Native American Music Awards Voting now open

Don't forget that voting is now open for the Ninth Annual Native American Music Awards. The show is taking place on Saturday, October 6th, 2007 at the Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel in Niagara Falls, NY. Special guests at this years event include Native American flute players: Mary Youngblood, Michael Searching Bear and Jeff Ball.

On the site you can listen to clips of music which have been nominated for awards. Or you can click here to popup the standalone music player in your browser

Of course our very own Mary Youngblood has been nominated this year for Artist of the Year and Record of the Year with "Dance with the Wind". Dance with the Wind is Mary's best work to date and I think that it should easily take Record of the Year awards. Mary continues to push herself to new places and this record illustrates her musical ability, both as a composer and a musician.

For flutist of the year I would highly recommend Evren Ozan or Robert Tree Cody.

For Best New Age Recording I would recommend either “Ananeah” Arvel Bird, William Eaton, Mary Redhouse, Will Clipman or “Heart of the Wind” Robert Tree Cody & Will Clipman

And for Best Male Vocalist and/or Best Pop Recording, you have to listen to Michael Jacobs. I just love his songwriting and composition.

To vote, goto the NAMMY Voting Site you don't need to log-in, you can simply vote, but only once on any given computer. Once you complete the voting for a category, you'll be able to see the results immediately.

Valley Clan Flute Circle, 8/26

The next Valley Clan Flute Circle will be held on Sunday, August 26, from 3-5 PM. The Valley Clan is switching to Sundays for the next couple of months.

Check the NCFC Calendar for exact details: http://www.naflute.com/calendar.html

Mary Youngblood at Fairytown - Tonight!

Mary Youngblood and Sisters of the Earth will be playing at the Fairytale Town Twilight Concert Series in Sacramento this evening.

When: Wednesday August 15
Time: 6PM - 8PM
Cost: Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children 3-12 and Free for children 2 and under.
Details:

Fairytale Town
Phone: (916) 264-7462
3901 Land Park Drive Sacramento California
Website: www.fairytaletown.org

Seating is first come first serve, so pack a blanket and get a great spot on the lawn. Come relax in the shade after a long day in the sun and get some extended playtime in, too! The Dish and Spoon Cafe will be serving delicious food, and beer and wine will be available for purchase as well. Tickets will be available for at the door the night of the performance. Doors open at 5:30pm.

Some excellent examples of learning to play Guitar or Banjo

I discovered the following links to some online books about learning to play the Guitar and the Banjo. As a music instructor, I found them very interesting in both how they are structured as well as the marketing of the books with Creative Commons licensing.

If you've always wanted to learn how to play that guitar (or banjo) that's been sitting in the corner gathering dust, check this out:

The How and Tao of Folk Guitar: http://tangiersound.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/folk-guitar1.pdf

If you've always wanted to learn how to play the banjo, here's another link:

The How and Tao of Old Time Banjo: http://www.ezfolk.com/banjo/howtao/

NAF Playing Tip #27: Online Flute Lessons from Odell Borg

I recently discovered that Odell Borg (High Spirits Flutes) has posted a 6 part flute series of introductory Native American Flute playing videos on You Tube. I believe that this is simply a series of clips from his introductory DVD. But the best part is that it's FREE! So if you're just starting out and want to learn some of the basics, check this out: http://www.youtube.com/user/OdellBorg

This Playing Tip is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License

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Panart Hang instrument for bid on Ebay

I know that many of you have been fortunate to play or hear Frankie's Hang instument at one of the NCFC flute circle gatherings. If you're like me, and have fallen in love with this instrument then you know that they are extremely rare and difficult to purchase (more on my journey to purchase my own Hang in a future blog entry). Anyhow, I noticed that there is one for bid on Ebay if you're interested, the last bid was over $2300, but considering that they cost at least $1800 AND you have to travel to Switzerland to purchase one, this is still a reasonable price. Unfortunately, I don't have an extra couple of grand laying around at the moment, so this one isn't destined to be mine... but maybe it's in your future!

Here's the link for the Ebay auction (ends tomorrow...): http://cgi.ebay.com/HANG-DRUM-2007-MADE-BY-PANART-IN-SWITZERLAND_W0QQitemZ160144484541QQihZ006QQcategoryZ622QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Ann Licater in Concert, Aug 18th

Ann Licater is performing at the Center for Spiritual Living on Saturday August 18th. This is great opportunity to hear Ann's music. The event includes special guests Troy Arnett on piano and Dave DiLullo on percussion.

Where: Center for Spiritual Living
When: Saturday, August 18
Time: 7:30 PM (arrive early to get a seat)
Tickets: $15 advance and $20 at the door

For more information: http://fluteforthesoul.com/events.html

Native American Flute Fest, 07

The Central Coast Flute Circle is hosting the first Annual Native American Flute Fest 07, featuring a concert by recording artists: Scott August and our very own Ann Licater. Scott will be playing live to his multimedia performance of images from the southwest. This is the same performance which those fortunately enough to see Scott perform at the NCFC Spring Festival experienced. It'll be a great event, I am sure.

In addition, there will a premiere screening of the documentary: "Journey to Zion", highlighting the Zion flute festival this year.

When: September 29, 2007,

Time: 2:00 p.m

Where: Royal Theater in Guadalupe, Gateway to the Dunes.
Cost: List Price: $15.00 Sale Price: $12.00

For more details and to purchase tickets goto the website: http://www.nativeamericanflutefest.com

Valley Clan Flute Circle, July 28

All of us in the NCFC send our best to Napa flutemaker Brian Revheim with the tragedy of his house, which burned last month. Fortunately, the fire was contained to the house, so his workshop and livelyhood were spared. He also was fortunate to have his flute inventory in his truck at the time of the fire.

Brian has moved to a new home and is hosting the Valley Clan flute circle this month.



