Volume 2, 2012 - International Native American Flute Association

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In the meantime, I changed school divisions and a couple of years slipped by with nothing being done. This school year, a music colleague who is now teaching Jacob got in touch with me regarding the purchase of Northern Spirit Flute kits for Jacob’s class. Needless to say, this lit the fire in my belly again. I e-mailed and left phone messages for Peter to see if he would be able to key a Northern Spirit Flute, so that Jacob could play along with his classmates. I was so thankful and pleased when Peter took on the job of designing a keying system for the Northern Spirit Flute. I received the first prototype of the keyed Northern Spirit Flute in early March and began playing it immediately. I have to say that it took me a bit of time to get used to playing it. At first, I found the fingerings awkward and confusing. However, gradually I was able to play every note with one hand that I could play on a regular Northern Spirit Flute with two hands. I am convinced that even young students will have no problem playing the instrument with practice. The prototype flute has since been sent back to Peter Worrell, so he can use it to complete the work on three left-handed and three right-handed one-handed Northern Spirit Flutes. I asked Peter to send to me the first flute for Jacob immediately, so he will be playing alongside his classmates like always. I can hardly wait to see the look on his face when he receives the first one-handed Northern Spirit Flute been built just for him. Having a flute keyed is very expensive. As a result, I am not doing this project as a moneymaking venture; rather, it is being done on a cost recovery basis. I am planning on having one-handed Northern Spirit Flutes available on a loan basis to students who are in a class that is making Northern Spirit Flutes. I would encourage the teacher and student to see if there is a local service club or music supporter who might pay for the cost of keying the Northern Spirit Flute for the student. If the student is passionate about playing the Native American style flute, another option might even be to do some class fundraising to help pay for the flute. In the worst case scenario, the student would have at least had the opportunity to share in the beauty of the Native American style flute while his class is playing their Northern Spirit Flutes. At the end of this time, the one-handed Northern Spirit Flute would then be returned to me and made available to another student in need. Jacob’s music teacher is hopeful that a local organization called the “Dream Brokers” will be able to sponsor a flute for Jacob. If not, I will do my best to find a sponsor for Jacob, so that he can share in the beauty of an instrument that is a part of his First Nations heritage and culture. How the One-Handed Northern Spirit Flute Works The regular Northern Spirit Flute is a mid-A flute made out of food-grade ABS plastic. The one-handed Northern Spirit Flute is a modified version of the regular flute made from the same materials, with the addition of a keying system. The top three holes are moved to the side of the flute with the addition of pads to cover them. The pads are connected to a keying system that is accessible by the bottom hand. In the photos below you can see the regularly placed holes have been taped over. The player is able to lift the pads on the top holes in two ways. The player has the option of playing with the top of his or her finger to the side of the hole, or he or she can play with the tip of the finger directly across from the hole. If the player uses the tip of the finger to open one of the top holes, he or she can also use the second joint of the finger to cover the bottom hole at the same time the player uses the tip to press the key, thus lifting the pad off one of the top holes. Peter’s ingenious design allows the player to access all possible fingering combinations, so the player can play the full chromatic scale from c 2 to c 3 and, of course, the lowest note of the flute is a 1 . The range of the mid-A flute, in regular music notation, is as follows: For more information, please contact Richard Dubé at: E-mail: fluteman@live.ca or on the Internet at: www.northernspiritflutes.net
