Transforming The Sound Of Silence

Music To My Ears

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

On a recent visit to Melbourne's Tullamarine airport, I happened to see these miniature didgeridoos on a shelf in the corner of the souvenir store.

Because I always have my camera bag slung over my shoulder, I walked up to the store manager and asked if I could possibly take three or four shots simply for my blog, with no commercial intentions in mind.

I was given permission immediately and good-naturedly so I quickly tried to get some close ups showing the strong colours and distinctive artwork on their surface.


If you’ve never heard about a didgeridoo, it’s a beautiful, traditional Aboriginal wind instrument. It is simply a long wooden pipe on which complex rhythmic patterns are played more or less on a variation of a single note.

Let me point out that even if you’ve never seen one, you’ve probably heard a didgeridoo on a movie soundtrack. If you saw Paul Hogan’s Oscar-nominated film Crocodile Dundee or one of its sequels, you would have heard its deep, memorable timbre.

Not only are these instruments a natural canvas for Aboriginal dot painting, I’ve also been told that playing them is also a work of art.


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