When: Saturday, July 28
Time: 3-5 PM
Where: Brian's house in Napa

For directions: Email Lynn Peck or Brian Revheim

Lynn's email: valleyclan AT naflute DOT com
Brian's email: b.v.revheim AT sbcglobal DOT net
Phone: 707-255-7425

Still a chance to go on the Pow Wow cruise with Mary Youngblood

There are still rooms available on the Pow Wow cruise!!

What: West Coast PowWow Cruise with Mary Youngblood
When: September 22-27, 2007 [Fixed the date...]
Cost: From $429 per personFor more information:
Contact: Dave UnderwoodPhone: 877-369-2232
Email: david AT powwowcruise DOT com
Website: http://www.powwowcruise.com/



Earlier blog posting: http://naflute.blogspot.com/2007/06/flute-gathering-on-high-seas-with-mary.html

Green Music Network invites you to a Hang Concert

You are invited to experience the remarkable sound and spirit of the Hang, a new instrument out of Switzerland that is in resonance with the world . . . . played by the the best of the bay area. This event is a Benefit for the Green Music Network and its Cave Concert Series . . . . . .

• Alan Tower - multi-instrumentalist & composer
• Gary Muzynski - master rhythmist and music facilitator
• Ananda Lahri Sarasvati - Italian mutli-instrumentalist & producer
• Matt Venuti - multi-instrumentalist leader of the Venusians

When: Saturday August 18th
Time: 7:30pm doors open 7:00pm
Cost: Donation of 15.00 - 20.00 (split between the artists and GMN)
Where: John & Deena Coveney's place
2303 Grant St Berkeley, CA 94703
Beautiful indoor space and large outdoor nature courtyard.

Register: Send email to: gmnconcert818 AT speakeasy DOT net

Include the number of people attending. You will receive back all the details for the evening. Register early if possible.

Food: Sharing food with each other fosters community. Bring something from a favorite culture for just 2 people or more and a small card identifying the food or dish name and which part of the world it comes from. e.g. Black Quinoa - South America

Learn more about the Green Music Network here: http://www.greenmusicnetwork.org/vision/GMNgrantcore9_.pdf

Jeff Ball's Electronic Press Kit

Hey all you musicians out there. Check out Jeff Ball's Electronic Press Kit on SonicBid. It's a interesting new way to put your press kit and music online for promoters and others to hear and understand your music.



http://www.sonicbids.com/epk/epk.asp?epk_id=43343



Jeff's website: http://www.jeffball.net/

Utah 2007: College of Eastern Utah

One of the serendipidous side trips on our Utah adventure was on the road from Moab to Salt Lake City, as we drove through the town of Price, UT. It was about 3 hours into the trip that day, when we hit Price and saw the billboard advertising the "Prehistoric Museum" at the College of Eastern Utah (CEU). Well the kids were ready for a break so we stopped.


But the dinosaur bones aren't the story here, I walked in and was blown away to find an exhibit highlighting the recent discovery of a 200 year old Native American Flute which was found in the southwest. WOW. I posted about this discovery in an earlier post this year, but I hadn't planned this into our trip...

Below are some pictures of the exhibit. They don't have the actual flute on display, but a replica was produced to show what the flute might have looked like. The actual artifact is in a couple pieces, so it will never be playable. CEU has the curator rights to the flute, although the research is being done by a group in Moab.

Utah 2007: A Personal Journey, Arches

Arches National Park was the last National Park which we visited on our trip. And just when I thought that I was numb to all of the beauty which Utah has to offer, Arches is not just another National Park. The spectacular beauty of this park is again unique to Arches. The other aspect of this park is that it really is spread out, you need to drive a bit to get to each of the different formations.

It was a hot day, so we decided to see what we could see from the car at arches, and you can see quite a bit from the car. We did get out and hike the short hike up to the Windows arches. We also hiked the short hike to see Pine Tree Arch, in the Devils Playground.

The next morning, I once again got up early to beat the heat and to shoot a sunrise photo session. We were staying south of Moab in the KOA campground, so I had to get up 1.5 hours before the sunrise to drive all the way to the Devils Playground parking lot and then hike 20 minutes to the Landscape Arch for my photo session. The first thing that I realized what that my 35 mm lens was not wide enough to capture Landscape Arch (seen in the picture below), from the spot I wanted to shoot, so I had to quickly backtrack up the trail a bit to find a suitable spot to capture the entire arch. Again, I shot film, so I don't have my pictures back yet.

After the photo session with Landscape arch, I hiked up to Wall Arch and then on to Navajo Arch (all in the Devils Playground) to capture them on film. On my way back out of the park, I stopped to take a photo of the Petroglyphs near Wolfe Ranch. These Petroglyphs depict men on horseback alon with what appears to be a dog or wolf and long horn sheep. These petroglyphs on on the trail to Delicate Arch, but they are only a few hundred yards from the parking lot, so you can easily view them without a long hike.

I think that my favorite arch in the whole park has to be Delicate Arch, as cliche as that may be (given that Delicate Arch is an icon for the whole state of Utah). Delicate Arch (seen in the picture below) is just spectacular for a couple of reasons:

1. It's not an easy hike to see it. (Definitely DON'T do this hike starting in the afternoon if it's a hot day, there is little to no shade on the 1.5 mile hike)



2. It stands in the middle of a huge slickrock ampitheater



3. It really looks precarious, like it's ready to fall at any moment.

I took out my flute and played a song or two in tribute to this wonderful place. The sound in the ampitheater surrounding Delicate Arch is great. (Hint: nothing shuts up a group of loud German tourists like a Native American Flute being played live...)

Utah 2007: A Personal Journey, The Flute Store

In the middle of Utah, just off of Highway 12, before it joins Highway 24 (near Torrey UT and Capitol Reef National Park) I was drawn like a moth to this HUGE Native American Flute outside of The Flute Store run by Vance and Elaine Morrell.

They are fortunate to have a great location, right on highway 12. We stopped and checked out the store, and I chatted with Elaine for a long time. Vance keeps his flute workshop right on the property and the store was stocked with Vance's flutes (as well as a few other makers). The store also has a lot of other souvenirs. Turns out that their biggest business isn't the drive by tourists, but rather the wholesale business. They sell a really inexpensive, entry level flute. You can even buy it unfinished (complete, but without finish). This would be a great option for a flute workshop or class with a boy or girl scout troop, camp, kids class. I don't have their wholesale pricelist yet, but Elaine assured me that they can deliver their entry level flutes, in volume purchase, for less than $20 each. So if you are looking for an inexpensive solution for an upcoming workshop you are presenting, I encourage you to contact Elaine and Vance.

Of course, they also make highend flutes and Elaine is a wonderful woodburn artist (although you won't find this service published on the pricelist, so you need to ask Elaine personally to woodburn a flute for you...)


Here's their contact info:

The Flute Store
Vance & Elaine Morrill
P: 435-425-3144
E: vancem AT scinternet DOT net

Utah 2007: A Personal Journey, Bryce Canyon

In the middle of our Zion Roadtrip, we stopped by Bryce Canyon. It's a funny thing, everyone asks "what's your favorite park in Utah"? It seems to me that each park has a different influence on different people. After visiting so many beautiful places in such a short span of time, I could feel the "magic" that each of these places brought over the visitor. Bryce Canyon was no different, and quickly casts its "spell".




My memories of Bryce Canyon are pretty significant, even though we were only there for two days and a night. We happened to be at Bryce on the evening in which they present the "Dark Skies" ranger program - one reason to ALWAYS check in at the visitor's center of the park when you arrive. The Dark Skies program was a one hour presentation on the growing light pollution on the planet. It turns out that southern Utah is one of the few remaining "Dark Sky" area's in the US (even though the lights from Vegas were visible on the horizon). After the presentation, the visitors convened at the Visitor Center, where 4 telescopes were setup. The rangers turned off all of the lights in the Visitor Center parking lot to make it as dark as possible. We then had the chance to view the Moon, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn (all four were in the sky that evening...). Wow!





The next morning, I got up extra early for a photo session at Bryce as the sun came up. It was incredible, definitely one of my favorite mornings of the trip. I strongly encourage you to not miss the sunrise at Bryce the next time you're there. I took several rolls of film but I haven't developed them yet. I can't wait to see the results. I did take the one picture below on my digital camera...

After the sunrise photo session, I hiked down the Navajo trail to Wall Street, a narrow slot canyon in the middle of Bryce. Due to a rock fall earlier this spring, half of Wall Street was closed, but I sat down at the bottom of Wall Street, took out my flute and played for a long time. It was really fun to see the reaction of folks who had hiked behind me as the arrived at the canyon bottom to discover the source of the music.

Examples of Xavier Quijas Yxayotl's flutes

In anticipation of the upcoming flute making workshop with Xavier Quijas Yxayotl, I wanted to post a few pictures of some of Xavier's work. The picture above show's his famous Fire Flute (see the earlier blog posting about the controversy which this flute caused at the INAFA convention last year).

The following pictures show some of Xavier's flute collection which I snapped at the INAFA convetion last year. Xavier's handcrafted flutes sell for hundred's of dollars. Xavier makes both vessel flutes (e.g. ocarina inspired creations) as well as clay flutes played like a Native American Style flute. Note that Xavier is of Huichol heritage from Mexico, so all of his music and instruments are inspired by this rich tradition\ as well as the tradition of the Mayan and Aztec's.

You can also view some of the vessel flutes for sale on Xaviers website: http://www.yxayotl.com/flute.html

Clay Flute Making Workshop with Xavier Quijas Yxayotl

Dave Loo is coordinating another 2 day clay flute making workshop with Xavier Quijas Yxayotl. Dave hosted a workshop earlier in the year and everyone who attended had a wonderful time with this master of flute making. Xavier is a busy guy, but the Northern California Flute Circle holds a special place in his heart so he is excited to be coming back to NoCal for another flute making workshop.

At the last workshop, folks made both ocarina's and clay flutes. Xavier is a master craftsman and loves to share this craft. I don't think that I have ever met a more humble man than Xavier, you will leave this event with memories for a lifetime.

Because of the nature of working with clay and crafting the instruments, this will be a two-day event. RSVP early and get that vacation request in! While Xavier is in town, we'll also host him for a concert in Palo Alto on the evening of September 28th. If you are unable to attend the workshop, be sure to attend the concert. You won't be disappointed.

What: Two-Day Clay flute making workshop
When: Sept 29th & 30th
Where: Site in San Jose (RSVP for exact details)
Cost: $300, deposit of $200 by Aug. 10th.

To RSVP, contact Dave Loo at: ravenloo AT comcast DOT net
or call: 415-810-2169

Concert details:
What: Xavier Quijas Yxayotl in concert
When: Sept 28, 7:30
Cost: Donation
Where: Unity church in Palo Alto
Address: 3391 Middlefield road, Palo Alto

Return to Moaning Caverns with Mary Youngblood

Save the date! The Loping Wolf Clan is returning to Moaning Cavern next month for another exciting flute circle underground at the Moaning Cavern. For those who are not familiar, Moaning Cavern is a "big hole in the ground", literally, you have to take a set of stairs into the ground to get to the cavern floor. Mary Youngblood recorded her first album, The Offering, live in Moaning Cavern and it holds a special place in her heart.

As far as flute playing goes, there is nothing as spectacular as playing in Moaning Caverns, with the sound bouncing off the walls. We'll have the place to ourselves, so we can enjoy all of the music. Bring your family for this magical event!

This is your opportunity to join Mary, the Loping Wolf Clan and the rest of the Northern California Flute Circle for what's becoming an annual event.

