[Didjeridu] old members

[John Pascuzzi]

At 06:36 PM 11/2/2007, Guan wrote:
>In times of sadness and contemplation, I find it comforting to 
>reflect on times past and how the didjeridu has brought us together. 
>We did not know it when the Mills List was first created, but 
>somehow some of our lives have crossed paths and intertwined even. 
>It makes me realise that this is a wonderful world afterall, and the 
>tenuous connections we have to each other thru the didjeridu even more so.

Hear Hear, Guan!

While this old tree we call the Mills List, or The Famous Didjeridu 
List as it was officially known for a long time, has been quite 
dormant as of late, its roots run deep, and it has been the seed of 
countless friendships, interactions, and manifestations.

Could the Didge Fest and other gatherings have even been spawned 
without this magical conduit connecting folks together near and far?

So many things can be traced back to this list, almost like a mini 
study in genealogy.  I know I would have never started the oddmusic 
site which now inspires about 10,000 people a day, without meeting 
Dr. Guy Grant and others on this list.  Most of my few Best Friends, 
were brought into my life as a result of the Mills list.

On a smaller scale, the gig I played last Friday could never have 
happened without the lists existence, since I played with 2 long 
distance friends I met 4 or 5 years ago through the list and later 
didge fests.  My current musical direction, in which didge plays a 
more minor role, would not have blossomed without it.

Yes, this old tree, just a simple computer server on the outside, 
with its serendipitous roots weaving its magic behind the scenes, has 
enriched so many lives...

Would Brandi Chase have become Brandi Graves or have even met Randy 
without the Mills List leading her on a trek to California on a trip 
meeting different list members on the way?  I thought her last stop 
was at my place, but then she decided to make a quick trip to San 
Diego, which ultimately led to Arnhem land and a life with our Randin.

It comforted us in sad times.  Remember the many calls for drones to 
help different members' loved ones pass peacefully and make the 
journey into the great beyond?

And in celebration.  Remember "Solstice Didge Around the World"?   24 
hours of "Drones at Dawn" as the sun greeted the world in every time zone.

Is calling the List a "tree of knowledge" taking the metaphor too 
far?  Well, for the longest time, it really was the only source of 
information you could get online about the didjeridu, as well as 
offline for many.

Didjeridu Planet compilation CD project?  Not without this 
place.  And of course Karl K, and later David B.

Even when the List itself was sick and down and out, it spawned 
things like the Joyous Noise List, which later brought didge music 
for free to thousands of listeners, thanks to the efforts of John Madill.

Of course, the List wouldn't really be anything without the all the 
wonderful people who have coursed through its veins, the ones who've 
touched our lives, and breathed the real life into the list.  Talk 
about Full Circular Breathing!

And we all owe a HUGE thanks to Toyoji Tomita for starting and 
keeping the list going all these years.

Even though the drone of the list is more subdued these days, as 
opposed to the 20 or 30 messages it used to churn out each and every 
day, the spark that Toyoji helped create still shines like the light 
of a huge corroboree bonfire in the hearts of many of us, and my 
world is better because of it.

Hmmmm...... maybe a worldwide drone for Toyoji is in order!  :-)

-- John