“Approach life with an open mind – along with passion, drive, and purpose – and you will be amazed at the opportunities and wonders that cross your path.” – Darren Liebman
The Hernando County Public Library System will debut its Summer Reading 2023: All Together Now program by magically transporting young participants to the “land down under” when the “Didgeridoo Down Under” show visits the West Hernando Branch. The show will take place from 3-4 pm on Monday, June 12, at 6335 Blackbird Ave. in Brooksville. Presented by Tampa Entertainer Darren Liebman, this energetic fusion of Australian music, comedy, character-building, storytelling, and audience participation incorporates elements of Aussie animals, culture, unity, and environmentalism. Since 2004, this USF graduate and his “Didgeridoo Down Under” castmates have presented more than 8,000 shows, concerts, and workshops to more than 4,000 venues for more than one million viewers and participants. They are known to encourage kids everywhere to move and groove to the pulsing rhythms of the didgeridoo.
“We picked Darren Liebman and his didgeridoo to open the summer reading program entertainment schedule because, when he has visited us in the past, we got a good reception from kids and families who enjoy him, his instruments, his message of unity and kindness, which is such an important part of our theme this year,” said Justin King, youth services librarian of the library system.
Ah, but wait a minute. What the heck is a didgeridoo? It’s none other than a termite-hollowed eucalyptus tree trunk that has been morphed into a melodic, truly magical musical instrument in the Aboriginal culture. Liebman discovered the didgeridoo while visiting relatives in Australia in 1999, his fourth of many trips down under. “My whole life changed the moment I played that instrument,” he said. “It was a deep, spiritual experience.”
After purchasing his first didgeridoo in 2000, he conceptualized an entire show centered around this mystical instrument. “Through the simple movement of lips and tongues, you can make an amazing range of sounds,” he said.
This marvelous range will be heard to full effect on June 12, when audience members will be encouraged to dance along to didgeridoo music and to play hand clappers in time. Yet there is much more than music to a didgeridoo show. Leibman shared, “The goal of the show is to educate, motivate and inspire. We include comedy, storytelling, and audience interaction.”
Above all, Liebman wants to instill a love for the planet and the environment in young viewers. “We all come from the same planet, and I want to teach kids to respect people from different cultures,” said Liebman. “I want to inspire them to take care of their planet, of all creatures great and small.”
Registration is required, and space is limited for “Didgeridoo Down Under,” although standing-room space will be available for the show. For more information visit https://tinyurl.com/5eurhvjy
