Didj images, sounds, and physics

Once again, the stars were in alignment and the didj group met this last Sunday.

We had a really good turnout, with seven people showing (plus kids), not counting the random passers-by and parkgoers asking about our sounds. Robert, Ron, Jessie and Jason, Jon and Alyssa, and myself all made appearances over the course of the afternoon. All told, I'd say we had more than a dozen sticks of varying quality. The first pic at the top (courtesy William Gibson of Wild Imagination Films) of this article is a very very nice aspen stick from Hicks Sticks. I've got to get me one, and I'd really love to play along with this particular instrument, as it is just a hair out of sync with my Rob Thomas black resin didj. There's a marvelous deep pulsing bass beat when the two instruments are played simultaneously.

Jon brought a handful of didjes:














Jon gives my Mindblower a whirl:


















I like the composition of this one, Ron playing Omid's impressively large loaner didj. I don't recall the name of the parkgoer in black.














Another artistic shot, showing Ron's clapsticks.














Jessie's son kept trying to play. That's not a horse in the background, but a Great Dane.




















Some YouTube delight:

This was a great improv jam session between myself and Ron, who is really quite skilled and makes me look good. Most of the sound you'll hear is his louder stalk, as I'm playing more as a backbeat or rhythm.

Direct link to video.

Here's a shorter clip I took of Robert and Ron on the famous forked didj. I wish that I had better sound on this, plus I don't know why YouTube wants to display this landscape and not portrait. Sorry, folks.
Direct link to video.

Why do they sound so good? Ask the physicists.