| 1 |
Was your first exposure to the didjeridu from:
an Aboriginal Person – 30 – 23.6%
a non-Aboriginal Person – 92 – 72.4%
no answer – 5 – 4% |
| 2 |
Was it in person?
in person – 75 – 59%
on film/recording – 51 – 40.2%
no answer – 1 – .8% |
| 3 |
If Aboriginal, was the person from the Top End, where it is commonly accepted that the didjeridu originated?
YES – 16 – 53.3%
NO – 9 – 30%
no answer – 5 – 16.7% |
| 4 |
From Arnhem Land?
YES – 10 – 33.3%
NO – 15 – 50%
no answer – 5 – `6.7% |
| 5 |
Are you Australian?
YES – 7 – 5.5%
NO – 120 – 94.4% |
| 6 |
If yes, have you been to Arnhem Land?
YES – 6 – 85.7%
NO – 1 – 14.3% |
| 7 |
Non-Australians – have you been to Australia/Arnhem Land?
YES, but not to Arnhem Land – 15 – 12.5%
YES, to Arnhem Land – 22 – 18.3%
NO – 83 – 69.2% |
| 8 |
Was the band Yothu Yindi an influence on your initial decision to play didjeridu?
YES – 13 – 10.2%
NO – 95 – 74.8%
I’ve never heard of them! – 19 – 15% |
| 9 |
Were they a major influence soon after you started playing?
YES – 32 – 25.2%
NO – 95 – 74.8% |
| 10 |
Were the Sydney Olympics an influence on your decision to play didjeridu?
YES – 0 – 0%
NO – 127 – 100% |
| 11 |
Who are your favorite didjeridu players?
59 – 46.5% selected only players from outside the accepted traditional origins of the didjeridu
14 – 11% selected the above players plus Djalu’ and/or his son
20 – 15.7% selected a mix of “traditional” and “non-traditional” players
10 – 7.9% selected only “traditional” players
20 – 15.7% selected none
see q11.htm for responses |
| 12 |
How do you use the didjeridu? (check all that apply)
just a hobby – 85 – 66.9%
performance – 58 – 45.7%
teaching – 41 – 32.3%
personal development – 95 – 74.8%
healing – 32 – 25.2% |
| 13 |
Do you feel the didjeridu creates a connection between you and Aboriginal People?
YES – 90 – 70.9%
NO – 32 – 25.2%
no answer – 5 – 3.9% |
|
Explain.
see q13.htm for responses |
| 14 |
Do you believe there is a difference between a “didjeridu” and a “yidaki?”
YES – 92 – 72.4%
NO – 31 – 24.4%
no answer – 4 – 3.2% |
|
Explain briefly, possibly including philoshopical differences, sound, materials, size & shape, etc.
see q14.htm for responses |
| 15 |
Do you know the terms Dhuwa and Yirritja and how they might relate to didjeridu?
YES – 44 – 34.6%
NO – 83 – 65.4% |
| 16 |
What do you know of the variety of yidaki in Northeast Arnhem Land? Are they:
all relatively similar – 24 – 18.9%
of varying types – 66 – 52%
no answer – 37 – 29.1% |
|
Explain
see q16.htm for responses |
| 17 |
How many didjeridus do you own? – 1320 |
|
How many were crafted by Yolngu (the people of Northeast Arnhem Land)? – 432 – 32.7% |
|
How many are from elsewhere in Australia? – 346 – 26.2% |
|
How many are from elsewhere in the world? – 424 – 32.1% |
|
Unaccounted for – 118 – 8.9% |
| 18 |
Do you make your own didjeridus?
YES – 46 – 36.2%
NO – 50 – 39.4%
I’ve made “beginner didjeridus” but use mainly instruments from otherpeople and don’t consider myself a craftsman – 31 – 24.4% |
| 19 |
How do you feel about Yolngu-made instruments versus the split-and-hollow didjeridus that are currently very popular in Europe and America and seem to be outselling “authentic” didjeridus?
I prefer Yolngu didjeridus – 37 – 29.1%
I would prefer a Yolngu didjeridu but don’t trust that I’ll always get a good one – 14 – 11%
I prefer other instruments – 1 – .8%
I judge each didjeridu separately based on sound, not its origin – 71 – 56%
no answer – 4 – 3.1% |
|
Explain:
see q19.htm for responses |
| 20 |
What type will your next didjeridu be?
Yolngu-made – 45 – 35.4%
Australian-made – 21 – 16.5%
other – 41 – 32.3%
no answer – 20 – 15.7% |
| 21 |
How do you feel about some Aboriginal Peoples’ claims that only they should make didjeridus as it is their cultural object?
Buyers should only support Arnhem Land craftsman – 19 – 15%
We should buy from any Aboriginal Person – 16 – 12.6%
Buy Australian – 3 – 2.4%
Anyone is entitled to make and sell didjeridus – 72 – 56.7%
no answer – 17 – 13.4% |
| 22 |
Do you know the name Djalu’ Gurruwiwi?
YES – 111 – 87.4%
NO – 16 – 12.6% |
| 23 |
How did you first hear of him?
surfing the web – 14 – 12.6%
online discussions – 29 – 26.1%
from a didjeridu seller – 10 – 9%
from a friend didjeridu player – 29 – 26.1%
from a non-Aboriginal didjeridu teacher – 6 – 5.4%
Garma Festival – 1 – .9%
because of his connection to Yothu Yindi – 9 – 8.1%
because of Djalu’s travel overseas – 3 – 2.7%
other – 10 – 9% |
| 24 |
Have you seen and played didjeridus he crafted?
