• Hello, who are you ?  Why this artist name ?

Hello everybody, my name is Lies Beijerinck, and I have two artist names :

• The first is LIESUNDERTREES, and it concerns my “live” performances
• The second is DIDGE MAMA, and I use it for didgeridoo lessons and workshop and especially for video lessons on my YOUTUBE page…

• When and how did you meet Didgeridoo for the first time ?

It was in 1993, I was studying at the Art School (sculpture) at that time. A friend and I were eating in this courtyard of this underground hipster restaurant. This is when I heard the Didgeridoo live for the first time !

• How did you feel and what was your first emotion at the time ?

I was fascinated by the sound, I felt super excited and curious ! I really wanted to try this incredible instrument and of course, not being shy myself, I asked if I could try !!!

• Have you created on one or more albums ?

I did a lot of busking in the 90s on the streets of Amsterdam. At the same period of time, I worked at the Didge Shop “Aboriginal Art & Instruments” starting from 1994. A didgeridoo scene developed around this store, and that’s where I connected with many players. Also most were famous like Alan Dargin (who became a friend and was my first inspirer), Mark Atkins, Si Mullumby (also a very dear friend who had a huge effect on my rhythms), Ganga Giri and Charlie McMahon to name a few.

Then 3ple-D was my first “serious” band, founded by my Didge brother Michiel Teijgeler (aka Mt-Yidaki) and myself. Percussionist Terence Samson joined us later. Two Didgeridoo players and a percussionist (Didge Didge Drums, that’s why we called ourselves 3ple-D, maybe a nice detail to know).

So we made two albums: “High from the Lowlands” and “Zumo” which came out in 2003, and at that time well received because he was so Didgeridooeee ;-). I still love the songs on it and I am so happy to have created it together. With these two brothers, we toured a lot around the world, playing in all kinds of festivals.

In 2018, we, Aura Rascón Becerra and I, released our first CD as a duo SANSZUS. Our album is called “Area, tales of a breathing planet”. It is a beautiful album with the magical dreamy sounds of the Bansuri (Indian bamboo flute) and the earthy vibrations of the Didgeridoo. We created, I believe, seven very distinct songs with only these two instruments. A funny detail is that we had already recorded the songs in 2014, but with the mixing, mastering and writing of the booklet, it took us four years to release it. Ooooops, it was a long delivery, hahahaha !

Another group that I toured a lot with was called Loonaloop who is based in Australia. The first time we met was already in the 90s. On one of their albums, “Skipping Stones”, you will hear me on most of the songs !!! If you like positive dance music, go for it :-).

With the contemporary classic Hertz Ensemble, of which I am a part, we were supposed to record an album right now, but because of the Coronavirus, it is postponed. For all the other albums that I was part of, I was basically a paid session musician.

• I saw that you teach with tutorials on Youtube, what motivated you to pass on your knowledge with these videos ?

Yes, I have been asked to do it several times for several years. But yes, the time… luckily, I was always busy playing and teaching all over the world, so I never found the time to do tutorials. So this stay at home gave me time to do it… a kind of a blessing in disguise.

I love sharing my knowledge, so it makes me happy to make these tutorial videos. My plan is to go from total beginners slowly to super advanced techniques. Every Monday I will post a new video. Therefore there will be a series of chronological tutorials for each level. I’m so excited about it.

Hopefully these videos will stand out from all the others. Because of the fun and very useful qualities ! Big smiles to all !!!!!!!!

• What efforts or sacrifices did you have to make to improve or put your videos on Youtube ?

Bringing my tutorial videos onto YouTube never felt as an effort or sacrifice. I will buy a video editing program, so I can make them better! Maybe next month I will have some money to spare and hopefully you will see my video (visually) improve. Also I am quite new at this,  hopefully I will improve in general. So I hope you will Subscribe, Share and like my videos.

Sometimes what is difficult for me, is the comments about women not being allowed to play. But I think, it is my cross to bear, being a prominent female player.

• Your best memory in the studio or live for this project ?

So many great memories, it is difficult to choose one !!!  The moments when everything clicks, you are together in the moment, you are already responding to what someone else does, you are really completely connected in music. That is, I believe is the best drug there is. So every time you find this, is the biggest joy.

I’ll try to describe it in a different way : There is no you or them, there is only music/vibration. Only now, only this moment and you all are completely connected, all one. No struggle only vibrations.

For instance, I remember having perfect sound (on stage) one time at ‘le Rêve de l’aborigène’, and we (3ple-D) were going off 🙂 !!!

• Your worst memory in the studio or live for this project ?

Ooooh sometimes when you are recording and you can’t get it right, time after time. You get tired from being super focussed. You get even more lost. This is pure frustration. And live concerts, it is sometimes super hard work when you can’t hear the people you are playing with, or all is sooooo so load it hurts your ears. So you can’t get into any vibe. This makes me want to cry every time.

This is what happened at ‘Boom’ festival in Portugal. I really did cry after our performance. The whole show was just about trying to get our sound a little okay, but we never managed it.