Thursday, January 29, 2009

Microsoft Songsmith

Check out this new musical accompaniment tool from Microsoft labs: Microsoft Songsmith.
I have had a chance to use it yet, but it looks very cool.

Link: http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/redmond/projects/songsmith/index.html

Thursday, January 01, 2009

Happy New Year

I wanted to wish everyone a safe, properous and Happy New Year.
Now go out and play your flute for someone!

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Fall Voice of the Circle Newsletter and Annual Survey

The Fall NCFC Voice of the Circle Newsletter has been mailed to members. If you opted out of receiving the paper version of the newsletter, or would like to read the latest edition, you can also download an electronic version which is now posted on the NCFC website:

Link: Fall Voice of the Circle Newsletter

Also, it's time for the annual membership survey. If you haven't sent in the paper version of the survey (which was included in the newsletter mailing), you can take the online version of the survey. This should take about 5 minutes to complete. If you submit a survey response, you'll be entered into a drawing for prized which includes a one (1) year membership and an NCFC T-Shirt.

Link: 2008 NCFC Membership Survey

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Help Support Randy Stenzel

Two flutes have been donated to raise funds for flutemaker Randy Stenzel of Feather Wood Flutes. Randy is battling cancer and all proceeds will go to Randy Stenzel and his family.

ANDREW BEGAY Em - Mary Munrain has graciously donated a beautiful Andrew Begay Em Flute. Andrew is one of the premiere flute makers.
eBay Item number: 260323102386
Ebay auction link

BUTCH HALL Low Cm - Jan Rice donated a new Butch Hall Low Cm Concert Flute. This is a wonderful flute made of Spanish Cedar. It has a low, warm voice and an easy reach.
eBay Item number: 260323110328
Ebay auction link

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Musical Echos, April 24-26, 2009

Musical Echos is happening again in 2009.

WHAT: Musical Echoes
WHEN: April 24-26, 2009.
WHERE: Ft. Walton Beach, FL
WEBSITE:
www.musicalechoes.org

PLAYERS who might be interested in entering the playing competition need to submit a preliminary recording by January 15, 2009. All the specifics, including rules and applications can be found on the website:

Flute players info:
http://www.musicalechoes.org/players.html

FLUTE MAKERS and ARTS entrants do not need to submit anything ahead of time. But should take a look at the rules and applications for both of these, so you can make sure your designs fit the criteria.

Flute makers info:
http://www.musicalechoes.org/makers.html

Arts Competition info:
http://www.musicalechoes.org/art.html

The totem this year is the PANTHER.

For further information, please feel free to contact Rob Thorne at either:

competition@musicalecheos.org

or

robhorne@cybertron.com




Musical Echoes 2009
April 24, 25, 26

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Want to learn to play flute with the cello?

Ann Licater has 7 spots left for this unique and powerful class. Many have found it especially wonderful because Ann will be presenting along with cellist, Suellen Primost! In the first half of the class Ann will run through technique brush-up on the native American flute (scales, embellishments) and then work with playing improvisational duets. Suellen Primost is a cellist, coming from Oakland, and will play improvisations with the students. There will be a mic/amp with reverb for the flute and the experience is really transformational.

Class fee is $49 payable to Moonfyre Metaphysical:

WHEN: Tuesday, Nov 25th 7:15 PM- 10 PM
WHAT: Technique and Improvisation- Native American Flute w/ Cello
LEVEL: Beginning - Intermediate
TEACHER: Ann Licater- Native American and World Flutes
GUEST: Suellen Primost, Cello
Location:
Moonfyre Metaphysical
401 E. Campbell, Ave.
Campbell, CA 95008
Call to Reserve a spot- 408-370-0333 OR email annlicater@sbcglobal.net Fee Policy: Non-refundable Class fee is due to hold a space

About Ann Licater
Ann Licater: Native American and World Flutist. Fresh from her first performance at Carnegie Hall, and a former student of R. Carlos Nakai, at the Renaissance of the Native American Flute, Ann is a recording artist, featured performer at the World Flute Fest, and a San Jose Chamber Orchestra soloist. She facilitates healing workshops for Kaiser Permanente Wellness Centers and holds an M.L.A. in Spirituality. Her CD "Following the Call," solo wood and clay flute music was nominated "Best Native American Album" and "Top Twelve Best Contemporary Instrumental Album" of 2007 in the NAR Lifestyle Music Awards. It Ann's music is heard on NPR stations on the "Hearts of Space" syndicated show as well as on cable and radio stations world-wide. Ann resides in the San Francisco Bay area in Northern California.