When: Saturday, August 11

Time: TBA

Details: Check the Loping Wolf website for the latest.

RSVP: To RSVP, send an email to: lopingwolf @ naflute DOT com

Utah 2007: Zion National Park

The first thing to be said for Zion National Park is that it is really accessible. I was amazed at how easy the drive was from Las Vegas to Zion/Springdale UT.

The mileage from Northern California to Zion is just around 700 miles, and this leg of the road trip could be done in a day, that is if you aren't pulling a trailer and packing kids. We, however, took three days to get to Zion, stopping for our first night in Tonopah, Nevada and the second night in Las Vegas.

We setup our base camp at the Zion Canyon Campground, and because I had reserved a site 6 months earlier, we scored a campsite right on the Virgin river. The kids loved this spot as it provided the opportunity to 'raft' down the river each afternoon. June isn't quite high season, so reservations at the Zion Canyon Campground aren't a necessity, but the camp hosts did say that you'll need reservations from July - September.

We stayed at Zion for four nights, using this as a base camp to explore Zion National Park, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park.

There is so much to see in Zion, lot's of awesome hikes, including the Narrows and Angels Landing. However, we chose not to do the Narrows hike (nor Angels Landing) on this trip, it'll have to wait for a future adventure.

This was my first visit to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. It's an amazing view from there, since it's the highest point in the canyon. From the lodge, you have an amazing view. If you're not into camping I would definitely recommend staying at the lodge. Unlike the desert fauna of the South Rim, the North Rim has pine trees and an alpine feel to it. It was also cooler, in the 80's while we were there.

My kids both became "Junior Rangers" at the North Rim Ranger Station, and at all of the subsequent parks we visited on the trip. If you have kids or grandkids with you (under 12), then the Junior Ranger program is a great way to get the kids involved in the park. It's kind of like a scavenger hunt for clues about the parks history and features. The kids get a workbook to complete about each park.

Coral Pink Sands Dunes State Park is an out of the way state park, which would be a major desistination if not for all of the other parks surrounding it. It's outside of Kanab, between Zion and the Grand Canyon. If you are an off road vehicle enthusiest, this would be heaven. The unusual feature of this park (besides the huge piles of sand), is the pink color of the sand. The sand is blown in for the erosion of the red dirt native to this area. Basically, Coral Pink is the dumping ground for all of the dirt/sand which has eroded from the land features in Southern Utah.

Utah 2007: A Personal Journey

While many of you traveled to Zion for the 2007 Zion Canyon Flute Festival, I was unable to attend the event this year since the kids didn't get out of school until the following week. However, I had been planning to take a road trip through Southern Utah for the last year and it just didn't work out for us to be in Zion for the event this year. We did spend two weeks on the road, including 4 days in Zion, along with other parks in Utah. I took lot's of pictures and played my flute a ton. It was definitely a relaxing vacation.

Nothing is more fun than finding a shady spot next to the trail and playing the Native American Flute for folks as they come along the trail. I am sure many of you have similar stories of playing along the trail (feel free to share them in the comments). I greeted the sunrise several times at some pretty spectacular places.

I plan to post several blog entries of our trip along with some of my favorite photos of the trip and the places we visited. There were a couple of serendipidous things that happened which I can't wait to share with all of you, but I'll save the details and story for a future blog entry.

Zion Journey: A Documentary

Tim Romaro, a member of the Central Coast Flute Circle, is producing a documentary titled: "Journey to Zion: A Native American Flute Festival". On the documentary he includes many interviews with flute players who attended this years event.

Tim plans to premiere the film in Guadalupe, California this fall (exact dates TBA). If you have a story from this years event which you would like to share with Tim, I encourage you to contact him.

A trailer and more information about the movie can be found at: http://www.zionjourney.com

You can reach Tim at: tromero AT theflutecircle DOT com

Flute Gathering on the High Seas with Mary Youngblood

Can you just imagine listening to a powwow drum as it pounds it's way across the water? Or watching traditional and fancy dancers, their hair and shawls swirling with the Baja breeze?? There's nothing quite like it!

Once again, Mary Youngblood will be performing on this year's annual West Coast Powwow Cruise from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas/Mexico this September! Mary will be facilitating flute workshops, conducting private lessons, and performing with Native American violinist- Arvel Bird.

There will be a special drawing for a hand picked flute from Mary Youngblood's private collection to be given out to a lucky "Flute Enthusiast" who signs up for this wonderful powwow experience! This is the first ever cruise to this part of Mexico, and we are thrilled to have this opportunity. Mark your calendars and come join us for a

What: West Coast PowWow Cruise with Mary Youngblood
When: September 22-27, 2007 [Fixed the date...]

Cost: From $429 per person

For more information:
Contact: Dave Underwood
Phone: 877-369-2232
Email: david AT powwowcruise DOT com
Website: http://www.powwowcruise.com/

Healing Circle in Sacramento, July 6th

You are all invited to go to the Healing Circle which will be held in Sacramento in July. There will be lot's of drumming, chanting and food! They are wonderful Native People with a BIG heart.

What: Healing Circle
When: Friday, JULY 6th
Time: 7:00 pm
Where: St Matthews Episcopal Church - One of the rooms to the side
2300 Edison Ave. Sacramento, CA 95821
(Corner of Edison and Bell)

Directions:
Take Watt avenue off of 80 reno
Go over the overpass and turn right on Edison..........go all the way down....2300 Edison on left side you will see the church.

Gentle Thunder and Will Clipman in concert in Santa Cruz

Gentle Thunder and Will Clipman will be performing their music at the Cayuga Vault in Santa Cruz. This venue is a nice intimate setting where you'll have the chance to experience their music up close and personal.

