Graham Wiggins facts for kids

Graham Wiggins (born October 25, 1962 – died September 7, 2016) was an American musician and scientist. He was famous for playing the didgeridoo, a unique instrument from Australia. He also played keyboards, melodica, and other instruments. Graham was part of two bands: Outback and Dr. Didg. Besides music, he was a clever scientist who helped create new technologies for MRI scanners. These machines help doctors see inside the body.

Early Life and Education

Graham Wiggins was born in New York City, USA, on October 25, 1962. His mother was Australian, and his father was British. Graham grew up in New York. He finished high school in 1980.

He first learned to play the didgeridoo in 1982. At the time, he was studying physics at Boston University. He heard someone play a didgeridoo made from a cardboard tube and decided to try it himself. After graduating in 1985, he moved to Oxford, England, to continue his studies. To earn extra money, he played the didgeridoo on the streets, which is called busking. He got his nickname, Dr. Didg, while testing his didgeridoo in a physics lab.

Amazing Musical Inventions

In 1983, Graham Wiggins invented a special version of the didgeridoo. He added keys to it, like a piano or a wind instrument. This allowed him to play different notes and melodies, similar to an ophicleide, an old brass instrument. His first try was with a cardboard tube, which had a few keys. It only lasted for one concert before falling apart!

In 1990, he made a much better version using tools at Oxford University. This new keyed didgeridoo was made from a strong African wood called wengé and had eight brass keys. This allowed him to play nine different notes. He showed his invention to the public for the first time on a British TV show called Tomorrow's World. You can hear this special instrument on some of Dr. Didg's songs, like "Sub Aqua" and "Sun Tan."

Forming Bands and Touring

In 1988, Graham helped start the band Outback with guitarist Martin Cradick. Their music mixed traditional Australian sounds with modern styles. He even got a record deal before finishing his university studies!

After Outback ended in 1991, Graham spent two months in Australia. He lived with the Aboriginal people on Elcho Island to learn their advanced didgeridoo techniques. While he learned from them, most of his own music focused on the didgeridoo's rhythm and melody, rather than traditional Aboriginal song structures.

In 1993, Graham formed his own band, Dr. Didg. A year later, he started using a technique called live sampling. This meant he could record sounds during a performance and play them back right away. This became a key part of the Dr. Didg album Out of the Woods.

Graham also played with famous musicians. In 1993, he performed with the Grateful Dead at a big concert in California. He also recorded with Mickey Hart (a drummer from the Grateful Dead) on albums like Mickey Hart's Mystery Box and Supralingua. These albums were part of the Grammy Award-winning group Planet Drum. After a break, Dr. Didg started touring again in 2010.

Scientific Discoveries

Graham Wiggins earned a special degree called a D.Phil (like a PhD) in solid-state physics from Oxford University. This means he was an expert in how solid materials behave.

From 2003 to 2008, he worked as an engineer at the Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging in Boston. Here, he helped create new technology for MRI scanners. He worked on special detector parts that made MRI images faster and clearer. This helped doctors get better pictures of the inside of the body.

In 2008, Graham moved to New York. He became the Director of Radiofrequency (RF) Engineering at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. His team worked on new designs for MRI detectors and transmitters. These improvements helped with both research and medical imaging.

Graham Wiggins continued his important work at NYU until he passed away in September 2016, at the age of 53.

Music Albums

• 1990 – Baka – Outback (Hannibal)
• 1991 – Dance the Devil Away – Outback (Hannibal)
• 1995 – Devon (12" Single) – Dr. Didg (Hannibal)
• 1995 – Devon – Dr. Didg (Hannibal)
• 1995 – Out of the Woods – Dr. Didg (Hannibal)
• 1996 – Mickey Hart's Mystery Box – Mickey Hart (Rykodisc)
• 1998 – Serotonality – Dr. Didg (Hannibal)
• 1998 – Made Ya Mine (Single) – Dr. Didg (Hannibal)
• 1998 – Supralingua – Planet Drum (Rykodisc)
• 1999 – Live Jams – Dr. Didg (Home Grown)
• 2000 – Echoes of the Past – Graham Wiggins (Home Grown)
• 2001 – Live Jams 2000 – Dr. Didg (Home Grown)
• 2001 – As Above: Live At The Lizard Lounge (2-CD Set) – Club D'Elf (Grapeshot Records/Live Archive)
• 2002 – Assorted – Dr. Didg (Home Grown)
• 2002 – Dust Devils – Dr. Didg (Narada)
• 2009 – This is Your Brain..." – Dr. Didg (Home Grown)
• ? – Cross That Line – (Hannibal Ryko Gramavision Music Sampler)

See also

• Didgeridoo
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)