About Suellen Primost
Suellen Primost is a seasoned cellist, sound healer and performance artist, known for her versatility and expressiveness. She has spent her long musical career engaged in orchestral work, recording, chamber music and interdisciplinary collaborations. While living in Santa Fe, NM, Suellen worked with adolescent patients at St. Vincent Hospital and with Navajo Youth in rural and intercity programs. She also founded her own school. After moving to the Bay Area in 2002, Suellen joined Artship Ensemble as its Music Director. She currently performs with the Espiritu Ensembles, Native and world flutist Ann Licater and “Kiss the Joy as it Flies” Ensemble. She resides in Oakland, CA.


www.fluteforthesoul.com

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Clint Goss Jam Tracks in G Minor



Clint Goss is busy doing the final mastering of his the second in his series of Jam Track CD's designed to enable you to play along with (jam) the tracks. This latest album is due out in January, and you can download two of the tracks now from his website, to give you a taste of the type of music which will be available in the final production.

The first title released was "Jam Tracks in A minor".

This new releases extends that to tunes written for a G minor flute. I applaud Clint for pulling together a compilation of tracks written for a specific flute key. This makes it a better investment for new players who may only have a single flute to chose the appropriate CD.

To download the two free tracks, click here:

Friday, October 10, 2008

Weekend Events: Oct 10-12, 2008



NOTE: We now have the new calendar online, you can check out the calendar here: Northern California Flute Circle Calendar to see what's happening further out, but I encourage you to login every week to review what's coming up for the weekend events!
Native American Flute related events and other World music events happening in Northern California are posted on the Naflute calendar.

NOTE: If I missed an event for the weekend, please add a comment with event info so that others can know!

Friday, Oct 10, 2008

Saturday, Oct 11, 2008

Saturday, Oct 12, 2008

Monday, Oct 13, 2008

Thursday, October 09, 2008

Mary Youngblood Workshop Oct 18, 2008

LOPING WOLF Presents the Musical Retreat for 2008 with Two-time Grammy Winner Mary Youngblood - First Lady of the Flute

WHEN: October 18, 2008
WHERE: LOPING WOLF Ranch, Auburn CA
COST: Each workshop is $45.  $5 donation from attendees not taking a workshop to help defray expenses.

Please come and share NAF techniques, attend Mary’s workshops, jam with Mary and attend the closing open mic session to practice what you've learned with the "First Lady of the Flute". Non-workshop attendees will be able to cavort, try out other flutes ‘n’ drums and practice jamming.

There are some who were not able to make the previous five retreats held this past summer (“Tempest Fugit!”), so we hope this will give you a chance to attend. Space is limited, so we encourage you to sign up now!

Call to reserve a spot and obtain directions.

Bring ALL your flutes (“A” minor for the workshop), drums and percussion instruments.
Mary Youngblood books, CDs and other merchandise will be available for purchase.
Check out Mike Ely’s video of the first retreat at
http://www.maryyoungblood.com/videos/Clips%20Rev%20b.wmv 

MUSICAL RETREAT - DAY’S ACTIVITIES
11:00am to 1:00pm Arrival and Lunch (Bring your favorite potluck item)
12:00pm [ ] LOPING WOLF ~Welcome and Introduction
[ ] Theme Song ~ “The LOPING WOLF Lope”
[ ] Mary Youngblood ~ Welcome Performance