What: Gentle Thunder and Will Clipman

Where: Cayuga Vault, Santa Cruz, CA

When: Sunday June 24th at 7 pm

Cost: $15 adv, $18 door

More information on Gentle Thunders website, or download this press release.

Pictures from last years NCFC Gathering at Mary Youngbloods house

If you'd like to view some pictures from last years event you will find them archived on the NCFC website. Here's the link: http://www.naflute.com/springgathering.html

Please bring your camera and take lot's of foto this year, I'll be happy to post them!

Hotel Suggestions for the Summer Gathering

Here are some suggestions for hotels near Mary Youngblood's house:

List of all hotels in Rancho Cordova

Recommended hotels (click on each to link):

• Vagabond Inn
• Marriott Sacramento Rancho Cordova
• Courtyard by Marriott Rancho Cordova Sacramento
• Red Roof Inn - Rancho Cordova

Mary is also offering her backyard to limited number of folks who want to camp. This will be on a first come, first served basis. Please indicate that you'd like to camp when you send your RSVP in.

Update on Mary's Birthday Party and Summer Gathering

Things are in full swing as we prepare for Mary Youngblood's birthday party and the annual NCFC Summer Gathering. Everyone is invited to join us, the only requirement is that you must RSVP for the event in order to get the directions and details about the event.

Like years past, we'll once again be celebrating Mary Youngbloods birthday by gathering to play the flute, learn new techniques and fellowship with your fellow fluties. There will be workshops, vendors, an open mic and lot's of food. BUT, this year Mary wanted to expand the event to two days! So we're going to have a day of workshops and open mic's followed by a day of adventure!

If you haven't marked your calendar already, this event is happening on the weekend of June 23-24, in Fair Oaks CA (near Sacramento).

This event is being organized by the Loping Wolf clan. For both days, you must RVSP by sending an email to: flutecircle AT lopingwolf DOT com
or calling: 530-613-4197

What: NCFC Spring Gathering
When: Saturday, June 23
Where: Mary Youngblood's house
Activities: Workshops, open mic, vendors and food!

What: Mary Youngblood's Birthday Adventure day
When: Sunday, June 24
Where: American River and various other sites.
Activities: River kayaking (bring your own kayak), bike ride and hiking. BBQ to follow at Mary's house.

For more detail, check out the NCFC Calendar online at: http://www.naflute.com/Calendar.html

San Francisco Free Folk Festival

I know that many of you enjoy music of all types. I learned that there is an interesting event this weekend in San Francisco. It's dedicated to folk music. There will be workshops, concerts and the like all day Saturday and Sunday.

Here's the link: http://www.sffolkfest.org/2007/index.html

What: San Francisco Free Folk Festival
When: Sat 6/16 - Sun 6/17/2007
Cost: Free

Nominate your favorite Native artist TODAY!

I want to encourage everyone to take a moment and nominate your favorite Native American artist for the upcoming Native American Music Awards (NAMA). Nomination Selection Process is from April 30, 2007 to June 30, 2007. Even though we fluties tend to think about flute music first, there is a wonderful selection of other genres of Native Music on the market as well.
There are a record number of submissions this year and NAMA has opened several new catagories:

NEW CATEGORIES FOR NINTH ANNUAL NATIVE AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS:
Best Native American Church Recording
Best Folk Recording
Best Country Recording
Debut Artist of the Year
Debut Duo or Group of the Year
Best Spoken Word/Linguistic Recording
Best Music Video/DVD
Best Long Form Production With Music
The awards will be held on Oct. 6th at the Hard Rock Cafe in Hollywood Fla.

To learn more about the Native American Music Awards, click here:
http://www.nativeamericanmusicawards.com/

Click here to vote:

http://www.votenative.com/

You will have to create an account in order to vote. The site also has great streaming audio, so that you can listen to all of the artists.

BTW - if you're looking for a hint on Artist of the Year, Record of the Year, or Flutist of the Year , I'd recommend the NCFC's very own, Mary Youngblood and "Dance with the Wind", which is Mary's Grammy award winning album (and I think it's her best album to date).

Update on the Zion Flute Festival

I received a message from Mary Munarin with some latest information about the upcoming Zion Flute Festival. If you are are planning to go here's some information:

May 31 is the cutoff date for registering online for classes and concerts. After that, you will have to wait until you arrive at the festival to sign up for events. Get in on the fun now at the website, http://www.zioncanyonartandflutefestival.com/

Mary lost the last week's applications for Open Mic and Volunteering, due to a computer problem. If you would still like an Open Mic spot, or to volunteer (please!) or ask a question, please email her directly at marymun AT worldnet DOT att DOT net

For open mic or volunteer, please include the days/times you are NOT available; for open mic, please say where you're from and include some background we can use for an introduction, also the approximate date you first applied if you're reapplying.

Two workshops have been canceled but not taken off the website: Get Looped and Flute Bag Making. If you're signed up for one of these, please email Mary Munarin about switching to another class or getting a refund. DO NOT use the form on the website, email her directly.

NCFC Central in France this week...

I am traveling to France this week (on business). I'll still have internet connectivity, and I'll post when I can. Unfortunately, it means that I am missing the Loping Wolf flute circle today... but I know that they'll have fun.
There are several events happening this weekend, so I hope everyone has a great time playing their flutes. If you're not going to a flute circle, I hope that you get the chance to at least get outside and play your flutes on one of these beautiful days.
As usual, I am bringing flute with me, I hope to expose some more folks to sounds of the Native American Flute.

New NCFC Memberships

Quick update: If you have sent in your membership registration in the last two months, I apologize for the delay in responding to you. With the demands of starting a new job, I haven't had as much "extra" time in my life the last couple months. BUT - I have processed all of the new memberships and I'll be sending you a confirmation email in the next couple days.

