Meet the DDU Crew
Darren Liebman
DDU Founder / Owner / Manager / Performer
Virtual Stars Founder & Manager
Didge Evolution Manager
office 813-961-4656 / cell 813-833-8856 / darren(at)didgedownunder(dot)com
“Approach life with an open mind – along with passion, drive and purpose – and you will be amazed at the opportunities and wonders that cross your path.” – DL
Darren first learned about the didgeridoo while visiting relatives in Australia in 1999, his fourth of many trips Down Under. He bought his first didgeridoo while visiting Aus in 2000, and felt an immediately deep connection with the termite-hollowed eucalyptus tree trunk. Upon returning to the U.S., he taught himself how to play and decided to share the didgeridoo’s positive vibrations with as many people as possible.
Darren performed his first public gig in 2001 and his first school event in 2002. In November 2003, while wading in the waters of Bahia Honda State Park in the Florida Keys, he had an epiphany: He would transform his passion for the didgeridoo – and education, entertainment and motivational speaking – into a full-time career. As soon as he returned to his home in Tampa, Fla., he relentlessly pursued making his vision a reality.
In 2004, Darren created Didgeridoo Down Under, an Australia-themed education & entertainment company that offers shows, concerts and workshops to schools, libraries and other venues throughout the U.S. Since 2004, Darren and his mates have combined to present more than 8,000 programs … at 4,000+ venues … for over one million viewers and participants.
Darren graduated from the University of Florida in 1994 with a journalism degree. He has worked as a newspaper journalist, freelance writer, freelance photographer and athletic trainer. He encourages everyone, regardless of age, to pursue their passions with creativity, zest and vigor.
Darren is a native of South Africa. He lives with his wife, Sarah; son, Jack; and daughter, Ella, in Tampa, Fla.
Rob Thomas
DDU Performer & Virtual Mastermind
Didge Evolution Co-Founder & Performer
505-660-2904 / rob(at)didgedownunder(dot)com
Rob Thomas is a didgeridoo pioneer in the U.S. He has been making and playing didgeridoos for almost 30 years; has performed throughout the country; has recorded several CDs; and has produced music for numerous films, including the IMAX movie Sacred Planet. He collaborates on many of these projects with his wife and fellow DDU performer, Tanya Gerard.
Rob tours nationwide, and performs at hundreds of venues annually, including schools, libraries, colleges and corporate events. He performs both solo and as a duo with Tanya. Rob especially enjoys inspiring kids to become better global citizens through motivational messages about character building, environmentalism and literacy.
Rob was born in California, lived in Australia, and has traveled the world. Rob and Tanya lived in Santa Fe, N.M., for 22 years before moving to North Carolina in 2013 to work full-time with Didgeridoo Down Under. Rob and Tanya live with their numerous pets in the mountains of Linville Falls, in western NC.
Tanya Gerard
DDU Performer
Didge Evolution Co-Founder & Performer
505-660-6494 / tanya(at)didgedownunder(dot)com
Tanya Gerard is a true didgeridoo pioneer in the U.S. She has been playing and painting didgeridoos for almost 30 years; has performed throughout the country; has recorded several CDs; and has produced music for numerous films, including the IMAX movie Sacred Planet. She collaborates on many of these projects with her husband and fellow DDU performer, Rob Thomas.
Tanya tours nationwide with Rob, and performs at hundreds of venues annually, including schools, libraries, colleges and corporate events. Tanya also has written a children’s book, The Adventures of the Wild Wild Wolf (www.thewildwolf.com), and is working on a sequel, hopefully to be finished in 2018. Tanya really enjoys inspiring kids to become better global citizens through motivational messages about character building, environmentalism and literacy.
Tanya grew up in Australia, and both she and Rob have traveled the world. They lived in Santa Fe, N.M., for 22 years before moving to North Carolina in 2013 to work full-time with Didgeridoo Down Under. Tanya and Rob live with their numerous pets in the mountains of Linville Falls, in western NC.
Raihan Alam
DDU Performer
727-470-3773 / raihan(at)didgedownunder(dot)com
Raihan discovered the didgeridoo in 2005, and has been a Didgeridoo Down Under performer since 2008. He is committed to fostering appreciation for cultural diversity, empathy and cooperation.
Originally a drummer, Raihan has been playing Middle Eastern percussion and specializing in the Arabic tabla (doumbek) since 2002. He incorporates the doumbek into his performances for a truly multicultural experience. His shows also feature his pet Australian blue-tongued lizard, Jellybean, which he uses to educate about Australian ecology and biodiversity.
Raihan has been a school teacher and behavior specialist for more than a decade. He also performs live music several nights a week throughout Tampa Bay with guitarist / world music ensemble Kafkasso.
During non-summer months, Raihan works as a teacher / behavior specialist in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Lindsey Dank
DDU Performer
Drums and Drones Co-Founder & Performer
352-231-3435 / lindsey(at)didgedownunder(dot)com
Lindsey was DDU’s most prolific performer from 2006-2013, presenting almost 2,000 programs in 20 states. He still performs part-time for DDU, mostly in Florida and the Southeast, both solo and as half of the didgeridoo and percussion duo Drums and Drones.
Lindsey began playing the didgeridoo in May 2000 after hearing about its connection to the Australian Aboriginal people on a public radio program. He celebrates the didgeridoo as a musical, cultural and global icon. He strives to bridge racial and societal gaps, and to open the heart and mind to new possibilities, through his music and presentations.
Lindsey lives in Archer, Fla., with his three daughters.
William MacGavin
DDU Performer
MacGavin Woodworks Owner
951-775-8846 / william(at)didgedownunder(dot)com
William MacGavin is DDU’s youngest member, but he is by no means inexperienced. Will has been playing and making didgeridoos for almost a decade, and he founded his own didgeridoo crafting company, Macgavin Woodworks, in 2016. He has a distinct playing style that combines didge beatboxing and funky, energizing rhythms.
Will graduated from the University of Alabama with an architectural engineering degree, and he is currently working on a “Science of Sound” program that combines STEM subjects with DDU.
Will is originally from southern California, and he currently resides in Birmingham, Ala. He performs nationwide at schools, libraries, festivals and other venues.
