtesy of Chris Bail) |
Dr. Didg, who will be performing at Jack Magee's Pub on Thursday, April 4, is by all accounts the predominant authority on the didgeridoo, a long, tubular Australian instrument which is played using a difficult technique called circular breathing.
Dr. Didg, a.k.a. Graham Wiggins, first encountered the didgeridoo at a world music ensemble concert as a physics major at Boston University. After watching a man describe the basic mechanics of the instrument, Dr. Didg constructed his own prototype using several crudely connected cardboard tubes. Enthused by his invention, Dr. Didg became a didgeridoo fanatic. At B.U., he completed a senior thesis on the physics of the instrument, and later extended his research as an Oxford graduate student.Later, Dr. Didg continued his study of the didgeridoo in Elcho Island, Northern Australia, where he was taught by Aboriginal masters.
When Dr. Didg returned from Australia, he founded the critically acclaimed band Outback. By the time the Outback songs "Out of the Woods" and "Seretonality" hit the billboard charts, Dr. Didg had left an indelible mark on popular music. Although Outback has since disbanded, Dr. Didg continues to tour with his own band, using an innovative "live sampling" technique in which he creates multiple layers of didgeridoo lines to develop a rhythmic and tantric sound.
Intrigued? Stop by Jack Magees this Thursday to experience Dr. Didg for yourself.