The good news is that we'll start all of the new memberships and renewals with a June expiration date, so don't worry about the delay, you've just gotten a few extra months for "free".
Also, we've got enough new folks that I'm able to print and laminate a run of new membership cards (I usually wait until I have a handful of new members before making a run new membership cards). So I'll create those and get them in the mail by the end of the month.

Now forming: Shasta Clan!

I have received some interest from folks living in the Shasta area to form a new NCFC clan there. If you live in the Shasta Lake area and would like to be a part of the leadership for this clan or simply participate, contact Mike Oitzman at: ncfc AT naflute DOT com or call the NCFC hotline at: 530-432-2716. As soon as we gather enough interested folks, we'll work to get something scheduled.

Hold the date for Mary's Birthday Party

I wanted to remind everyone that we're planning the annual NCFC Spring Gathering where we get together and celebrate spring along with the birthday of one of our favorite flute players (and co-founder of the NCFC): Mary Youngblood.

Every year, this event has grown in size and fun. Last year, it was really hot, but that didn't dampen the spirits of those who attended. Not sure what the weather will be like this year, but we do have some new and special things planned. This year, the Loping Wolf Clan is co-hosting the event, and we're going to expand the event to two days!!

We're still working out the details, but here's what we're looking at:

Saturday June 23 - Flute / Drum Circle at Mary Youngblood's house in Fair Oaks, CA. Similar to year's past, this will be a day of workshops, flutemakers and other vendors, open mic and lot's and lot's of flute playing.

Sunday, June 24 - A day of recreation, including the options of kayaking on the American River or biking or hiking with your fellow fluties. Mary loves the outdoors, and wants to ensure that we all have the chance experience the beauty of the Sierra foothills. The day will finish with a BBQ at a park in the Sacramento or Auburn area (and of course more flute playing...). If you would like to help organize the kayaking, rafting or hiking adventures (or you have an idea for another local excursion) please contact me at NCFC at NAFLUTE dot COM.

We'll be posting a list of local hotels on the NCFC website within the next week or so. If you can't wait, just search for something in the Fair Oaks area.

NEW RSS email subscription

I took some time to setup the blog RSS information so that it is now managed by FeedBurner. For those of you who use an RSS reader, I hope that you find the new RSS format which is managed by FeedBurner, to be much nicer.

Click here to see what the new RSS feed looks like in your browser: http://feeds.feedburner.com/naflute

As a feature of this service, you can also now receive the blog posting via email (rather than coming here to read it online). If you would like to subscribe to the RSS feed, simply enter your email address in the box in the left nav bar of the blog then click the subscribe button.

Follow the directions in the popup box and you're all set. You can unsubscribe by following the unsubscribe details included with each email.

I hope that you like this new service. Let me know if you have any more suggestions.

News about Oklahoma Flute Festival 2007

Dennis Frederiksen contacted me about the Oklahoma Flute Festival 2007. This flute gathering is being organized by members of the TNAFC flute circle. This flute gathering will be held in Keys, Oklahoma just south of Tahlequah. It is a beautiful setting in the heart of Cherokee County.

When: October 5-7 2007.

Details

There will be vendor spaces, open mic performances, flute makers competition, and much more.
The web site is www.okflutefest.com . They are offering Free Advertising for all people involved with the NAF. Players, makers or educators. Their goal is to help all flute makers and players by offering free distribution of advertising and promotion. All advertising as long as it pertains to the NAF or education of such.

Marketing and Advertising Opportunity

The Oklahoma Flute Festival is planning create attendee packages which will be provided for each attendee to the event. They will be accepting all types of NAF marketing materials, inclucing business cards, flyers or discount coupons etc., for inclusion in these attendee take aways. They expect folks from all over, so it is not a requirement that the information be regionally specific. Flutemakers / Artists: this is a great way to promote the NAF and help market your flutes, crafts, books or CD's. You do not have to attend out event to take advantage of this marketing opportunity. Just package it up and send it to Dennis. In a very innovative marketing options they are also giving away flutes and merchandise in some lucky bags. If you would like to help in this campaign, contact Dennis directly. They intend to acknowledge all vendors who supply materials for this marketing program.

For more information contact:

Dennis Frederiksen
TNAFC http://www.freewebs.com/tnafc/
LogJaM Arts
Attention: OK Flute Fest
P.O. Box 38
Tahlequah, OK 74465

Bay Clan Flute Circle this weekend

The NCFC Bay Clan is getting together at the Stanford Sculpture garden this Sunday for an informal flute circle. Bring your drums and flutes.

EVENT: May Bay Clan Flute Circle at Stanford
DATE: Sunday, May 20, 2007
TIME: 2:00 to 4:00 pm
LOCATION: The New Guinea Sculpture Garden at Stanford University,Palo Alto. On campus, near intersection of Lomita Driveand Santa Teresa Street.
ORGANIZER: Frankie Sierra, bayclan AT naflute DOT com

For more details check out the NCFC website: http://www.naflute.com/bayclanevent.html

Ann Licater in Concert Tonight

Our very own Ann Licater will be performing selections from her new CD:Following the Call, tonight in San Jose. She will be available to sign her new CD, and she will also offer a free mini-concert. If you're free, I hope that you'll come out and support Ann this evening.

Where: San Jose Bookshop
When: Wednesday, May 16th
Time: 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM
Location: 1231 Kentwood Ave, Suite E. San Jose, CA 95129 www.sjbookshop.com

For more information about Ann you can go to: http://www.fluteforthesoul.com/

Aerobie AeroPress Coffee Maker

I know that this is a blog dedicated to Native American Flute music and other related topics, but I have a 'discovery' that I am so excited about that I thought it was worth imposing one short blog entry to review. I don't often review non-music related things here, but I believe that this is a fun and interesting new product.

