About
I am Niels de Lang, musician – raised in the countryside, born in Amsterdam in 1966. For decades I have been working with great pleasure to introduce as many people as possible, young and old, to the didgeridoo.
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Who am I?
I am Niels de Lang, musician - raised in the countryside, born in Amsterdam in 1966. For decades, I have taken great pleasure in introducing as many people as possible, young and old, to the didgeridoo.
How? By making making making music on this instrument as simple and fun as I can and making the didgeridoo accessible and affordable
Because the more people experience pleasure and satisfaction on this amazing instrument, the more positive impact we can have on the world together.
Music and happy people have more to offer the world.
You happy = we happy. Simple.
My life
I live in Hoorn, a beautiful, small town near the IJsselmeer and not without reason....
I love water sports such as kitesurfing, windsurfing, swimming and sailing. Being near or on the water gives me a wonderful feeling of freedom and connection with nature. The nice thing is that my children also share these passions.
I live minimalistic and care not much for luxury. Just give me a bus camper to drive into adventure. That makes me happy.
By seeking a good balance in what I do as much as possible, I experience a pleasant peace in my life. This helps you make better choices and also keeps you a nice person for others.
The didgeridoo has certainly helped me to find that balance.
What I do
Since 1990, I have inspired hundreds of thousands of people by making music and giving workshops and courses on the didgeridoo. I am still active with my bands as a didgeridoo player and guitarist and have played at numerous festivals and theatres at home and abroad.
Besides lessons and workshops for schools and companies, in 2004 I successfully developed the one-day workshop Didgeridoo & Circular Breathing for beginners, snorers and (sleep) apnoea patients.
Tens of thousands of people use the didgeridoo as an alternative way to relieve symptoms such as snoring, apnoea, hyperventilation and shortness of breath and to contribute to their own health & well-being. Everyone wants to live a healthy life.
So there are GPs, therapists, ENT and pulmonologists who refer their (apnoea) patients to Australian Treasures' one-day workshops. Because it works.
With a global brand, Australian Treasures is a leader in everything to do with the didgeridoo and playing the didgeridoo. Of course fair-traded because that makes us and the world better off!
My Inspiration
As a child, partly due to musical parents, I was already into music, playing songs on the ukulele by the age of 6. Then guitar and didgeridoo followed. Since then, music has always been the common thread in my life. I found it fascinating that making music never gets boring and that it can greatly enrich your life and the lives of others.
I get my inspiration from good listening, music, piles of books and biographies, but mostly by getting started and experimenting myself.
Then I find out which things work best, and try to shape those techniques according to my own understanding.
Because the better it works, the more results you get.
Why make it difficult when it can be easy
How do we make learning something new fun and effortless?
At Australian Treasures, we learn, no nonsense, in small, clear steps. That way, we bypass impatience and get more done with less effort.
Soon you get into the right flow and enjoy the progress. How wonderful is that!
Frequently asked questions
Read our frequently asked questions. Get in touch if you can't find your question!
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Can and should women play the didgeridoo?
According to Aboriginal tradition, women were not allowed to play didgeridoo. It would make them sterile. Now the didgeridoo was a real men's instrument according to their own tradition. Of course women are allowed to play didgeridoo just like women are allowed to play other musical instruments!
How do you play a didgeridoo?
On the didgeridoo you blow on a mouthpiece, possibly with beeswax, with an opening of about 3 cm diameter. Placing your mouth against the mouthpiece and vibrating your lips produces the basic didgeridoo tone. Didgeridoo playing is not difficult. Most get a sound out of the didgeridoo within 10 minutes
No sound comes out of my didgeridoo, is my didgeridoo broken?
If you can't blow the basic note on your didgeridoo it may indicate a leak, crack or hole in your didgeridoo. However, you can easily repair your didgeridoo with beeswax. If you find a crack or hole near the mouthpiece, it will be difficult to get any sound out of your didgeridoo. A crack or hole at the end or bell of the didgeridoo will have little or no effect on the didgeridoo sound. The solution is to plug the leak which you can do very simply with beeswax. The advantage of beeswax is that it moves with the contraction and expansion of the didgeridoo's wood. Moreover, Australian aborigines also repair their didgeridoos in this traditional way
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Where is the didgeridoo for sale?
