Weekend Event Calendar: Sept 28 - 30

You can alway check out the 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!

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

Friday, September 28

• Mike Oitzman and Loping Wolf Flute Recital, Auburn, 7 - 8 PM

• Xavier Quijas Yxayotl Concert, Unity Church Palo Alto , 8 PM

Saturday, September 29

• Clay Flute Making Class with Xavier Quijas Yxayotl, San Jose, All Day



• Central Coast Native American Flute Fest '07, Guadalupe, CA, 2 PM

Sunday, September 30

• Clay Flute Making Class with Xavier Quijas Yxayotl, San Jose, All Day



• Flute for the Soul Workshop, Ann Licater, Templeton, CA, Noon-2PM



• Native flute performance by Ann Licater and Gentle Thunder, Carmel CA, 5:30 PM

Mike Oitzman and Friends in Concert, Sept 28th

I wanted to let everyone know that we're planning a small Native American Flute recital this Friday, prior the Fourth Friday Lecture series presented by the Placer Nature Center, in Auburn. I'll be joined by Dan & Sheree DiCicco and a few other Loping Wolf Clan members on stage for the event. If you come, please get there early, as we're going to start at 7 PM sharp and we only get 40 minutes before the lecture starts. The lecture also sounds to be very interesting this month. I hope that you'll come out and support us.

Here the details:

WHEN : Friday the 28th, 7:30 p.m.
WHAT: Placer Nature Center 4th Friday Lecture Series Ethno Botany: Ancient Wisdom for the Earth (Ecological Medicine) featuring Sage La Pena, Nomtipom – Wintu Cultural Educator, ethno botanist, author, herbalist and historian will share the indigenous perspective for personal and global healing and health. Native American flute recital opens lecture.
WHERE: Unity of Auburn, 1212 High St., Auburn.
COST (for the lecture): $12 ($10 members, $8 students) Discount available for full series.
CONTACT: Placer Nature Center, (530) 878-6053 or nancy@placernaturecenter.org for info or tickets.

Check out Nash's website

I talk to Nash this afternoon, he now has a website where you can view his flutes. Nash lives in Southern California and occasionally makes it up to Northern California for Pow Wow's. Nash makes an impressive array of wooden flutes, bamboo flutes and a variety of clay vessel flutes & whistles. Nash is probably most famous for his Death Whistle (pictured above).

Here's Nash's website: http://www.flutesbynash.com/

I posted an earlier blog entry about Nash: http://naflute.blogspot.com/search?q=death+whistle

Ancient Music for a New Generation - Xavier Quijas Yxayotl

Most of you in the Bay Clan know that Xavier is playing in the bay area this Friday night (Sept 28th). If you haven't seen Xavier before, and are curious if you'd like his music, here's a chance to sample his music before the event this Friday (view the YouTube video below). Xavier is the consumate showman, in my opinion. He'll make you laugh and you'll learn a little history along the wayl.



Xavier is also presenting a clay flute making workshop this weekend (Saturday and Sunday).



You find complete details on Northern California Flute Circle Calendar.

Save the Date: Oct 27th, Moaning Caverns with Mary Youngblood

Once again we're planning a trip to Moaning Caverns with Mary Youngblood. This event is turning into an annual pilgrammage with Mary to visit and play at the Moaning Caverns. This is the site where Mary recorded her first album: The Offering. If you listen closely to the songs on The Offering you can hear the water dripping in the background, and since it was such a part of the experience recording there, Mary left the sounds in the recordings rather than edit them out... If you want to see pictures from last years event click here: http://www.lopingwolf.com/PhotoPages/MaryATMoaningCaverns.html

It's a special place for Mary and you're invited to join her to hear her play and to experience playing yourself. Once again, Dan, Sheree and the Loping Wolf Clan are helping to coordinate this event. To attend, you'll need to RSVP to reserve your spot.

WHEN: OCT 27, 2007
TIME: TBA
WHERE: Moaning Caverns
COST: TBA
RSVP: send an email to: flutecircle AT lopingwolf DOT com

Weekend Event Calendar: Sept 21 -23

You can alway check out the 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!

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


Saturday, September 15

• Valley Clan Flute Circle, Napa, California, 3-5 PM

Sunday, September 16

• Joaquin Clan Flute Circle, Modesto, CA, 2-4 PM
• Loping Wolf Clan Flute Circle, Lake of the Pines

NCFC Central in Europe this week

I am in Paris this week on business, so I am not publishing too much. But I have a story I will tell you later in the week (if I can upload some pictures) about my visit to instrument collection of the Musee du Quay Branly. It was absolutely incredible... They have a collection of close to 9,000 instruments and it is one of the largest in Europe.

Here is a link to search their collection of instruments: http://www.quaibranly.fr/cc/pod/recherche.aspx?b=1&t=1

Note that this user interface is in French, (and I couldn't find a way to save a search or select an English interface for the search), but if you select the button next to the words: "Instruments de musique" and then type your search (e.g. "flute" without quotes) into the box with the words: "Saisir la recherche" and press the return key, you should get a results list of a pictures of all of the instruments in their collection matching your search.