I love my coffee in the morning. I also love camping. I would expect that there are many of you out there who share these two passions. This last weekend, while on an annual camping trip with some friends. I was introduced to a cool new product. It's called the Aerobie AeroPress coffee maker and it was invented by the Standford professer who invented the Aerobie frisbee. My friends discovered this new coffee maker and brought it along on the camping trip to use to make coffee for all of us at breakfast. This little tool worked like a charm. It's simple to use, you only need a little hot water. It's simple to setup up and clean up. Most of all, it makes a great espresso or cup of coffee.

If you like to camp, this is the perfect camping coffee maker. It would even work for backpacking. If you don't camp, and just want a quick, perfect cup of espresso or coffee in the morning (or afternoon at work) then I also highly recommend it.

Here's the product website: http://aerobie.com/Products/aeropress.htm

It's also available on Amazon: Aeropress Coffee Maker

Sacramento Concert Tonight: Deb Pittman

If you are in the Sacramento area tonight (May 15th) I would encourage you to come out and support our very own Deb Pittman in a unique concert with the Cal State Sacramento Orchestra. The title of the event is: "Two World Concerto for Cedar Flute and Orchestra"

Here are the details:

Two World Concerto for Cedar Flute and Orchestra
by James Demars
Program includes…

• Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 3, 1st movement – L. v. Beethoven
• Symphonic Metamorphosen – P. Hindemith
• Selections from ‘Porgy and Bess’ – G. Gershwin

Where: Capistrano Music Recital Hall, California State University, Sacramento
When: Tuesday, May 15, 2007 8 pm
Cost: $8 general/$5 students & seniors

NAF Flute Tracks by Clint Goss

Clint Goss has a new CD out. It's a CD of several different backing tracks of music in different Genres, all of which you can play / jam along with on an A minor flute. I haven't heard it yet, but it sounds like fun. If you have this album, please leave a comment with your thoughts.

Here's the link: http://www.naftracks.com/

Wanna jam together, remotely in real time?

I know that there are some of you out there with computer technical skills, so here's the challenge: I discovered a new online service called eJamming (http://www.ejamming.com/) which allow two or more people to get online and jam/record together. Sounds pretty cool, if you have a high-speed internet connection and a quality soundcard/microphone on your PC.

If you're interested in checking this out, either add a comment below or send me an email. I'll try to hook up anyone who's interested. If you know of another / better idea for this (we could try Skype), add a comment to this post. It would be fun to connect folks together between flute circles.

Remembering the Day

It's been 4 busy days now since the Flute Gathering on Saturday, and still I am having fun remembering all of the wonderful things from the day.

First of all, thanks to everyone who attended and helped make this a successful fund raiser for KFOK. The radio station cleared more than a thousand dollars thanks to all of your generous donations and support of the evening concert.

I really enjoyed meeting and chatting with all of the vendors. There were some beautiful crafts for sale. Bill Timothy (Central Coast Flute Circle) had some beautiful beaded wraps for sale. This is skill which I didn't know that Bill possessed, and unfortunately he didn't have a wrap which matched the size/leather of my new flute, but I'll definitely be working with Bill to make some custom wraps for my other flutes.

Vance Pennington (Walking Spirit Flute) drove down from Oregon to show his inventory of beautiful flutes. Vance is a consumate craftsman and has an amazing attention to detail. All of his flute are turned and most share a unique construction technique to join the various woods used for the flute. I would say that Vance stands alone in this method of construction. The other unique feature which Vance demonstrated is an innovation tuning mechanism available on his flutes which allow you to change the pitch of the fundamental note of the flute. If you are interested in a 'tunable' Native American style flute, then I encourage you to contact Vance and check out this flutes.

Stephen DeRuby had two new models of his Gypsy flute available for sale. Both models feature the same construction and Native American style flute block as his River and Trail flute series. He had an A model available which features inline finger holes. He also has an E model which features the same offset holes as the D model.

Colyn Peterson (Woodland Voices) flew out from the mid west to join us for the first time at an NCFC event. I had never met Colyn personally so it was fun to get to know him throughout the day. Colyn had some beautiful flutes for sale, many of which featured the painting and woodburning of his wife Kitty. Since this was Colyn's first visit to NorCal, his booth was busy all day.

I also had the chance to met flutemaker Igor Sedor from Las Vegas. Igor drove up with some other members of the Loping Wolf Las Vegas clan. Igor had a smal inventory for sale.

Jeanne and Jim Callaway (Eagle Heart Flutes), came down from Clear lake area to join us. It's been about 4 or 5 years since I've seen the Callaway's. The last time was at the now defunct (but notorious) DeAnza Pow Wow. Jim had some wonderful inlaid flutes for sale.

Becky Olvera Schultz, a Native artist from the Bay area, had some beautiful art and masks for sale. I had fun talking to Becky and enjoyed her artwork. I hope that some of these beautiful pieces found a new home last weekend.

Loren and Lonnie from FairyRingMushroom had a huge inventory (they've been busy in the shop lately), and I noticed a fair number of folks in their booth throughout the day. Loren and Lonnie are our local flutemakers in the Sacramento area.

Our very own, Brian Revheim (Napa Valley Flutes) had a small collection of flutes for sale. Brian's unique construction method had lot's of folks checking out his flutes thoughout the day.

Lew Price was his usual self, sharing his collection of flutes and spent the day talking about flutemaking with anyone who had questions.

Of course I can't forget Russ Venable, who I think spent more time bouncing around talking to every one in all of the other booths, than he did in his own. I also enjoyed Russ's playful spirit and enthusiasm for everything flute. I did happen to be present when Russ delivered Dan DiCicco's new spalted mango, double barrel flute. It was a beauty, and Dan's a happy boy...

Unfortunately, Geophrey Ellis couldn't make over for the day. We missed him.

Kudos to the NoNahme Clan for a wonderful event!

I slept in late yesterday, exhausted from all the fun on Saturday...

