Ann Licater Workshops

Oct 5 and Oct 12 Tuesday Evenings 7:30-10PM
"How to Play the Native American Flute as a Spiritual Practice"
This workshop requires no musical ability--just a desire to use your intuition to guide you on a journey with an ancient instrument.
Held at Moonfyre Metaphysical, 401 E. Campbell, Ave.
Campbell, CA 95008
Cost $125 for two classes (flute extra) Beautiful cedar flutes available for purchase at the workshop.
Register: Call 408-370-0333 to reserve Space


Oct 19th 7:30-10 PM
"Improvisation Workshop"
Held at Moonfyre Metaphysical, 401 E. Campbell, Ave. Campbell, CA 95008
This class is for anyone who has a Native American flute and has taken a beginner class or has a fundamental understanding of how to play. Ideal if you need a jump-start to your practice routine and enjoy playing in a group. Learn improvisation techniques and embellishments to take you to the next level. Special musical guest is Suellen Primost - Cellist.
Cost: $ 49
Space is limited. Call for reservations 408-370-0333 or email ann@fluteforthesoul.com

Please click the “like” button on her new fan page at www.facebook.com/annlicater to learn about appearances, events and new releases as they are announced.

Yosemite Flute Festival in full swing

The festival opened this morning. Concert tonight at 7 pm.

Yosemite Flute Festival, Here I come...

The car is all packed, and I am almost ready to start the adventure to the 2010 Yosemite Flute Festival taking place this weekend in Oakhurst CA. There's still time to join us!

I am excited to see all of my friends, vendors and musicians who will be joining us at the event this year. Rick and Linda Dunlop have put a ton of energy into another exciting event. The books for my Playing the Blues workshop are all printed and I am bringing some fresh copies of my "Absolute Beginners Guide to Playing the Native American Flute" if anyone is interested.

I am hoping to do some blogging from the event. If there's internet access in town, I'll upload some pictures and stories from the event. Stay tuned.

If you're interested check out the Yosemite Flute and Art Festival 2010 website.

Indigenous Peoples Days 2010

Mark your calendars because, once again you are invited to Indigenous Peoples Days 2010, in and around Nevada City, California, October 8-12, (Friday-Monday). You will not want to miss this year's family-friendly, four-day event as it will be an experience more worthwhile, educational, spiritual and healing than ever before.

The traditional “Calling Back the Salmon” ceremony begins on Saturday, October 9, with a sunrise ceremony at Parks Bar, on the south fork of the Yuba River. Traditional ‘spirit runners’ will carry a salmon seven miles upstream from Parks Bar to Bridgeport State Park. Midway, in the town of Smartsville, the runners will be honored by local residents. At Bridgeport, the runners will cross the river and honor the salmon in a simple, ancient riverside ceremony, followed by a salmon feast.

On Sunday the celebration shifts to Pata Panaka, the site of an ancient Maidu village, now the Maidu Active Cultural Center, just outside Nevada City. Descendants of famous native Americans, including Geronimo, Wovoka, and Sitting Bull, will join with the Inca, Maori, and Hopi healers in a series of descendants Circles. The all day celebration also includes traditional Hawaiian dancing, Native flute, women’s drum circles and other music, dance, and story telling. The Maori and Inca people will be offering healing ceremonies.

On Monday afternoon at Miners Foundry in downtown Nevada City, a mother drum will hold the stage as descendants, elders, youth and others discuss healing soul wounds, reviving the Maidu language, healing the earth of mercury and other remnants of the gold rush., and gaining federal recognition. The four day celebration ends with the Richard Prout Memorial Dinner, in honor of the past chair of the Colfax-Todds Valley Consolidated tribe.

The all volunteer, drug and alcohol free event is free and open to the public. Sunday and Monday will be broadcast live on KVMR, KFOK, and KZFR community radio stations. Contributions are requested. Guests are asked to bring table ware and seating to the outdoor events.

