Didgeridoo Playing Could Improve Sleep Apnea

Sleep Study featuring apnea sufferers the didgeridoo.
Courtesy of radiologist "Not Totally Rad's" Blog

This clinical trial by Puhan et al was conducted in Switzerland, far from this ancient instrument's origin in Australia. Somehow the authors were able to convince 25 Swiss patients with sleep apnea to play the didgeridoo. Fourteen of these 25 played the instrument for 4 months, while the 11 controls were placed on a waiting list. The bottom line:

Regular playing of a didgeridoo reduces daytime sleepiness and snoring in people with moderate obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome and also improves the sleep quality of partners

Severity of disease, expressed by the apnoea-hypopnoea index, is also substantially reduced after four months of didgeridoo playing

As a radiologist, I spend most of my work days up to my clavicles in high-tech equipment. I therefore relish all the more avocations, such as folk music and hiking, that I can enjoy with low tech gear far from the power grid. Therefore, it's a pleasing thought that a $94 plastic didgeridoo might replace a $1500 CPAP machine in some patients.

On another note, perhaps Switzerland is not such an unlikely place for this particular clinical trial at all. If anything, people who have already been playing alphorns for the past 1,800 years should be naturals at the didgeridoo.

For more information on didgeridoos contact www.laoutback.com

Pablo Cunqueiro Takes An LA Outback Didgeridoo On A Global Walkabout

LA Outback's employee, Pablo Cunqueiro recently traveled from Egypt to Italy with family including his brother Fernando (in photo). He knew while he was away he would definitely want to do some didgeridoo playing. Carrying around a heavy eucalyptus didj would have been too cumbersome so he asked about taking one of our Modern Didgeridoos.

We all thought it would be cool for him to take the style called "Walkabout", which only seemed appropriate, and take some photos along the way to document it's travels, or walkabout.

We've set up a gallery of his images in Flickr to share with those interested in seeing Pablo and the didj on their journey. See Pablo travel from the pyramids of Luxor to the canals of Venice with his trusty didj in tow.

Check out the Walkabout Didgeridoo gallery in Flicker
Visit www.laoutback.com to see our didjs including the Walkabout

Didj 'n Beat Fest: Didgeridoo Festival in Austria coming August 23, 2008

Greetings all out in the didgeridoo world! I just ran across information for another International Didgeridoo Festival and I wanted to let everyone know about it.

This fest is located in Schlossberg, Austria and is coming late summer. The Didgeridoo Festival has been going on since 2000 and judging from the photos on their site, it looks like a pretty wild time. Unfortunately both the offical site and their Myspace pages are written in German so I can't tell you a whole lot about them, but you can at least get an idea of the vibe they have built for you to enjoy.

So if you plan on being in Europe come August 23rd, make sure to pack your didgeridoo and join them in the festivities.

For more information visit wither the official webpage www.didgeridoo-festival.at
Or check out their Myspace Page www.myspace.com/didgeridoo_festival
For information on US didgeridoo festivals visit our site www.laoutback.com

Didgeridoo CD: Stephen Kent's New Work "Living Labyrinths"

Living Labyrinths is an improvised Solstice journey, a song of the moment with original real time processing designed and conceived for solo didjeridu by Gregory T. Kuhn and performed live by Stephen Kent, solo, on Didjeridu, Percussion and Processing. Living Labyrinths is the product of a series of unplanned conditions all lining up synchronously on the evening of the Summer Solstice, 2005 in Oakland, California’s Chapel of the Chimes - a mausoleum, designed by a series of luminary architects including Julia Morgan, that houses the remains of over 300,000 people.

The disc includes some amazing atmospheres that accompany Stephen's dynamic didgeridoo playing. There are some really unusual sounds that flow through out which make for nice surprises and the pieces develop. For those looking for more of Stephen's unique solo style, this disc has a number of pieces that you'll love as well.

To hear an MP3 sample or to purchase Stephen Kent's Living Labyrinths visit www.laoutback.com

Mike Jackson Plays "Steam Train" Didgeridoo Solo

Here is the second solo didgeridoo piece that Mike Jackson played while visiting LA Outback. This piece is titled Steam Train which was named by some friends of his in Europe for it's fast paced, highly rhythmic playing style.

Mike is a pretty amazing didgeridoo player and we're thrilled to be able to showcase this video which was shot back in the LA Outback tiki hut. He's played didj all over Australia at various festivals and clubs, but mid 2008 was his first time ever to the USA. His visit here included stops in Seattle and Denver as well where he performed, gave lectures and workshops. We're hoping to get Mike and his band Didgeridoo Dingo back in 2009 for the Australia Fair LA festival we'll be throwing here in Los Angeles.

To purchase Mike's didgeridoo solo CD visit www.laoutback.com

Karl Kalbaugh on Myspace: Electronic Music Composer with Didgeridoo

Just wanted to point everyone to a new Myspace page with some great compositions featuring didgeridoo. The space is owned by Karl Kalbaugh who lives on the Eastern seaboard of the US and has been composing and playing didj for well over a decade.

Karl released his debut recording "Terra Nova" back in 2000, a self produced work featuring 10 cuts written and arranged in Karl's studio. A piece from the album called "Nocturne" is currently represented in his playlist but it appears he'll be rotating his works to keep the set fresh, so keep checking in to see what new works might be represented. Karl's site also features some of the didjs he's crafted from native hardwoods.

Karl's music incorporates beautiful piano melodies with grand washes of strings, didgeridoo and percussion. His work accented by is very cinematic and inspire great landscapes of far off lands. My favorites are "History" and "Outbound".

Check out Karl's work at www.myspace.com/karlkalbaugh
For more didj music visit www.laoutback.com

Mike Jackson Plays Didgeridoo Solo "Control Freak"

Mike Jackson visited us here at LA Outback a week ago for a weekend didj series including performance, lecture and workshop. Mike is an accomplished and well respected didgeridoo player from the Blue Mountains just west of Sydney and has been playing didgeridoo for over 10 years. When he's not playing didgeridu solo, he's performing with his band or working as an archaeologist in search of ancient Aboriginal sites near his home.

For those who were unable to attend the events LA Outback hosted for Mike, we will be posting them on Youtube and sharing them with you here on our blog. This will include excerpts from the performance and his solo presentations of "Control Freak" and "Steam Train".

For more information on didgeridoo related happenings, check out the events page at www.laoutback.com for more information or stay tuned to our blog.

Jammin Tree Didgeridoo Festival in Central California: August 15, 16, 17 2008

Jammin Tree Didj Fest

The 8th annual JT Didgefest is an International gathering of the didgeridoo community. Didgeridoo players and performers, hand drummers, and anyone interested in indigenous music from around the world are encouraged to attend. Concerts, lessons and workshops are scheduled throughout all the days. Vendors will also be on hand offering some of the best instruments and handcrafted wares available.

August 15, 16 & 17th 2008

Didgeridoo Festival Headquarters
49522 Road 426
Oakhurst, CA. 93644

Visit the official JT Didgeridoo Festival Site