...but I wanted to post a huge THANK YOU to all of the NCFC NoNahme Clan members who put so much time and positive energy into the Spring Gathering on Saturday. It was a wonderful event. I heard nothing but great things from everyone I talked to during the day.

To David Blonski, the Feather River Singers and Scott August, and all of the other folks who performed Saturday evening, thanks for your wonderful talents. It was a truly entertaining evening.

The weather held dry until the last hour of the daytime events, as the crowd was thinning and the vendors were ready to pack up. Thanks for all of the prayers for a dry day.

I'll post more reflections on the day as I get time this week.

Big Event today!

It's 6 AM. The car is packed. I am ready to hit the road to Georgetown for day of wonderful flute music ad the NCFC/NoNahme Clan Spring Festival. If you're heading that way, I hope to see you today and get the chance to chat, and play flutes together. My Beginner Flute Workshop starts at 10 AM this morning and the rest of the workshops follow after that throughout the day.

Looks like the weather is going to hold for the early part of the day, so we'll be outside. The concert featuring Scott August this evening is inside so it the weather front comes through, we should be OK.

If you're looking for directions, simply Google Map Georgetown, CA. The town is so small that you can't miss the Georgetown ampitheather. Just take Main street out of town. If you go more than a mile, you went too far... there will be signs on the road.

I'll post several entries later this weekend on the day.

Here's the link for more information: http://www.naflute.com/ncfcspringgathering.html

Native American Hand Drum Workshop, Half Moon Bay

Make an actual Native American drum and Learn the way of the drummer with Pablo Diego Viramontes and Rooni Bissonnette

When: Sunday, May 20th, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Where: Half Moon Bay, CA

Workshop fee includes all material for your drum.
Buffalo Hide Drum $200
Elk Hide Drum $175


Directions and details will be sent upon registration

650-712-0800
Info@wildlifeAssociates.org

By the end of the day, you will have your own beautiful native drum to take home with you. All materials are provided.

Pablo is a wonderful teacher and will guide you through the crafting as well as the cultural history and practices of the Native American drum. This workshop is a fun, enriching and unique experience.

Pablo Viramontes is a renowned Native American craftsman and Art Instructor who has exhibited his art regionally and nationally. He received his MA and Teaching Credential from San Jose State University.

Pablo has been a teacher for 33 years at the Foundry School in San Jose, California, an alternative school for at-risk-youth. He has used ritual and ceremony to help the youth discover their gift of �HANDS,� helping change behavior and attitudes. He is an elder in the Indian community, helping with various events and ceremonies.

An advisor, runner and caretaker of the ceremonial drum for the 500 Mile American Indian Spiritual Marathon, he has had workshops helping individuals discovering their gifts of �HANDS� creating drums, masks, rattles and other creative objects.
During this workshop, participants are reminded of the responsibility of being a caretaker of the heartbeat of the peoples (the drum), and respect through prayer, positive energy, and good intentions, for the animal and tree that has given its life to be part of this sacred instrument.

Note: This workshop is not affiliated with the NCFC.

Pray for sunshine this weekend...

According to the weather channel, it (currently) looks like there will be rain on Friday and rain on Sunday, but only cloudy weather on Saturday in Georgetown this weekend. Let's all pray that this pattern holds for the NCFC/NoNahme Clan Flute Festival this weekend.

Alot of folks in the NoNahme Clan and others have put a tremendous amount of their time, sweat and tears into this event that I hope that we have some good weather to enjoy it outside. If the weather does not cooperate, we will still hold the event in the Georgetown High School Gym. Be sure to check Lew Price's website for the latest information up to the day of the event.

I have been really impressed by all of the organization and the leadership of Marion Cole, Lew Price, David Blonski, Mignon Geli and the NoNahme Clan. They are putting together a great event for all of you to enjoy this weekend.

Lew's website: http://www.softcom.net/users/greebo/festival.htm

What: NoNahme Clan Flute Festival
When: Saturday, April 21
Time: 8 AM - 10 pm
Concert: 7 PM

Note that Lew has posted the latest information on the workshop times, costs and details, along with the latest information about vendors, directions, housing etc.

Carlos Reynosa in Concert, 5/4

Native American Music Award Winner Carlos Reynosa (Nammys 1999 & 2000 Nominated 2003, 2005 & 2006) will be coming to the Valley (Fresno Ca,) with special guest the central valley’s own Lance “Fluteman” Canales.

When: Friday May 4th
Where: Grandma’s ALL NATURAL MARKET & NURSERY
403 W. OLIVE AVE, Fresno CA, (ONE BLOCK EAST OF FRUIT)
Phone: (559) 495-1141
Time: 7:00PM Cost: ONLY $5.00

Note: This is not an NCFC sponsored show, but it should be some great music.

No Beginning Flute Class...

I wanted to announce that I am taking a sabbatical from teaching the ongoing Beginning Flute Classes in Palo Alto. I have started a new job, with a new company and I won't have much extra time for a few months. I am still available for private lessons, as time allows.
There will be no more classes on Tuesday evenings for a while...
... in the mean time don't forget to PLAY, PLAY, PLAY

Flute Workshop 4/3, Palo Alto

Just a reminder that tomorrow evening will be the last evening of the current Beginning Native American Flute Class series in Palo Alto. The topic for class tomorrow evening is: "Composing Music on the NAF". I'll cover topics, evercises and ideas for composing your own music on the NAF. We'll play some duets and learn some techniques for writing your music (no music background required...). Note that although this is the last class of this series, drop ins are welcome and it's a great workshop for anyone ready to move to the next level in their playing.

Where: The Marhatis Enlightenment Center, Home of Rev. Maxi Harper 3433 Aston Ct. Palo Alto, CA
When: 5:30 PM - 7 PM
Cost: $15 drop in fee
Website: http://www.naflute.com/MIkeclass2.html

The next series of classes will restart with the first evening on April 17, 2007. Please tell your friends who are interested in learning how to play!!