WHAT: Indigenous Peoples Days 2010

WHEN: October 8-12, 2010

WHERE: Grass Valley, Nevada City California

Can't attend? Listen the events live on the web to KVMR: www.kvmr.org

For more info visit www.indigenouspeoplesdays.org or call 530-477-0711.

Live Blogging from Yosemite Flute Festival 2010

It's fall and that means that the Yosemite Flute Festival is once again happening in Oakhurst, CA, next weekend (Sept 24-26, 2010). This is a wonderful event is a great opportunity to hear some awesome music, meet some wonderful people and play/purchase some incredible instruments. This event is becoming one of the largest gatherings of Native American Flute players on the west coast.

For those of you who can't attend this year, I will once again be "live blogging" from the event. I'll post pictures and stories from the event so that you can at least experience some of the fun. Be sure to check this blog frequently next weekend for the latest posts.

For more information check out the Yosemite Flute Festival website.

Special appearance by Mary Youngblood at Yosemite Flute Festival

It was just announced that the Friday evening concert at the Yosemite Flute and Art Festival, will include a very special guest appearance of Mary Youngblood playing with Tony Redhouse.

WHAT: Mary Youngblood with Tony Redhouse, Joe Young and Albert Tenaya
WHEN: Friday, Sept 24, 2010
WHERE: Oakhurst, CA
WEBSITE: Yosemite Flute Festival Performances

More Details:
If you have not yet purchased tickets for the Friday evening concert now is the time to do this!
To purchase advance tickets call: (559) 641-5980 and tickets will be held for you at will call!
-- www.yosemiteflutefest.com

If you're attending, please consider volunteering some time to help make the event a success:

Volunteers needed for the Yosemite Flute and Art Festival

It's fall, and of course that means that the Yosemite Flute and Art Festival is right around the corner. The event is happening again this year, in Oakhurst CA, over 3 days. There will be a ton of flute makers and other vendors in attendance. While I know that it has been tough economically on many my readers, this is one event that you don't want to miss!

WHAT: Playing the Blues on the NAF Workshop
WHEN: Saturday, Sept 25, 2010, 1-3 PM
WHERE: Yosemite Flute and Art Festival, Oakhurst CA

For more detail about the Yosemite Flute and Art Festival


I am also responsibile again this year for organizing the volunteers who help make this event possible. So if you are planning to attend, and can volunteers a couple hours of your time, we would really appreciate it.



The Yosemite Flute and Art Festival Volunteer Schedule is now online. Please check out the schedule and send an email to: mailto:flutefestvolunteer@gmail.com?subject=Festival with your requested task(s) and times. I am accepting requests on a first come, first served basis. We'll start to fill in the online schedule as the slots fill up.



Thanks for your participation, and hope to see you there!

Learn to Play the Blues on the Native American Flute

The Yosemite Flute and Art Festival is just around the corner, if you haven't made plans yet to attend there's still time. And if you're still on the hump about whether it'll be worth your time to attend, let add that I will be teaching an entirely revised version of my "Playing the Blues on the NAF" workshop.
I've spent the summer rethinking how to improve the workshop and I think that I discovered some great ideas which will make the workshop a great experience. The companion book is completely rewritten, and I am now rerecording some new tracks for the CD which accompanies the book.
The workshop will focus on teaching you the basic 12 bar blues song form. We'll explore various versions of the chord structure of the 12 bar blues. Then we'll learn the basic "Blues Scale" for the Native American Flute and spend the rest of the workshop learning to improvise blues music on the Native American Flute. Past students have really enjoyed the experience of learning one of their favorite music genres on the Native American Flute.

The book and CD will be avialable for purchase outside of the workshop, if you are unable to attend the festival or if you are unable to attend the workshop while at the festival. I'll post a future blog with details on how to purchase the book and CD after the festival.

