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Witchvox Chapter: Pagan Music
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Bardic Circle Featuring...
Jay Atwood ...
Didgeridoo Solo
(by Jay Atwood)
Audience Count: 3,311
The Story...
 It was well into the wee hours of the last night of Starwood '95. The bonfire that had blazed sky-high only a few hours earlier was now reduced to a brutally hot pile of embers. The drummers were in that quiet, trancey third-shift groove, and the dancers who remained had clearly moved into other, deeper psychic realms.
I was happy, but exhausted, and wondering if I'd actually make it to dawn.
It was then that I became aware of a sound that had been on the fringes of my consciousness for quite some time. It was a mystical, rhythmic drone - calling to me from somewhere over by the woods - way across the dark cold field, and far from the warmth of the fire. I knew that it was some sort of instrument, but I had never heard anything like it. Curious, I pulled a fleecey blanket around me, and headed toward the sound.
After stumbling around in the dark for a while, (no flashlight....real smart) I found the source of the drone. It was a beautiful young man, playing a long wooden tube. He didn't stop playing, but indicated with a look that I could sit and listen. It was only then that I realized the the sound never seemed to stop. Though this was obviously a breath-driven instrument, it seemed that he didn't need to stop for air. The sound flowed on without ceasing. ...and there were no finger holes or valves in the instrument - it was just a long, wooden tube. I was fascinated!
I sat and listened for over an hour, and in that time, Chris (the player) moved from deep, trancey drones to wild tribal rhythms without a break. I watched the sun come up, accompanied by the ancient sounds of the didgeridoo.
Now, years later, I am still as fascinated by the didgeridoo as I was that first night. I have mastered the technique of circular breathing (the tool that allows the player to play indefinitely with no 'stop' for a breath) , and have become a perpetual student of the ancient instrument. It has become a large part of my spiritual practice, and something that I love to share with others.
With great respect for the indigenous peoples of Australia, I play in a contemporary, Western style.
I hope you enjoy this brief didgeridoo improvisation. It is performed on a single instrument, with no editing or overdubs.
Peace
Jay
Recorded: 2005 my backyard
Guests/Players: moi
Technical Notes: Just a didgeridoo (and a couple of mics)
Artist Profile: From the tribal drum circle to the orchestra pit, Jay Atwood walks between musical worlds like an ancient shaman, drawing power and inspiration from primal sources.
A graduate of Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music, Jay has a strong grounding in the Western musical mainstream. He has served on the faculty of the Boston Conservatory, and spent many years conducting professional theatrical productions around the U.S.
But Jay’s musical path took an unusual turn when he first heard Wicked Tinkers perform in 2000. “I knew from the first bagpipe blast that these guys were something special” says Jay. “The music just roared, and so did the Tinkers! The band was screaming at the audience, the audience was screaming back, and they were all dancing like the intoxicated acolytes of some primitive Celtic god. …I loved them immediately!”
In September of 2005, Jay joined Wicked Tinkers on didgeridoo and bronze-age Irish horn. Now, watching him perform (often in tribal face-paint) it is easy to imagine that he is a priest of that primitive cult - summoning the spirits of rhythm and energy, and channeling them through the didgeridoo right into the pounding hearts and dancing feet of the gathered tribe.
While touring with Wicked Tinkers, Jay still finds time to create new, original music. His latest release, BONFIRE DREAMING has been described as “Expansive, fourth-world tribal spaces that set your spirit to dreaming and your belly to dancing”.
Website: http://www.jayatwood.com
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