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: