Music of Australia

1. Music of Australia

2. Intro To Australia • Australia is in the southern part of the Indian Ocean and the western part of the Pacific Ocean • New Zealand is off the south east coast of Australia • Indonesia and New Guinea are to the north • The Great Coral reef is off the coast • The capital is Canberra

3. Climate of Australia • The climate in Australia generally arid to semiarid • It is a temperate climate in the south and east • It is also tropical in the north • Also there are deserts and forests in Australia • Snow occurs in the mountains quite often but does into usually come down into the main cities

4. Geography • Australia has 7,686,850 sq km of total area including lakes and rivers • Most of Australia is low plateau with deserts and fertile plain in southeast • The lowest point is at lake Eyre which is 15 miles below sea level • The highest point is on Mt. Kosciusko which is at 2,229 meters above sea level • Some natural hazards are cyclones along the coast, severe droughts, and forest fires • The natural resources consist of bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, gold, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, and petroleum

5. People and society • The major language in Australia is English at 79.1% • Chinese is the next most common language at 2.1% • Also they have formal education where the kids learn English • Their houses look very similar to average person in the United States house • There are more then 20 million people from over 200 countries • The population growth rate is .85%

6. Government • Australia government is a federal parliamentary democracy • Their legal system is based on the English common law • They became independent on January 1st 1901 • The Australian government supports music • The currency is referred to as notes or the Australian dollar • Ser Robert Menzies is the prime minister of Australia • Under 18 years of age you are considered a Juvenile

7. Religion • The main religions consist of Catholic, Anglican, Christianity, Buddhist, and Muslim • 15.3% of the population are atheistic • They preach through music and by spiritual living • The constitution made it so that there is no country religion • Of the 22 most populated religions all but three are in Australia

8. Didgeridoo • It is a aerophone. • It is made out of wood. • The natives got the idea of making it from a hollow log. • It was made by the natives in the 18 to 19 hundreds to warn fellow tribe members of dangers. Click here for video

9. Didgeridoo Making • The native didgeridoo's are created when termites eat the inside of a tree until it becomes hollow • Eventually the tree falls down and the natives clean out the inside until it is clean enough to be used as an instrument • Then they remove all of the bark and create a design whether it is carved into it or painted on it

10. Bull Roarer • The native bull roarer’s are made of wood • The bull roarer is attached to some sort of thread and is then spun to make a humming • It was used to communicate over long distances • Another name for a bull roarer is a Turndun • The bull roarer was originally created in South America but then came to Australia with some travelers • It was first used by the natives • They are used in initiation ceremonies • They were also used during burials to ward off evil spirits, bad tidings, and even the women and children Click here for video

11. How to create your own Bull Roarer Materials- string, a hand drill, I foot ruler, • Instructions- • Drill a small hole in one end of the ruler • Insert string into the hole and then tie a knot • Then swing it around your head • This works better with a small fishing swivel in the string close to the ruler.

12. Songman • The songman is a highly regarded tribe member • He composed songs to tell day-to-day events • He was taught most of his stories by his ancestors • The songman is often asked to perform for other groups • When he performs for others he gets rewarded for his service • His voice can change to almost any pitch • The length of the songs could last several days, weeks, and even months Click here for video

13. INXS • Some of the most famous Australian bands is INXS • They are an Australian band but they don’t sing the traditional Australian music • The Band of INXS just had a show that was looking for a new lead singer

14. Clapsticks • A chosen singer holds a pair of sticks one in each hand • One stick is long and slightly flattened, it is held in the middle and held flat • While the other is rounded and held more towards the end of the stick • Then it is struck sharply and cleanly on to the first to make a percussive rhythm for the songs Click here for video

15. Bibliography http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=Bull%20Roarer&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=il http://9waysmysteryschool.tripod.com/sacredsoundtools/id9.html http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvNR9Xo8z3M http://www.aboriginalart.com.au/didgeridoo/songman.html http://www.aboriginalart.com.au/didgeridoo/creation.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia https://cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/as.html http://aboriginalart.com.au/didgeridoo/instruments.html http://fixedreference.org/en/20040424/wikipedia/Australia http://www.bestjobau.com/ Https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/print/as.html http://world.nationalgegraphic.com/worldmusic/veiw/page. basic/country/content.country/australia_853