Music Is … Music is listening to what’s being said It’s the notes that you hear and see dancing all up in your head You hear often with pleasure You hear with your heart You hear about the beginning of the end You hear of the start You play with your fingers You play with your hands You often play solo You play it in bands You play with your mouth with your beautiful voices It’s all so musically endearing with so many choices You can play when you’re young You can play when you’re old You can play whatever you wish or perhaps what you’ve been asked or told Whatever you play you play with your soul Music is humming, singing, whistling, or a beating drum roll Picking, strumming, or blowing it all sounds good Music is soothing just as it should You use sticks, reeds, picks, and bows to create the sounds, and tones, that are all so different You see sheets of music and notes that make up the music You can improvise to be indifferent having no bias, prejudice, or preference In music… you play instruments, songs, and notes, and you have so many choices to reference You keep the beat with your feet You play standing up You play in a seat Music is crying and oftentimes sadness You hear pain, when it’s love that you’re after It can drive you to madness Music is joyous, and can be full of laughter… it all depends at the time what feeling you’re after Music is relationships, good and bad Music is feelings of being happy or sad Music reminds us all of what we have or have had Music is good, but sometimes causes tears It’s usually not much more than a feeling of fears Music is theory Music is soul Music gets more interesting as you grow old Music is giving… it’s also letting go Music is caring and it tugs at your heart Music is sharing with the hope you never part You can taste it, smell it, and see it each day… remember music is listening to what’s being said … Music lives on in your head Music is colors and you paint the picture Music is whatever you want it to be since you are the listener. ~Bob Nelson~ INAFA Member Kudos: Ted Ceplina Congratulations to Ted Ceplina who just received word that he won a full scholarship to study in India. INAFA had hoped to see Ted at the convention in Eau Claire, but we are so pleased that he has this wonderful opportunity to study in India. Ted builds replica flutes in the style of Richard Fool Bull and Dan Red Buffalo. He also makes quena, zampoña, and bansuris. We are sure to see Ted Ceplina at the 2014 INAFA convention! In the News: Mithril The Celtic ensemble Mithril, featuring flutist Andra Bohnet, was featured in the April/May 2012 edition of the Americana Gazette, a music magazine out of Wisconsin. The article is called, “Mithril: Taproots of Americana.” Mithril will be performing at the 2012 INAFA convention. In the News: Jan Seiden Jan Seiden composed and recorded original music for the Chickasaw play, Te Ata, which will be performed this summer season in Oklahoma and in Washington, D.C. Funding for the soundtrack was provided by a grant from the Ford Foundation, in partnership with the Smithsonian’s NMAI and playwright JudyLee Oliva. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma shows: June 14-24, 2012 Chickasaw Nation, Arts and Humanities Division: 580-272-5520 performance@chickasaw.net or www.chickasaw.net/teata Washington, D.C. shows: July 5-8, 2012 Smithsonian Museum’s National Museum of the American Indian, Rasmuson Theatre www.nmai.si.edu or 202-633-1000
Page 1 and 2: Voice of the Wind Volume 2, 2012 A
Page 3 and 4: Preserving the Heritage … Insight
Page 5 and 6: Tentative Convention Schedule
Page 7 and 8: More Convention Details Non-Vendor
Page 9: The Story of the One-Handed Norther
Page 13 and 14: Lessons on Lessons by Clint Goss If
Page 15: Possibly the most valuable idea tha
Page 18 and 19: Mary: I particularly liked the open
Page 20: TABlature reading, because they hav
Page 24: New Flute I have to reset the towel
Page 27 and 28: Combining the Native American Flute
Page 29 and 30: conversation, a song has a beginnin
Page 31 and 32: Listen to other styles of music - c
Page 33: Hawk LittleJohn Memorial Scholarshi
Page 37: INAFA Member or INAFA Flute Circle
Page 40 and 41: Delaware Whispering Woods Flute Cir
Page 42 and 43: Asheville Flute Circle Contact Pers
Page 44 and 45: Arizona Odell Borg P.O. Box 522 Pat
Page 46 and 47: Native American Flute Maker/Dealer
Page 48 and 49: Recent Releases Canyon Records - 31
Page 50 and 51: Randy “Windtalker” Motz - Elk R
Page 52: Cornell Kinderknecht - Unity Church
Page 58: All New! Moyo Drums New Tunings! Ne

Volume 2, 2012 - International Native American Flute Association

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