SOUTHOLD LIBRARY WORKSHOP, NEW YORK, 2006

WORLD FLUTES SHOW - JIAO TONG UNIVERSITY, XiAn, China 2008

Above you can see a design for the flyer / poster for the event.
Some students came early, about an hour before the show started.
The array of flutes.
The beautiful Ana helped me set up, break down, and carry around all of the instruments. Whew!
One of the first flutes I demonstrated was  a Native American flute that I made of bamboo. In a number of conversations with different Chinese people I had met we talked about indigenous issues in our countries - on one hand the Chinese I talked to were proud of the "56 Native Groups" in China, but at the same time they revealed a certain prejudice about these peoples, especially those of Xin Zhiang and Tibet, who, in their perspective, are constantly causing trouble for the Chinese government.
The room got pretty full.
The man in the orange shirt has his own musical instrument store near the South Gate - He has sold me dozens of instruments, and plays beautifully, so I asked him to attend and to share some of his music and experience. He's quietly playing a bamboo flute (di zi) that's about 4 feet long! 
Some students stood in the doorway to observe the spectacle.
The man on next to my friend in orange is another shop owner who also taught me some traditional Chinese music for the "Xun" the Chinese ocarina.
The long haired man in the left of the photo with his arms stretched out is Daoist monk and a classical composer who got his degree at The Xi'an Conservatory of Music.
I'm playing a 3 part song on the Xun with my teacher. I played the first 2 sections, and he played the last.
That my friend and musical instrument supplier playing the di zi, one of his favorite instrumentes.
He also sells the er hu in his store.
A duet with my teacher.
I'm playing a traditional rhythm instrument from Castilla, Spain... it consists of a row of cane grass pieces and one castanet.
I needed a translator to communicate with the audience, so this woman was kind enough to help.
I'm playing a Low Whistle, which the Chinese equated with a "metal xiao". My teacher was impressed with the range of notes that this instruments could produce in 3 octaves, in tune even in the higher harmonics.
I played a Irish frams drum solo which was very well received. They really liked the way the drum could produce a wide range of tones.
I bought that piece of bamboo in Xi'An and turned it into a didgereedoo. The artist next to me is performing Chinese calligraphy, inspired by the music.
He created about 10 different works of art in a little over an hour. Chinese calligraphy and music go very well together - the calligrapher seeks to express ephemeral emotions in the brush strokes inspired by the music and by the characters and their meaning.I brought the paper and the ink, and he brought his brushes. He had enough room to set up next to the flute display.
This master calligrapher is the teacher of my friend who has the instrument shop.
The show was recorded by a professional camerman.
Each work had a different style: the one on the table is thick and block like, while the one behind has a more flowing and free style.


The Chinese that I met were very proud of their language and writing system... and were very impressed with this man's work.

He was kind and humble... I wish I could have understood more of what he said about the works that he created when he addressed the students.

UNIVERSITY LAKE SCHOOL SHOW, WISCONSIN OCT 2008

In this show I played about 10 different wind instruments. The kids came up to the table to choose an instrument, and most of them happened to choose Chinese instruments, like the clay "Xun" that I'm holding - a Chinese ocarina.

The enthusiasm of the kids was great - whenever I do these shows the kids are always exited to learn about different instruments they've never seen or heard of, and hear what they sound like.

CAMP DE WOLFE, SUMMER 2005

BAMBOO - the raw material. I bought this at Pier One and cut it into different lengths, trying to get as many flutes out of each piece.
The different length and width of the flutes affect the tone and texture of the notes.
We measure where to put the finger holes on the flute according to each participant's hands. This makes every flute unique and fitted to the owner, with a particular scale.
In this workshop I heated zinc pokers to make the holes... hundreds of holes!
This method requires a good deal of sanding and to clean out  and around the hole after burning.
Holey flutes!
One unique aspect of Native American flutes is the way the sound is produced. The "bird" (the small piece of bamboo) is attached and forms an "air bridge" between the two holes divided by the node.
In my workshops with kids I glue the birds into place, which requires precision and care to make sure the bird is in just the right place and I see to it that the glue doesn't get anywhere to obscure the airflow.
A number of different flutes with the birds recently glued.
I ask the kids to draw in order to get some ideas on how they way to decorate their flutes. I like the far left example where the finger holes are peoples heads!
We use acrylic paint.
The flutes are "hung" to dry on sticks coming out of the wall. A friend of mine, Elizabeth from Sierra Leon, painted the encouraging message which I promply posted.
Decorated, drying flutes.
Some participants also decorate their flutes with beads stuck in beeswax, following the method traditionally used by the Huichol Nation of Mexico.
Happy flute makers!
A content flute maker.

I helped kids make over 100 flutes that summer!