Mark Atkins (musician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mark Atkins
Mark Atkins at a festival in Maastricht, 2001
Background information
Born	Albany, Western Australia
Instruments	Didgeridoo

Mark Atkins is an amazing Australian Aboriginal musician. He is famous for playing the didgeridoo, which is a very old and special instrument.

Mark Atkins is also a great storyteller, songwriter, and painter. He comes from the Yamatji people, who are an Aboriginal group from Western Australia. In 1990, he won the Golden Didjeridu competition, which shows how talented he is!

He has worked with many famous musicians and groups. These include Robert Plant and Jimmy Page from the band Led Zeppelin, Hothouse Flowers, and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He even worked with a famous composer named Philip Glass.

Playing the Didgeridoo

Mark Atkins is known for his incredible skill with the didgeridoo. In 1994, he created a piece called Didgeridoo Concerto. In this piece, he played the didgeridoo for over 50 minutes without stopping! He did this using a special technique called circular breathing. This technique lets a musician breathe in while still playing a continuous sound. At the time, this was an unofficial world record.

Collaborations and Projects

In 2001, Mark Atkins worked with Wurundjeri elder Joy Murphy Wandin and composer Philip Glass. They performed a concert called Voices. This concert was held in Melbourne, Australia, and also at New York's Lincoln Center. The city of Melbourne asked them to create this music to celebrate the relaunch of the Melbourne Town Hall Organ.

In 2003, Mark Atkins was featured in a television show. The show was a documentary called "Yamatji Man." It told the story of his life and his connection to his Yamatji heritage.

Music Albums

Mark Atkins has released many albums featuring his didgeridoo music. Here are some of his well-known works:

• Didgeridoo Concerto, 1994
• Plays Didgeridoo, 1995
• Didgeridoo Dreamtime, ARC Music, 1999
• The Sound of Gondwana: 176,000 Years in the Making (a collection of songs), Black Sun Music/Celestial Harmonies, 1997
• The Rough Guide to Australian Aboriginal Music (a collection of songs), World Music Network
• City Circles
• Ankala : Rhythms from the outer core, World Network
• Walkabout
• Didge Odyssey, 2006
• The Reason To Breathe, 2006
• Dreamtime, ARC Music, 2011

See also

In Spanish: Mark Atkins para niños

• List of Australian Aboriginal musicians
• Music of Australia