WHAT: Playing the Blues on the NAF Workshop
WHEN: Saturday, Sept 25, 2010, 1-3 PM
WHERE: Yosemite Flute and Art Festival, Oakhurst CA

More details, click on Playing the Blues on the NAF Workshop

For more detail about the Yosemite Flute and Art Festival

Weekend Events: May 22-23, 2010

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!

Saturday, May 22, 2010

• May 22, NCFC Spring Flute Festival, Georgetown, CA

Sierra Flutes

I wanted to announce the new website for Sierra Flutes.

Sierra Flutes features the talents of our very own Alex Marshall and Ed Easter. Alex has been a NCFC member and supporter for many, many years. He's finally decided to pursue his passion to make flutes together with master craftsman Ed Easter. We call Alex the "Flute Doctor" because of his inate ability to tweak a poor sounding flute and get better sound quality out of it. If you've been to Loping Wolf flute circle recently, then you've had the chance to play one of Alex/Ed's flutes.

Check out their new website: http://sierraflutes.com/

Free Native Flute Music Downloads at Amazon

I discovered this free offering from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003IZD5V0/ref=nosim/?tag=fatwalletcom&linkCode=as1

Not sure how long it will last, so download it while you can.

Weekend Events: May 7-9, 2010

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, May 7, 2010

• Stanford Pow Wow, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA

Saturday, May 8, 2010

• Stanford Pow Wow, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA
• Sierra Raven Flute Circle, 2-4 PM, Sonora CA,
• NoNahme Flute Circle, 1:30 - 4 PM, Georgetown, CA

Sunday, May 9, 2010

• Stanford Pow Wow, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA

Upcoming Events

• May 15-16, 2010 The Art of Frame Drumming and Improvisation with Marla Leigh, Grass Valley, CA
• May 22, NCFC Spring Flute Festival, Georgetown, CA

Music for Healing & Transition Program in Tucson

I know that Tucson is a bit far from Northern California, but these classes are few and far between for folks who've decided to dedicate their lives and playing skills to the area of healing and transition. So I wanted to pass on this info to those how might be interested and have the means to get to Tucson.

WHAT: Music for Healing & Transition Program (MHTP)
WHERE: Tucson, AZ
WHEN: Module 1 July 10-11, 2010.
DETAILS: Applications must be submitted by June 1, 2010.
sings,

More info and to request an application:

Melinda Gardiner, RN, CMP
Executive Director
Music for Healing & Transition Program, Inc.
22 West End Road
Hillsdale, NY 12529
518-325-5546
fax: 518-325-3089
mhtp@mhtp.org
www.mhtp.org

New Flutes at Earth Tone Flutes

I just got word from Geoffrey Ellis (Earth Tone Flutes) that he has a new crop of stock flutes ready for a new home! If you've been waiting for Geoffrey to finish some new flutes, this may be your one opportunity this spring.

Geoffrey says that we'll post the new crop of flutes on his website on Tuesday, April 20th at 12:00 noon (Pacific Standard Time)!

This will be a mix of some NAFs, a couple of Xiao, a couple of Irish style and some Anasazi flutes. There will only be 9 NAFs, so don't wait too long to drop by once Tuesday noon rolls around.

Just come to www.earthtoneflutes.com and click on "In Stock" in the nav menu.

Note that Earth Tone Flutes are also offering a Jeff Ball Signature flute.

Beginning Native American Flute Class in Nevada City

I wanted to announce that registration is now open for a Beginning Native American Flute class that I will be teaching, starting in April at the newly opened "Greenhouse School of Music" in Nevada City. If you live near Nevada City, or know someone who does, and are interested in learning to play the Native American Flute, then this class is for you.

This is an 8 week class, and no experience is necessary. All ages are welcome, although it will be an evening class.