These are for sale worldwide but of course also in our own webshop Australian Treasures
Can you play didgeridoo with a beard?
A beard makes it a bit more difficult to play - but it's certainly not impossible. You only get a more visible mark around your lips because you have to press harder to get a good seal.
Does a didgeridoo playing course work well against snoring and sleep apnoea (OSAS)?
Scientific research has shown that didgeridoo playing strengthens the throat muscles and can therefore significantly reduce snoring and lower the number of apnoea breathing stops. Of course, it is important to keep doing the exercises but, as mentioned earlier, you can do the circular breathing exercises anywhere.
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I am short of breath, can I play didgeridoo?
For people who are short of breath, circular breathing and playing the didgeridoo can actually help.
Why is a teak or mahogany didgeridoo more expensive than a bamboo didgeridoo?
The teak and mahogany didgeridoos are made of higher-grade wood than bamboo. Also, the process of hollowing out the didgeridoo and making the mouthpiece is more laborious. The mahogany didgeridoo comes with a luxury nylon padded didgeridoo bag and these didgeridoos are a lot longer than the bamboo didjes - 150cm. The teak didgeridoos are 130cm and come painted and unpainted.
I have hyperventilation, can I play didgeridoo?
For people who have hyperventilation, are short of breath, have lung problems, suffer from lung covid, circular breathing and playing the didgeridoo can actually help.
What did others think?
Our workshops have helped many people with
circular breathing and have been able to reduce snoring as a result.
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Participated in one of the workshops. Was a great experience!
Willy Veld (participant in one-day workshop) -
Wow - 2 weeks on and I just blew a minute-long session for the first time. Sound during inhalation and exhalation is not the same yet, but I was able to smooth that out nicely in the rhythm. So the circular breathing is coming along nicely!
Greetings Sarah (participant of the one-day workshop) -
Ok, it was a bit late at night, but I just nearly blew myself into a wonderful trance. Call it didgeridoo meditation. For longer and longer. . . Great!
Greetings Tom (one-day workshop participant)
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If I play vigorously for an evening, for half an hour or so, I can get on with it for several days. Less trouble with some apnoea symptoms in the nose/throat and a lot more air! I have yet to figure out an optimum. Feeling fitter in the throat helps anyway. Greetings everyone
Bas (one-day workshop participant) -
Practising outside in the garden, I suddenly had an audience of 2 little birds, they didn't stay long, circular blowing through a straw is going great and it's already going smoother and better through the didgeridoo. Thanks Niels, your workshop provides a simple, effective approach that works very well and it feels healthy, didgeridoo playing.
Greetings, Heleen (participant of the one-day workshop) -
Hi all, how nice that there are so many didge fans! I've been doing it for six months now and it's going really well. I even have a bucket of water with PVC pipe next to my bed so I can practice circular breathing every day... I am still very grateful that I did the Didgeridoo & Circular Breathing workshop with Niels.
Sharon (participant one-day workshop)
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Hi Niels,
In November I went on a course with you in Beets, which was an enjoyable experience and left me with great memories, but more importantly I got rid of my apnoea nicely!In my conversation this morning with the pulmonologist, I mentioned that I took the course with you and that I use CBD oil daily. Whether it is the combination or because of either, I don't know, but I am nicely rid of it. From 30 apnoeas to 1!But I was also surprised by the doctor's attitude, because he was more than interested and asked me if I would email your details and for the address where I get my CBD. Because as he indicated, I regularly experience people who cannot get used to the cpap, so maybe we can help them with this.I think this is a development I'd like to share with you and should more applications come to you from the south, you'll know what it might be due to. Always nice to hear. Right?
Greetings Henk Poos (participant in one-day workshop) -
Playing didgeridoo makes you fit! I am very tired after a day's work. But after practising on the didgeridoo, I have energy again! What a great instrument this is. I never thought blowing on a didgeridoo would take so little effort. Super happy.
Saskia vd Plas (participant of the one-day workshop)
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