South Florence High students learn about Australian culture

FLORENCE — Ninth-grade students at South Florence High School were introduced to an aspect of Australian culture through an interactive and educational program called Didgeridoo Down Under.

Didgeridoo Down Under is an Australian-themed edutainment program that combines music, art, social studies, character education, and reading and vocabulary development.

Armed with the musical instrument called a didgeridoo, books, artifacts, maps and artwork, Lindsey Dank, co-founder of the Gainesville-based organization DidgRevolution, engaged students through music and an oral history of the Aborigianals, the indigenous people of Australia.

The term Aborigine is considered offensive; the preferred term is Aboriginal, Dank said.

The didgeridoo is used in gatherings called Corroboree to pass down stories from one generation to the other and often incorporates dance and song.

Students watched as Dank demonstrated how the didgeridoo, made traditionally from eucalyptus that is naturally hollowed out by termites or white ants, is played.

The musical instrument is played, without a reed, by using a special breathing technique that Dank learned while in Australia.

Dank said he was so inspired by his experience that he wanted to share what he had learned with others.

“They’re going to learn something that they might not learn through reading a book,” he said. “It’s a mixture of entertainment and education.”

Through the program, Dank said he wanted to promote cultural awareness, as well as encourage others to learn how to play the didgeridoo.

“It’s important for them to understand the Aboriginal plight and what has happened in Australia,” he said. “And try to understand how humanity works in the world and the past.”

Fifteen-year-old student Sean Richardson said Didgeridoo Down Under was an interesting program and he learned a lot about the Australian culture.

“It’s an awesome program,” Sean said. “It really does teach you a lot of things but at the same time, you’re having fun doing it. It’s an easier way to learn about history.”

In searching for information on Australia to use in class, Connie Hobbs, a world geography teacher at South Florence, found information about Didgeridoo Down Under and said she knew the group had to come to South Florence to help students gain a greater appreciation for people of other cultures.

“I want them to know and understand that groups like the Aboriginals were mistreated and it’s important that we don’t lose that very valuable culture,” she said.

Hobbs said these programs are important to a student’s learning experience, no matter the subject matter.

“The arts are ingrained in every discipline that we have,” she said. “It just permeates every aspect of a society.

“It’s so important these students appreciate the arts because it’s the foundation of everything they learn and do,” she said. “It gives them a greater understanding of people outside of where they live.”

Didgeridoo Down Under was funding through a grant from the S.C. Arts Commission.

On the Web

Didgeridoo Down Under, www.didgrevolution.com

South Florence High School, www.fsd1.org/southflorence