I learned about Greenhouse School of Music when Rick Aeschliman introduced me to Rick Kirkpatrick at the Winter NCFC Gathering in December that the Loping Wolf Flute Circle coordinated. Rick Kirkpatrick is the program director at the Greenhouse School of Music. Rick had the vision, along with a few other folks, and formed the Greenhouse School of Music over the last year to help fill the need for the waining music and arts programs in our public schools. Together with several other folks, created Greenhouse School of Music as a community resource. Rick Kirkpatrick is a long time guitar teacher and one of the key folks behind "The 13", a teenage music band experience.

I am honored and excited to be a part of this inaugural session of classes starting next month. Most of you know my experience as a teacher, having taught hundreds of individuals over the last 10 years, and as director of the Northern California Flute Circle. I am looking forward to this next adventure on my flute path.

Details:

What: Beginning Native American Flute
When: Wednesday Evenings, 6-7 PM, April 7 - May 26
Cost: Cost / 8 weeks - $160. Registration Deadline: April 2

How to register: Call or visit the school.
138 New Mohawk Road, Nevada City, CA / 530.265.8200
Rick Kirkpatrick 530-477-7586 email: rick@greenhouseschoolofmusic.org

Link to class: http://www.greenhouseschoolofmusic.org/classes/NAF.html

CampOcean Pines & CCFC Flute/Drum Workshop

When: April 8-11, 2010
What: Central Coast Flute Circle Flute & Drum Workshop
Where: Camp Ocean Pines
Address: http://www.campoceanpines.org/about/location


Details:
This weekend gathering, the fourth in the series, will encompass as many as possible of all the suggestions, comments, feelings that we experienced during the Fall workshop, such as, “more drumming”, “more time to practice the new exercise”, “let’s play more". All levels are encouraged to attend. There will be a special beginners class early in the afternoon in flute playing or drumming that will get you started.

See schedule at www.campoceanpines.org.
A one to one session with Vince to address your fluting needs!
Combining flute with drum so you do not have to choose which class to go to!
For more information go to www.campoceanpines.org. or call Bill Timothy at 805 927-3993

Cost:
3 day options
$239 - April 8-11, 2010, 3 nights lodging, 8 meals and all instruction
$205 - April 8-11, 2010, offsite lodging, includes all meals except breakfast

2 day options
$190 - April 9-11, 2010, 2 nights, 5 meals and all instruction
$161 - April 9-11, 2010, offsite lodging, includes all meals except breakfast

Haiti Fundraiser by Burning Wood Flutes

I just heard from Pat and Keith Oberdieck that they want to make a contribution to the Haiti relief. Pat and Keith are running a fundraiser and donating a portion of their profits on flute sales through March 21, 2010.

Keith makes awesome flutes, so this is a opportunity to get a new flute and to help the Haiti situation. It looks like they have a lot of inventory to offer for the fundraisers. There are a lot of flutes in a variety of keys.

For complete details, here's the link to their site: http://www.burningwoodflutes.com/Fundraiser.html

Maidu Museum Opening Day

What: Maidu Museum Opening Day
When: Saturday, February 13th, 2010
Where: Maidu Museum & Historic Site
Address: 1970 Johnson Ranch Drive, Roseville, CA 95661
Phone: (916) 774–5934
Web: www.roseville.ca.us/indianmuseum

Details:
Opening Program: 9:30am
Guided Tours 10am & 1pm/Storytelling 11:30am & 2:30pm
New Exhibits Come Alive 12:00-1pm
Speaker: Dugan Aguilar
Deeper Than Gold 7:00pm

Learn to Improvise on the Native American Flute (with Cello)

What: Learn to Improvise on the Native American Flute (with Cello) with Ann Licater
When: Jan 26th, 2010
Time: 7:15-10 PM
Where: Held at Moonfyre Metaphysical, 401 E. Campbell, Ave. Campbell, CA 95008

Special Guest Suellen Primost, Cellist

Learn improvisation techniques on flute. Enjoy the rare opportunity to play with a master cellist. Explore digital effects and mic technique., This class is for anyone who has taken a Native American flute class or has a fundamental understanding of how to play.
Space is limited.
Call for reservations 408-370-0333 or email classes@fluteforthesoul.com

Musical Echoes 2010 Players competition deadline

I heard that the the deadline for submitting audition materials for the 2010 Musical Echoes PLAYERS competition is rapidly approaching (end of this week!). Entries for the Makers and Arts competitions are not required until the festival weekend.