Sacred Washoe Site: Cave Rock preserved

The US Appeals court upheld the Forest Service's ban on climbing at Cave Rock on Lake Tahoe. This is bad news if you're a rock climber in the Tahoe area, but good news if you support Indigenous Peoples Rights to sacred areas.

The interesting aspect of this story is that highway 50 is drilled right though the rock in question. If you've ever driven around the east side of Lake Tahoe, you have passed through the tunnel(s) which go through Cave Rock.



Story: http://www.indianz.com/News/2007/004616.asp

Weekend Event Calendar: Sept 14 - 16

You can alway check out the 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!

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

There are no NCFC sponsored Flute Circles this weekend. But I hope that you get out and enjoy some nature!

Saturday, September 15

• The Northern Sierra Indian Days Powwow, Greenville, California.

Sunday, September 16

• The Northern Sierra Indian Days Powwow, Greenville, California.

Indigenous Peoples Day, Oct 5 - Oct 8, Nevada City

There is a really exciting, local event coming up in early October: Indigenous Peoples Day.

It is 4 days of events taking place in the Nevada City, Grass Valley area. The event starts on Friday night, Oct 5 with an opening cermony by the local Maidu tribe. At sunrise the next morning there will be a calling back the salmon ceremony at sunrise at Bridgeport, on the Yuba river. Then the event continues with events on Sunday and Monday, with events at the Tsi-Akim Maidu Cultural Center in Grass Valley and the Miners Foundry in Nevada City.

Note: There used to be a celebration on October 8th for some lost explorer, but I think that this should be a much more exciting event!

Local radio station, KVMR will be on the air live on Sunday and Monday. If you're not close enough to catch the radio waves on 89.5, you can listen live on their internet radio feed from www.kvmr.org

For more information visit their websites at: http://www.indigenouspeoplesdays.org/ or www.callingbackthesalmon.org

For a printable poster of the event go here: http://www.indigenouspeoplesdays.org/poster.htm

Or call 530-265-0711

Weekend Event Calendar: Sept 7 - 9

You can alway check out the 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!


Friday, September 7th

• Stillwater PowWow, Redding CA (All Weekend)
  

Saturday, September 8th

• Loping Wolf Flute Circle at Eagle Falls, South Lake Tahoe



• Ann Licater, Beginning NAF Workshop, Placerville, CA 10 AM-5 PM



• Stillwater PowWow, Redding CA (All Weekend)

Sunday, August 26th

• Ann Licater in Concert, Placerville, CA 6-8 PM



• Stillwater PowWow, Redding CA (All Weekend)

Jonny Lipford on YouTube

Here's a video of Jonny Lipford on YouTube. Jonny has been the moderator for Mary Youngblood's Yahoo Listserv, and he just released his first album.

Album Review: Michael Jacobs

A few days ago, I posted a article about the Nammy awards. In that article I briefly mentioned a new Native American artist, Michael Jacobs that I discovered after listening to all of the nominated artists for the Nammys. Well, I subsequently downloaded several of Michael Jacobs songs from iTunes and I've been listening to them for the last couple of days. I have to say that I am really hooked on his music.

He has a sort of Don Henley-isk feel to his singing and music, and his songs have a real spirituality to them. I would highly recommend his music if you like this sort of folksy, rock genre.

There are several tracks with Native American Flute on them, but since I didn't purchase the CD I don't have the liner notes, so I don't know who played the flute for these tracks. I am not sure if Michael is a flute player or not.

Here's a few of my favorite tracks:

• Tsiquaya - excellent flute track
  
  
• Stronger - An awesome love ballad. You have to listen for yourself to determine who the story is about.

• The Sacred Way - A great song about living your live in a sacred way

• Inside of you - A catchy tune with acoustic guitar and flute. About growing up.
  
  
• Heal the land - Michael sounds most like Don Henley on this song. The song is about the title.

• Sky Woman - a nice ballad about the myth of Sky Woman

Weekend Event Calendar: Aug 30 - Sep 3

You can alway check out the 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!

There are no NCFC sponsored Flute Circles this Labor Day weekend. But I hope that you get out and enjoy some nature!

Friday, August 31th

• Stockton Labor Day Pow Wow starts (runs through the weekend)
  

Saturday, September 1st

• Stockton Labor Day Pow Wow continues

Sunday, August 26th

• Stockton Labor Day Pow Wow continues
  

NAF Playing Tip #28: Guitar Chords to accompany the NAF

I've gotten many inquiries/requests from guitar players who would like to accompany a flute player or create music for the NAF. This is a difficult question to answer, since it really depends on the skill of the NAF player and the goals which you are trying to accomplish.


First of all, if your objective as a guitarist is to set the stage for a improvisational jam at a flute circle where you may be playing with a range of experience in the flute players, then it's best to keep the song structure to a mode (Mode 1) which enables the flute player to stay in the simple fingering of the NAF.

