Toot your didjeridoo

My mom’s side of the family is from Australia, thus there was never a shortage of Australian artifacts around the house. I remember a painting of a little aborigine boy that hung over my bed, while a stuffed koala (made from real koala fur) rested on my dresser. There were boomerangs, kangaroos and paintings of kookaburras sitting in old gum trees, but the pièce de résistance was the didjeridoo. The didjeridoo is a long piece of eucalyptus wood that has been hollowed out by termites, making it the perfect instrument for little girls and boys to raise a ruckus with, much like the tubes left behind from rolls of wrapping paper. The trick to playing this ancient aboriginal instrument is to inhale through the nose as you blow out your mouth, producing a continuous sound. To learn more about the art of playing the didjeridoo, attend a free program hosted by David Blonski, 6:30 p.m. Feb. 13 at North Valleys Library, 1075 N. Hills Blvd., Suite 340; 11 a.m. Feb. 15 at Sierra View Library, 4001 S. Virginia St.; 1:30 p.m. Feb. 15 at Northwest Reno Library, 2325 Robb Drive. Call individual libraries for more information.