iDIDJ Australia Didgeridoo Cultural Hub

A new book that some of you may have already encountered (I know you would have Randin). I haven't read it yet - just skimmed and it looks very good.

'Singing The Land' ;The power of performance in Aboriginal life by Jill Stubington has a forward by Raymattja Marika. ISBN for the paperback is 9780980280234 and published by Currency House. The book is divided into three parts; Living the dreaming:Music in Aboriginal Life; Witnessing the Dreaming: Music Performance Conventions in Different Areas of Aboriginal Australia with Listening Guuides, and Examining the Dreaming: Towrads a More Sensitive Listening and Analysing.

There is much written on Arnhem Land as Stubington spent considerable time there as a student and with subsequent visits over the last 4 decades (often with doyens such as Alice Moyle - bless her soul) and numerous senior musicians and songmen across the North.

Even though I've not delved far as yet into the 300 pages, I can see this is gonna be a great read and a terrific resource for anyone studying ethnomusicology at any level (in this country in particular).

I've gone thru more than half the book and must admit I'm a little disappointed. There's a lot of general information with a broad brush-stroke treatment of Indigenous music and performance in Australia whereas I would be more interested in the fine-grain detail. The mis-spelling of Yolngu names and words are a little off-putting too. More later when I've finished the read.

Guan