Here's a great link on Clint Goss's site which highlights some chord progressions for the Guitarist and the corresponding key for the flute player. Print this out and keep it in your guitar case or flute bag. Link: http://www.flutekey.com/htm/guitar.htm


However, this shouldn't stifle your creativity as there are many scales on the NAF. Writing a song and melody line in something other than a minor pentatonic scale will require additional skill on the part of the flute player, but it's also a great way for a flute player to stretch their skills.

In my opinion, one of the best NAF/guitar groups out there today is Elysium Calling. With Kenneth on flute and Garth on Guitar, these guys have a magic that I have yet to see duplicated in another NAF/Guitar duo. Yet, you won't hear a stream of minor pentatonic music from these guys. Garth is a master guitar player and writes music that speaks to his heart. Together with Kenneth, they work out a melody line that fits the groove of the guitar part, regardless of whether it's minor pentatonic, major diatonic or something else. Or visa versa, Kenneth will discover a nice melody line that Garth fills in with an appropriate chord line. While I have bragged about Elysium Calling as a NAF/Guitar duo, there are many other artists out there who have composed music first on the guitar and added the Native American Flute as the spice. This list includes Mary Youngblood, Mark Holland, Douglas Spotted Eagle and others.

If you want to understand the basic pentatonic scale on the guitar, check out an earlier post in which I describe the basic pentatonic scale on the Native American Flute.

The bottom line for all of you guitar players out there is to download Clint's guitar chords, practice 'em a bit, make up a few basic simple songs and then hop over to a flute circle near you!! You are invited to attend any scheduled NCFC Flute Circle, you might want to contact the flute circle leader prior to the event so that they can make time for some open jam time.

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

Weekend Event Calendar: Aug 24-26

This is a new blog feature which I am going to publish every week on Thursdays, highlighting events in Northern California coming up on the weekend. You can alway check out the 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!



If you are a musician or group and would like to have your event or concert published here, the deadline is the Wednesday evening prior to the weekend for that weeks events (you can always send it earlier).



I will publish all Northern California Flute Circle events, plus Pow Wow's and other Native gatherings, art exhibits, events which are of interest to members of the NCFC. Any music event which includes Native American style flute playing or frame drumming, or world music is fair game. I want to keep each item to a line or two, and include a URL or link whenever possible for more information.



Friday, August 24th

• Nothing... (that I am aware of)
  

Saturday, August 25th

• Bay Clan Flute Circle - Livermore, 1-4 PM


• Gentle Thunder and Will Clipman Concert, East West Bookstore, Mountain View, CA. 8 PM

Sunday, August 26th

• Joaquin Clan Flute Circle - Modesto, CA. 2-4 PM


• Valley Clan Flute Circle - Napa, CA. 3-5 PM


• Gentle Thunder and Will Clipman Concert, Center for Spiritual Living, San Jose CA. 9 AM

Northwest Flute Quest, Aug 24-26

Next weekend is the Northwest Flute Quest, it's happening in Bothell Washington (which is right across the lake from Seattle).

Performers include:

• Nino Reyos
• Michael Graham Allen (Coyote Oldman)
• William Hoshal, Jr.
• Ancient Sounds
• Vince Chafin
• Ron Warren
• Jeff Ball

And headlining the event will be two of my favorite performers: Gary Stroutsos and David Lanz

There are workshops all weekend, including several flute making workshops, and workshops for all levels of players.

For more information check out the website: http://www.flutequest.com/

Oklahoma Flute Fest 2007 coming up

Just a reminder that the Oklahoma Flute Fest is coming up on October 5-7, 2007. It's hosted by the Tahlequah Native American Flute Circle. The line up looks awesome, so if you can afford to make it to Oklahoma for this inagural event, it'll be memorable. Mark Holland and Autumn's Child will be headlining the event on Saturday night. There also looks like there will be an awesome attendance by some of the best flutemakers in the business.

For compete details check out the Flute Fest Website: http://www.okflutefest.com

TNAFC Festival mail to: mailto:okflutefest%40yahoo.com

Julie Surba, Pyrography Artist

I have to admit that I stumbled into Julie Surba's site and I was amazed to browse her pyrography work. She has taken the art of wood burning (pyrography) to new places. Her artwork is inspired by the almost forgotten culture of Ancient Kuzhebar (Siberia), that is why her objects often represent the unique world-picture of aboriginal inhabitants of Ancient Kuzhebar. I find her artwork fascinating.

Her work is more relief carving than the traditional woodburning artwork I have seen done prior. She essentually uses the woodburning tool to remove material by burning it away. The results are simply amazing.

She has done several instruments, including frame drums. But I can only wonder what this would look like on a Native American flute? Unfortunately she lives in Europe, so it not likely that we're going to see a Native American Flute with her artwork on it anytime soon.

http://pyrography-design.com/

Bear encounter at Bucks Lake Campground

This is a short video that i uploaded to YouTube. It's of a brown bear that we encountered while camping at Buck's Lake (near Oreville California). This guy came by our campground every afternoon (and after dark) looking for food. You really had to be diligent about putting your food away.

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

.

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