A Didgeridoo of a Different Color

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 10/29/11

If you have followed this column over the summer, then you are familiar with the story line of Jennifer and her Beanstalk. My agave grew a 20ft stalk this summer and I most recently wrote about its threatening demise onto my lamppost or worse yet, my roof when the season’s first major winds blow through.

A few weeks ago a loyal reader contacted me and said he could remove it for me. You are probably thinking a junk hauler, or landscape maintenance company, or tree trimmer, right? So was I. But it turns out it was something much more intriguing, someone much more interesting than I could have ever imagined. And he is a fellow Michigander to boot.

“Would you like to have me take that stalk off your hands?” wrote Charles Eaton, PhD., of Corrales.

“It is probably, even as I write, yearning to be transformed into something of beauty in its next life, rather than decaying in some landfill,” wrote Charles.

My interest was piqued and I learned Charles, 78 is the didgeridoo instructor at UNM Continuing Education, and that I have one of the finest growing right in my front yard. I couldn’t wait to learn more so I invited Charles over, but not before I Googled “didgeridoo.”

A didgeridoo is a wind instrument, sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or drone pipe developed by Indigenous Australians around 1,500 years ago.

When Charles came to the house to chop down my stalk, he brought along 3 of the 23 didgeridoos that he has made, and played them for me and imparted his wisdom of how they are made and how they should be played.

This inexhaustible world traveler showed me the didgeridoo he found in Australia but assured me that agave Neo-Mexicana or agave Americana are capable of exceeding the quality of Aboriginal didgeridoos any day.

The instruments can be made out of wood, eucalyptus or agave and are hollowed out with drills and blow torches. Charles sands them down and coats them with $180 a gallon marine epoxy. He then adds his signature in the form of a strategically placed piece of beautiful turquoise.

The sound these instruments make is somewhat similar to the sound whales make, a low pitched hum.  But once one can master what is known as circular breathing, breathing in through your nose while exhaling at the same time, you can also make animal sounds, barking and gargling noises.

“During the day, faster notes, but the evening and after breakfast meditation is when you are to blow a lower hum,” said Charles explaining in a Zen sort of way how to get the most out of this unique instrument’s soothing sounds.

This didgeridoo maker also plays the banjo and guitar, is a flintknapper, videographer and taught TV production at UNM for years.

Between Charles and his wife, Pauline Eaton, an accomplished watercolor artist, they have 3 master degrees and 2 doctorates.  “My philosophy is on continuing education. You can eat an elephant- one bite at a time,” says Charles.

So, in the spirit of Charles Eaton, I invite you to take another bite out of your own elephants and sign up for his UNM Continuing Education class, Playing the Didgeridoo. You may just see the famous Jennifer agave stalk in its final transformation. Classes start November 7^th.  For more information call 277-0077.

Quote of the Week: “My goal is to be wheeled into the nursing home at 85 and blow into that thing, and blow the top right off.” – Charles Eaton, 78.