If you're planning on going and representing Northern California and the festival, be sure to get your application in.

For more details, see our website at:
www.musicalechoes.org

Musical Echoes 2010
April 23, 24, 25
Ft. Walton Beach, FL
Website: www.musicalechoes.org/

Gary Stroutsos and Will Clipman Concert in AZ

Our friends from the Arizona Flute Circle present:

World flutist and cultural storyteller Gary Stroutsos accompanied by percussionist Will Clipman will be appearing Friday, January 29th at 8:00pm at the Kerr Cultural Center http://www.asukerr.com/more/tickets.shtml located at 6110 N. Scottsdale Rd, just south of the Borgata.

"Stroutsos performs world flute music drawn from traditional cultures. Evoking a spirit of place, and the voices of the land, his work includes internationally acclaimed recordings at sacred sites. Gary has had a unique career of recording flute music inspired by his travels. His passion is to share the cultural legacies which have been shared with him. World Percussionist Will Clipman joins Stroutsos for this amazing evening."

Tickets are on sale now at the Kerr http://www.asukerr.com/more/tickets.shtml

Blood, Gold & Medicine: Healing Maidu Country

You're all invited to attend this unique presentation, an audio documentary, "Blood, Gold & Medicine: Healing Maidu Country", on Friday, January 15th, 4:00 PM. This is one of several special presentations offered at the Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival taking place in Nevada, City, CA, January 15-17, 2010.

Join KVMR for a unique radio listening experience as part of the Wild & Scenic Film Festival opening night events. This one hour documentary explores the healing journey of the Tsi-Akim Maidu as they recover from the toxic effects of Nevada City's Gold Rush. Q & A with tribal members to follow. During the reception, enjoy the "live" indigenous sounds of flute, drum, and vocals including Neena McNair and Family Singers.

A special Native American venue is added to this year's program with a Q & A panel of film participants to compliment the Wild and Scenic Film Festival which includes actor Patrick Stewart, Visit: http://www.wildandscenicfilmfestival.org/schedule/-special-events-mainmenu-95/native-american-venue

RADIO AT THE FILM FEST!
Blood, Gold and Medicine: Healing Maidu Country
An Audio Documentary January 15th, 2010
Reception: 4:00 PM
Show: 5:00 PM
Q&A: 6:00 PM
106 Union St., Nevada City, CA

A national radio documentary on the local Tsi-Akim Maidu tribe had its debut this past Monday and Tuesday (November 23-24) at 6:30 p.m. on Nevada City radio station KVMR-FM (89.5).

The two-part series -- "Blood, Gold and Medicine: Healing Maidu Country" -- tells the story of the Maidu and their recovery from near-annihilation from settlers and fortune seekers in the 19th century in a pair of 30 minute segments.

Producer Estrella Acosta compiled the documentary over the past year working "in close conjunction" with the tribe after receiving a KVMR National Radio Production grant.

"This is a story that has been waiting to be told," says Acosta. "I'm thrilled to be able to offer it to a national audience."

For more information please visit www.syrcl.org, www.kvmr.org or call Estrella 530-265-2176.

Coming to Nevada City
January 15-17, 2010
8th Annual
SYRCL Wild & Scenic Film Festival
KVMR is proud to once again sponsor SYRCL's Wild & Scenic Film Festival. This year's festival is packed with incredible films as well as new and noteworthy festival additions. Join SYRCL in celebrating eight years of bringing the best in environmental film making to Nevada County.