1:00pm to 2:00pm Beginning Workshop ~ Work on beginning skills: breath control, embellishments and techniques. (Mary will collect any written questions before the workshop.)
Break
2:30pm to 4:00pm Intermediate / Advanced Workshop ~ vibrato, improvisation, embellishment details, how to duet with another player, composition, phrasing, timing, plus performance and recording readiness will be shared
Break
4:30pm to 5:30pm OPEN MIC hour will be your opportunity to duet with Mary and learn how Mary takes a player to the “next level”. Sign up to have your duet with Mary recorded on DVD with you for an additional fee as a keepsake of this unforgettable day! Autographed pictures of you playing with Mary at this special NAF musical retreat will be available for purchase before you leave!

HOSTS - LOPING WOLF - Lake of the Pines Wood Flute 'n' Drum Circle - www.lopingwolf.com
Sheree 'n' Dan DiCicco / 10492 Gautier Drive / Auburn CA 95602 / (530) 613-4197 Dan's cell / flutecircle@lopingwolf.com

Monday, October 06, 2008

Indigenous Peoples Days are coming!

If you are in the Grass Valley / Nevada City area, you don't want to miss the Indigenous Peoples Days event happening this weekend! This event runs all weekend with special events happening each day. Note that members from LOPINGWOLF will be playing on stage on Sunday, so please come and join the fun and support this wonderful event!

Here's a rundown of the events:

FRIDAY
OPENING CEREMONY
6 PM, Union and Broad Sts, Nevada City, CA. Downtown Nevada City.

SATURDAY
SUNRISE CEREMONY
at the South Yuba River below Parks Bar at Route 20, outside Nevada City, CA

CALLING BACK THE SALMON CEREMONY
mid-day at the South Yuba River at Bridgeport, outside Nevada City
(see map) click here

SUNDAY
CELEBRATION
All day at MACC, the Maidu Active Cultural Center
Lake Vera Purdon Road, Nevada City
(see map)

From Grass Valley:
Take Hwy 49 North
Turn left at CA-49 0.3 mi
Turn right at N Bloomfield Rd 0.2 mi
Turn left to stay on N Bloomfield Rd 0.3 mi
Turn left at Lake Vera Purdon Rd 0.9 mi

16200 Lake Vera Purdon Rd
Nevada City, CA 95959

MONDAY
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY
9:30 AM-5 PM, Miners Foundry, 325 Spring St., Nevada City

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

My Apologies

I promised to 'live blog' from the Yosemite Flute Festival, and although I was able to post a couple entries, I just was too busy running around to take pictures and submit posts. I regret that I didn't capture more of the experience for those who couldn't attend.

HOWEVER - if you attended, and have pictures, I'd be happy to post the best of them as memories from the event. You know how to get a hold of me...

Can you say "Flutie Hangover"?

Wow, it's been three days now, since I returned from the Yosemite Flute Festival, and I am still suffering from a "flutie hangover".

First of all, huge kudo's and thanks go to Rick and Linda Dunlop & Steven DeRuby, for all of their hard work to make this event a reality.

Second, thanks to all of the flute makers who attended (many who traveled a long way), and showed off their individual crafts. It was so fun to see all of the different style flutes.

Third, thanks to all of the performers who entertained us with their talents: Mary Youngblood, Vince Chafin (and friends), Scott August, Mark Holland and Jeff Ball (and his band). The concerts were (in my opinion) the highlight of the weekend. Having all of these talented folks showcasing their music side by side was an inspiration. We had the chance to hear five different styles of music, all featuring the Native American Flute. The NAF was definitely the star.

Finally, thanks to everyone who attended the festival and spent their precious dollars (in this economy) on flutes, art, food and fun.

The best news is that the Yosemite Flute Festival will happen again next year. I don't have the exact dates handy, but it'll be the same weekend in the fall in 2009.

If you attended, I appreciate your comments to this post, about those things that are most memorable to you.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Dryad flutes

Jon Sherman plays his dual branch flutes.

