"Paul "Walking Stick" Taylor on stage in Laramie Aug. 12

Paul Taylor performs at Laramie Plains Civic Center in Laramie on Friday, August 12, 7:30 p.m.

By sharing the stories and music of Aboriginal and European Australia, acclaimed performing artist and educator Paul “Walking Stick” Taylor helps bridge cultures. His latest CD, "Cooee!," recently won six national awards, including: the NAPPA and Parent’s Choice Gold Award 2003 for Storytelling, NAPPA Honors Award 2003 for Music, and a 2004 Storytelling World Award. Cooee!, a follow-up to Taylor’s albums Walkabout, Matilda & the Dreamtime and Doo Bee Doo, showcases a collaboration between Taylor and Don Spencer, the Australian children’s TV personality who The New York Times calls “the Crocodile Dundee of Kids' Music”. Taylor and Spencer interweave now-traditional Aussie favorites such as “Waltzing Matilda” with tales reaching back to the earliest history of the country’s first people

Partially funded by a grant from the Wyoming Arts Council. Tickets: http://www.laramieplainsciviccenter.org/Tickets.aspx

Explore Dreamtime and Aboriginal art with Paul Taylor and Yidumduma Bill Harney

Yidumduma Bill Harney

At the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson:

First Sundays Celebration: Explore Dreamtime, Aboriginal Designs, with Paul Taylor and Yidumduma Bill Harney
Sunday, February 6
11:00AM – 5:00PM Free for area locals!
1:00 – 2:00PM Art Project: Australian Aboriginal Designs
Chrystie and Esperti classrooms
This month, children are invited to color lizards, birds, and snakes in the style of Australian aboriginal art. The aboriginal people of Australia have expressed themselves through a form of geometric painting for thousands of years. These paintings tell the stories of dreamtime, myths of spirituality, community, and survival. Contact Jane Lavino or call (307) 732-5417 for details.

Paul Taylor and student

Community Performance Series: Paul Taylor and Yidumduma Bill Harney
Sunday, February 6
2:00 – 3:00PM
Cook Auditorium
Free for area locals!
Yidumduma Bill Harney is one of the last living Elders to grow up in the full ceremonial tradition of his people in Northern Australia. Harney teams up with Australian storyteller, musician, and honorary tribal member Paul “Walking Stick" Taylor, a member of the Wyoming Arts Council artist roster, for a performance of storytelling, native percussion, songs, and haunting didgeridoo music. They will share the essence of their homeland as they explore seasonal change and rhythms in honor of our Change of Seasons exhibition. Contact Jane Lavino or call (307) 732-5417 for details.

BBC: Saxophonists can learn something from the didgeridoo

From the BBC:

What makes the sound of a clarinet different to an oboe or a recorder? Trevor Cox – acoustic engineer and saxophone player – examines the science of wind instruments.

He learns how playing the didgeridoo could help the best jazz saxophonists. And discovers the shared science between simple squeeze boxes and Asian free reed instruments.

Listen to episode one BBC Online.

Update from Paul Taylor on "Wardaman Dreaming Project" and 2011 tour dates

Laramie's Paul "Walking Stick" Taylor has a busy winter ahead of him. He sent this letter via e-mail:

Dear Friends,

2010 FIELDWORK
The Wardaman Dreaming Project is excited to report another successful year of fieldwork, amassing a further 15 hours of Wardaman culture with Elder Yidumduma Bill Harney. We continued to document rock art and sacred sites and followed the beautiful Flora River, filming the associated story and songline as it weaved through Wardaman land. We documented bush plants and sign language as Yidumduma transmitted teaching to his grand nephew Jonas Doctor.

WEBSITE
We aim to produce a specific WDP website in 2011 featuring the best of our recordings for teaching Wardaman youth and open to the general public.

ARCHIVE
In August, copies of all fieldwork 2003-9, over 90 hours, were placed in safe-keeping with AIATSIS in Canberra, and with the Wardaman people.

FUNDRAISING
We are busy writing grants and fundraising for the coming year.
Our sincere thanks to the fabulous Kalliopeia Foundation and the WRAR, Western Rock Art Research for their continued support.
Our deepest gratitude goes to these donors:
Peggy Baldwin, John Loyd, LOYD ARTISTS, Phil Edgerton, Terry Wyszynski, Pia Hansen, Anne Taylor, Susan Ely, Laramie Kiwani's, David Romtvedt, Alan Bacque and Leslie Larsen.
This work would not be possible without all your support.

US TOUR 2011
Yidumduma and Paul Taylor will be touring Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona and California in January - March 2011. For more information go to Loyd Artists. See the itinerary at the end of this newsletter.

In deepest gratitude,
Paul Taylor
Director
Wardaman Dreaming Project, WDP.
pauldidj@gmail.com
PO Box 1427, Laramie WY 82073
307-721-8853
http://www.paultaylor.ws/

Bill Harney and Paul Taylor Tour

Saturday, January 15, 2011, Laramie, WY Montessori Day

Friday, January 21, 2011 Phoenix, AZ, Musical Instrument Museum (tentative)

Saturday, January 22, 2011, Superior, AZ Boyce Thompson Arboretum

Wednesday, January 26 to Friday, January 28, 2011, Pinedale, WY Pinedale Arts Center

Monday, January 31, 2011, Rock Springs, WY University of Wyoming - IS Scholars Series, Western Wyoming College

Tuesday-Wednesday, February 1-2, 2011, Riverton, University of Wyoming - IS Scholars Series, Central Wyoming College

Thursday-Friday, February 3-4, 2011, Powell, WY University of Wyoming - IS Scholars Series, Northwest College

Sunday, February 6, 2011, Jackson, WY National Museum of Wildlife Art

Tuesday, February 8, 2011, Laramie, WY Cheyenne, WY University of Wyoming - IS Scholars Series, Laramie County Community College

Wednesday, February 09 and Thursday, February 10, 2011, Torrington, WY Eastern Wyoming College

Friday, February 11, 2011, University of Wyoming - IS Scholars Series, Laramie

Tuesday February 15, Casper, WY Casper College-IS Scholars Series

Wednesday February 16 through Thursday, February 17, 2011, Sheridan College, WY University of Wyoming - IS Scholars Series, Sheridan College

Friday, February 18 and Saturday, February 19, 2011, Buffalo, WY World’s of Music Series

Friday, February 25, 2011, Boulder, CO Fiske Planetarium, CU

Wednesday, March 2 to Sunday, March 6, 2011, San Francisco, CA Kalliopeia Foundation (tentative)

Editor's Note: You can bring Paul to your community through a Wyoming Arts Council Arts Across Wyoming grant. Find info and applications at http://www.wyomingartscouncil.org/