Spirit Gallery Staff Profile : Sean “the professor” Patrick Ryan

Introducing Sean Patrick Ryan. Sean has been playing and performing with the didgeridoo for over 15 years. Sean belong to the Kuku Nyunkal bubu bamanga. (the people of the Black Cockatoo mother country) from north Queensland.

 

Sean is one of the few professional Aboriginal didgeridoo players based in Sydney, Australia. He has accompanied many artists from a wide range of genres at a variety of venues. From performances with Australia’s premier jazz musician James Morrison at the Sydney Opera House, performances with well known Aboriginal musician Frank Yamma at Fox Studios in Sydney; playing with Djs at night clubs; performances at Kirribilli House for the Governor General of Australia (2011 and 2010); didjeridoo performances for Hettie Perkins at The “Art and Soul” Exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW , solo performances at Boardi Space at Peats Ridge Festival and an upcomg performance with Cirque Du Soleil, among others.

 

When he is not performing or booked for an event you can find Sean here at Spirit Gallery. There is not much he doesn’t know about the didgeridoo, hence the title “professor”

 

Sean also does all our private and group lessons and is also available for any event requiring an indigenous performer, educator and  didgeridoo player.

 

Want more information. Log onto Sean’s website – http://www.didjeridooplayer.com.au/

 

 

Tristan O’Meara Didgeridoos Have Arrived

 

We have just received a great bunch of didgeridoos from our newest maker Tristan O’Meara. Some real quality logs in there. Beautifully crafted with awesome power and resonance.

 

Tristan has been making didgeridoos for a number of years but has only recently turned his hand to full time crafting with an emphasis on high quality instruments. He has refined his technique and skill and it’s now paying off. This bunch of didges is the best we have seen from him, with some absolutely cracking instruments in there.

 

Tristan spends 9 months of the year making didges and working on his music, spending the Australian Winter in Europe as a touring musician, playing a variety of instruments including the didgeridoo combined with the weissonborn lap steel guitar, acoustic guitar, 6 string tenor ukulele, banjo, blues harmonica, native American flutes and of course his voice!!

 

He has released 3 official albums, two live albums and one studio album “southern breezes”.

 

 

All Tristan O’Meara didgeridoos will come with a copy of “southern breezes”

 

Want to know more about Tristan. Find him at-

http://www.myspace.com/tristanomeara

http://www.facebook.com/tristanomeara

 

 

In the meantime watch Tristan at one of his many performances and check him out making a didge!!

   

 

 

 

Tjupurru At Spirit Gallery- Face Bass & Didjeribone!

Brisbane Based International Didjeridu performer Adrian Fabila Tjupurrula aka Tjupurru was nice enough to pay us a visit on his most recent trip to Sydney and show us his unique brand of music.

 

A  proud descendant of the Djabera Djabera tribe of the West Australia Kimberleys, Tjupurru plays the DIDJERIBONE and the FACE BASS, both inventions of his close friend Charlie McMahon.

 

We have seen the Didjeribone before but what is the FACE BASS?  Its an internal seismic microphone that enables the slightest whisper and tremble in your mouth or body to be picked up. Any noise made in or around your mouth and neck – vocally, sub vocally, with your tongue, your teeth, your fingers, swallowing, humming or just breathing is amplified.

 

With the addition of sampling and electronic effects and you have a one mand band called Tjupurru. A unique mixture of sounds and songs that is thorughly entertaining.

 

 

Tjupurru has performed at many festivals and concerts, both in Australia and abroad. He is also very busy doing school performances all over Australia.

 

Would you like to see a live TJUPURRU performance in your town or at your festival or school. Find Tjupurru’s contact details at the following link http://www.myspace.com/tjupurru or find him on facebook http://www.facebook.com/didgeridoobreath#!/tjupurru

 

Charlie McMahon and his Didjeribone visit Spirit Gallery

A quick demonstration by Charlie McMahon on the didjeribone during his most recent visit to Spirit Gallery.

 

Charlie invented this pitch shift slide didge in 1981 and is one of enduring legends of the didgeridoo in Australia.

 

A good friend of the store and regular visitor we thought you might like to see Charlie in action. Still going as strong as ever!!!

 

Want to know more about Charlie http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_McMahon or visit his website http://www.charliemcmahon.com

 

 

 

William Barton & Shibaten Duo

Good friends of Spirit Gallery it was nice to get William Barton and Shibaten together in the store. An impromptu performance seemed so natural as if it had been rehearsed. That’s the talent of the two!!!!

 

Shibaten will be performing at festivals in the USA from July- Septemeber. You can follow him on facebook http://www.facebook.com/shibaten

 

William as always is busy performing all over the country and the world. Check him out at www.williambarton.com.au/

 

 

 

 

 

Stax The Didgeman!!!

 

Introducing Stax the Didgeman!!! Stax has been playing, teaching and making didgeridoos for over 15 years now.

 

We recently had the pleasure of meeting him at the 2012 Melbourne Didgeridoo and Cultural Festival

 

A member of the Victorian Music Teachers Association and based in Melbourne Stax is available for all things didgeridoo- including private lessons, group lessons, workshops, school visits, function hire and much more

 

 

Check him out  at http://www.didgeman.com.au

 

 

 

 

New Didgeridoos Uploaded

Its been a busy week here at Spirit Gallery as we uploaded over 60 new didgeridoos. Just click on the DIDGERIDOOS tab and the newest didges will appear by default.

 

A mixed bunch with a few from almost every maker we represent.

 

One of our favourites was a beautiful F from Kristian Benton. Not just for its playability and sound quality but for the new and unique artwork he has painted on this didgeridoo. Very different to his typical work and colour scheme but a clear favourite here at Spirit Gallery.

William Barton Solo and Visit at Spirit Gallery

William and Reno from Spirit Gallery at the Sydney Opera House with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra 2011

William visits us regularly and loves going through our instrument collection. He uses our didgeridoos when performing in Sydney and he even returns them back to us when he is finished!!!- including that very valuable private collection Burton E in the picture above!!!

 

In all seriousness we are proud that he chooses Spirit Gallery to source many of his instruments and just to come and say hello and hang with the boys. He did a little solo last time he popped in. Enjoy the talented William Barton.

 

Want to know more about Australia’s most recognised and popular didgeridoo player William Barton- check out his website  http://www.williambarton.com.au/

 

 

 

 

 

Player Profile- Derek Pharms

We were lucky enough to meet Derek Pharms while at the Melbourne Didgeridoo and Cultural Festival. Derek is a great didgeridoo/yidaki player and a talented multi-instrumentalist.

 

His other talents include drumming, singing and much more. Check him out playing a monster Bruce Rogers F didge (which by the way will be coming to us and on our shelves  in a few days!!!!)