Tim Blueflint plays 'old school' music

Tim Blueflint played open mic this morning with his "warbling flute". Tim is one of the few flutemakers who intentionally make a warbling flute in the style of the traditional flutes.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Help Save Pandora Music

If you enjoy Pandora Music (www.pandora.com) as much I do, then your help is needed to help save internet radio. I recieved the following message from Tim Westergreen, founder of Pandora:

"Hi, it's Tim from Pandora;
Today, thanks to the extraordinary support of many Pandora listeners, we took a giant step forward when the House of Representatives supported Pandora and Internet radio and passed the Webcaster Settlement Act of 2008. Now we need your help so that the Senate will pass it also - and quickly... The finish line is in sight!
After a yearlong negotiation, Pandora, SoundExchange and the RIAA are finally optimistic about reaching an agreement on royalties that would save Pandora and Internet radio. The legislation would give us the extra time we need to finalize the deal.
Please call your Senators Monday morning starting at 9:00 (Eastern) and ask them to support the Webcaster Settlement Act of 2008.
The person who answers the phone in your Senator's office may ask for the bill number - it's H.R. 7084 (if they ask for a Senate bill number, you can assure them that in this unusual case, the Senate is actually voting on the House bill number).

If the phone is busy, please try again until you get through. These calls really do make a difference.
Thanks so much for you ongoing support.
Tim

Friday, September 26, 2008

Geoffrey Ellis at Yosemite

Here's a picture of Geoffret Ellis all setup and ready to sell his flutes. Geoffrey has a collection of anasazi flutes ready to go. There's still time to join us!

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Blogging LIVE from the Yosemite Flute Festival

If you can't make it to the Yosemite Flute Festival this year, then stay tuned to this blog later this week and weekend. If I can get a strong enough ATT signal at the event, then I'll be blogging live from the events from my cell phone (amazing that they can do that now...?!).
I'll try to capture events as they unfold.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Don't Forget to Volunteer at the Yosemite Flute Festival

The Yosemite Flute Festival is fast approaching, and we need your help to make it a success. If you are planning on attending, please consider volunteering an hour or more to help make this event a success. In fact, it's a great way to rest your feet for an hour!

Please check out the Volunteer page on the festival site for more information:

Link: http://www.yosemiteflutefest.com/volunteers.html

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Michelle Carlino Workshops at Yosemite Flute Festival

"Yoga for Flute Playing: The Balance of Body and Breath"

Join Michelle Carlino for a wonderful way to embrace the morning or a rejuvenating afternoon break as you support learning through this ancient opening of the body and the breath.

This class will include gentle stretching and asana(posture) to open the body; breath work to build lung capacity and control; and relaxation to place one in the most optimal alignment for learning and play.

Hatha Yoga is a more than 6,000 year old system which supports and builds health in the dimensions of body, mind, and spirit. This practice supportsthe necessary qualities for flute playing of a steady breath moving from a balanced and relaxed body and focused mind.

Open to all ages
Appropriate for all levels
Please bring a towel or mat
Cost: $10


For more workshops happening at the Yosemite Flute Festival:
http://www.yosemiteflutefest.com/flutefestworkshops.html

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Jeff Ball Workshops at Yosemite Flute Festival

Jeff Ball will be providing a variety of opportunities to learn at the Yosemite Flute Festival.

15 Minute Tutorials With Jeff Ball
Get your questions answered, professional feedback, and tips from ISMA and NAMMY winning NAF recording artist Jeff Ball. Bring your flute and the desire to learn.
Cost: $20.00.

Template for Success with Jeff Ball

This seminar covers everything you've wanted to know about getting your music heard.
Minimize false starts and money pits...start building your fan base today!
Learn what you must have to get bookings now. Should you try to get signed
with a record company or go it alone? Does Myspace work? Which distribution
company is best and should you sign with more than one? Should you accept 90 net?
Does your album really need to be mastered? All these questions and more will be addressed.

Cost: $50.00

For more workshops happening at the Yosemite Flute Festival:
http://www.yosemiteflutefest.com/flutefestworkshops.html