I've been leaping from one performance style to another a lot lately. Shifting soundspace and changing instruments. From whistles to flute to alto to picc. From Classical to Folk to Improvisation to accompanying. And the space inside my head has becoming a wild maze of overlapping and entangled sounds. Words get crowded out but the music swirls about joyfully.
Feral Flute
The Whistlewood Notes: Rantings and Ravings of a Mad Musician on Improvisation, Mythology and Fluting in the Woods
November 30, 2022
A short note from a busy musician
August 23, 2021
Your Breath is My Breath, My Breath is Yours
Flutes use breath to create music. Which means for the last year and a half, I have not gotten to play live for folks (unless I was over 20ft up on an outdoor balcony). I missed people waiting till a tune ends to talk with me. I missed the kids who stand right in front of the flute/whistle to hear it better. I missed the people, young and old, who sit down next to me and close their eyes to float with the music.
And then, I did get to play with a group of vaccinated musicians on an outdoor stage. We were all slightly delirious with musical joy and anyone depending on us for rides had to wait quite some time that night! (I must find a way to let little kids try out the instruments without risking infection because I was devastated when I had to turn a group of 5 year olds away even though the kids took it just fine. Maybe several of those short bamboo flute heads? Or cheap whistles that I can take home and clean in between uses?)
Soon after, I got the go ahead to play at an outdoor Farmer's Market. Almost immediately, there were kids dancing in pink tutus. And many people just enjoying the double whistle. And several friends I hadn't seen in a long time stopped to say hi. It was like being in a hazy rainbow filled other-world.
Outdoor performances and caution are my rules (easy to grab masks for when people want to talk are now part of my performance kit). Along with being prepared to change plans with little warning for everyone's safety. (Perhaps I'll be playing at Faire soon.)
But for now, we'll just enjoy a bit of distanced Musical Dreaming under the Summer Sun.
May 22, 2021
Music from the woods.
August 1, 2020
Pause
Taking a short break from everything so I can focus on teaching my music history class this Fall.
I will be back with more flute-ness.
July 1, 2020
Double Whistle on a Stormy Day
June 1, 2020
Double Ocarina
May 19, 2020
Triple Flute again
April 27, 2020
Windy Day Triple Flute
April 15, 2020
Double Occarina Video
March 26, 2020
Low Whistle video
March 20, 2020
Double Whistle video
Triple Flute video
March 14, 2020
Possum Playlist
While recording music for my 2nd CD "Waking the Devas", which was all recorded outdoors, I went out to play under a Meteor shower. Nighttime nature sounds being different from daytime and besides it seemed like a great way to watch for shooting stars.
I spread out a blanket, got all set up and turned off my flashlight so my eyes would adjust. I watched the stars and listened to the tree frogs. Then I played several different tunes and re-worked some. All the usual recording activity.
After some time, I heard some odd quiet little noises and rustlings (cat? small dog? giant nocturnal rabbit late for a tea party?) just past my blanket. They stopped and started, got closer but I could only see vague movement. I turned on the light and saw long pointed face, dark wild eyes, fur sticking out in all directions and a long fur-less tail.
Now let me say I love Possums. They are sweet and helpful little guys and girls. They do not generally live long enough to even be at risk of having rabies let alone spread it and they eat ticks so they are most welcome as far as I'm concerned. But they are surprising when they emerge from the darkness and fearlessly sit down next to you. Asking you to play some more tunes on that odd silver tube. Just for them.
February 6, 2020
Why We Listen to Diverse Music
And it never works. People keep making the music they love no matter what punishments are involved. In fact, it often backfires and makes the music from the suppressed culture more popular and more beloved.
So let's just keep right on enjoying all the different kinds of music and dance out there!
December 1, 2019
A Bit About Me
This is how I went feral.
After many years, I learned to share my creations with others and slowly became a composer/performer. I studied how to ornament Baroque music. I took classes on Jazz improvisation. I delighted in the many different First Nations flutes and scales in North and South America and the personal songs they sing. I learned the differences between articulations in Irish and Classical music. I jammed with musicians steeped in Eastern improvisation.
I soaked up ideas of inspiration and the creation of music from myths and fairytales.
I create art from breath and make sculpture out of air. Each song/tune/performance is individual and ephemeral. Each flute has its own voice. I use recording as a tool to expand my ideas and share unique musical moments in the wilderness with others.
"Amaltheia's Lullaby", my 1st CD uses Alto, Concert and Glass flutes recorded in my garden. Lullabies and dreams, all based on a 4-note call to Pan.
"Waking the Devas" uses Baroque, Concert and Glass flutes recorded in rain and wind, night and day, crickets and cicadas.
“A Few Flutes Shy of a Flutter”, continues the madness with new whistles and rim-blown flutes recorded over a year of wandering the forest hills.
I am currently working on a 4th album with the sound of water in every track.
What will happen next only the Stars and Time will tell.