Peter D. Harper’s 1st music tour in China
- By staff reporter Deng Di
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E-mail China Today, June 27, 2017
Passion for Australian Indigenous Music
A unique charm has been added to their performance with Harper's playing of the didgeridoo. The instrument, resembling a hollow tree trunk, is a wind instrument developed by indigenous Australians and is still in wide use. It is played with continuously vibrating lips and a special breathing technique (circular breathing), which will give listeners the sound of a trembling land.
Harper is pretty familiar with it, and while he lives away from Australia in the U.S., he is dedicated to introducing the sound of the didgeridoo to more people and incorporating the rich Australian culture it bears into the mainstream English music world.
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Harper and Midwest Kind meet Chinese music lovers during their visit. |
"I'm a promoter of didgeridoo, and enjoy playing it. I think it's really important to learn about ancient cultures in our modern life. I like to teach children about Australia and the didgeridoo. In my eyes, the best way to do this is to have a hands-on approach since kids will understand more about it when they put interest and time in it."
This time during his tour, Harper managed to squeeze in time to hold a one-day didgeridoo crafting & performance workshop at a bar in Chaoyang District, Beijing. He invited local parents and their kids to participate and have fun together. The workshop encouraged participants to create their own didgeridoos. They introduced Australian indigenous animals to kids and showed them how to paint water holes, animal tracks and Australian animals.
"So I demonstrate the didgeridoo and show children how to make the instrument drone and make animal sounds. I teach about Australian aboriginal art and its relation to the land and its animals. I then ask the children to create their own artistic designs on didgeridoos made of PVC pipe. Once the paintings have been completed, the children are gathered in a circle and we all have a big jam on the didgeridoos. It's a lot of fun but also very educational."
In Harper's eyes, experiences give you memories. One of the best ways to learn about a totally strange culture is to have a "hands-on" experience. Australian culture has left its impression upon him; this impression has always inspired him to put new cultural elements into world music.
Harper is also very fond of Chinese culture. "At present, I don't have a great deal of contact with Chinese musicians. I now live in Detroit, Michigan, USA. But I really don't look at race. Either you are a good musician or you aren't, it really doesn't matter where you come from."
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