YES – 81 – 63.8%
NO – 40 – 31.5%
no answer – 6 – 4.7% |
| 25 |
How would you describe his typical instrument?
see q25.htm for responses |
| 26 |
If you bought one sight unseen due to his popularity, what was your reaction to his instruments?
loved it – 16 – 12.6%
liked it – 5 – 3.9%
it’s all right – 3 – 2.4%
a bit disappointed – 3 – 2.4%
I didn’t like it! – 0 – 0%
I never bought one sight unseen – 71 – 56%
no answer – 29 – 22.8% |
| 27 |
Can you name some other Yolngu didjeridu craftsmen?
49 – 38.6% named at least one Yolngu craftsman or artist who has painted didjeridus or simply said, “yes.”
74 – 58.3% did not reply or replied in the negative
4 – 3.1% named only non-Yolngu craftsmen (using the specific definition of Aboriginal People from the Yolngu cultural bloc)
see q27.htm for responses |
| 28 |
Had you heard much Yolngu music before acquiring a Djalu’ or other Yolngu didjeridu?
YES – 48 – 37.8%
NO – 55 – 43.3%
no answer – 24 – 18.9% |
| 29 |
Were you trying to play their style on the instrument or using it in your own style?
YOLNGU – 12 – 9.4%
OWN – 49 – 38.6%
BOTH – 44 – 34.6%
no answer – 22 – 17.3% |
| 30 |
If you have had instruction with Djalu’, how would you characterize the experience briefly, in terms of what you think he was trying to convey to you about yidaki? Just playing technique or something more?
see q30.htm for responses |
| 31 |
If you have had instruction with other Yolngu, how would you characterize the experience briefly, in terms of what you think they were trying to convey to you about yidaki? Just playing technique or something more?
see q31.htm for responses |
| 32 |
Are you trying to learn Yolngu playing style?
YES, I must master it – 19 – 15%
YES, I’d like play a bit of it – 57 – 44.9%
NO – 43 – 33.9%
no answer – 8 – 6.2% |
|
If so, how? (check all that apply)
imitating recordings – 70 – 92.1%
previous visit to Garma Festival – 8 – 10.1%
other visit to Arnhem Land – 17 – 21.5%
lessons with Djalu’ – 31 – 39.2%
lessons with other Yolngu – 25 – 31.6%
lessons with non-Aboriginal teacher – 28 – 35.4% |
| 33 |
If you are trying to play like Yolngu, why? (check all that apply)
It’s the proper, respectful way to play didjeridu – 34 – 43%
I just like the sound – 49 – 62%
I want to understand Yolngu life and the way they think – 34 – 43%
I want to share my playing with Yolngu in person – 14 – 17.7%
It’s more difficult than other styles, so I like the challenge – 34 – 43%
I just want to know everything I can about didjeridu – 54 – 68.4% |
| 34 |
What stories have you heard about the origin of the didjeridu?(check all that apply)
a man collecting wood for a fire found a hollow log with termites in it, and blew them out to avoid burning them – 81 – 63.8%
a man was trapped and blew on his penis to make a large sound – 39 – 30.7%
a man played the didjeridu in a contest and stirred the west wind – 21 – 16.5%
a man blew trumpet notes on a hollow log to call people to ceremony – 13 – 10.2%
a big rainbow serpent taught a man to play a big long didjeridu – 27 – 21.3%
In the story(ies) I checked above, the man was named Yidaki – 13 – 10.2% |
| 35 |
Any other stories? Do they include the word yidaki? Some Yolngu are curious to hear answers to this one!
see q35.htm for responses |
| 36 |
Which, if any, of these stories have you passed on to other people? (check all that apply) percentages are out of those who had heard the story
a man collecting wood for a fire found a hollow log with termites in it, and blew them out to avoid burning them – 46 – 56.8%
a man was trapped and blew on his penis to make a large sound – 13 – 33.3%
a man played the didjeridu in a contest and stirred the west wind – 7 – 33.3%
a man blew trumpet notes on a hollow log to call people to ceremony – 5 – 38.5%
a big rainbow serpent taught a man to play a big long didjeridu – 5 – 18.5%
the other story I indicated above – 3 – 13.6%
none, it’s not my business to tell Aboriginal stories – 27 – 21.3% of total respondents |
| 37 |
Would you like hear stories from Yolngu about the origin of the didjeridu?
YES – 114 – 89.8%
NO – 7 – 5.5%
no answer – 6 – 4.7% |
|
What do you anticipate you will learn from those stories? Do you feel it will change the way you play? Or the way you perceive the instrument?
see q37.htm for responses |
| 38 |
Do you have any comments on how to show respect for the sacred origins of the didjeridu in this time of the didjeridu as a tool of self-expression/healing/etc. for anyone around the world?
see q38.htm for responses |
| 39 |
Do you have any other comments or anecdotes you’d like to share inspired by these questions?
see q39.htm for relevant responses (personal notes removed) |
| 40 |
Was this survey too long?
YES, and I want my hour back – 8 – 6.3%
NO, it was extremely fulfilling to be a part of – 99 – 78%
no answer – 20 – 15.7% |
