Let the Flute Teach You

Let The Flute Teach You

You are one with all that is.
The Universe is an expression of order and purpose.
All of its parts desire to be in Harmony with each other.
This feeling of Universal Harmony is called Love.
Music is part of the fabric of Creation.
The physical dimension of our Universe is made up of vibrating energetic particles.
We ourselves are vibrating energetic beings.
The vibrating waves of sound that we call Music have a cleansing and healing quality.
Music can have a calming and centering quality that facilitates the process of personal self-realization.
The highest form of self-realization is to be a co creative extension of that power we call God.
Music is Love expressed as sound.
Music is a gossamer web of sound vibration expressing order, creativity and uniqueness.
As you express the music from within you discover its value as a means of communication.
You will also discover that the music does not belong to you.
Music is Universal.
It is of all peoples, in all places, at all times.
Music emerges from a dimension of the Cosmos that is beyond time and space.
You are an instrument that is being played upon.
You are being used to bring into existence the sounds of Love.
If you are feeling the call to make music
Follow your spirit without hesitation.
The music that comes through your flute will help bring Peace and Harmony to you and those around you.
As you play you will be expanding your consciousness and contributing in an active way to the creation of Heaven on Earth.
It’s easy.
Thousands of people like you are playing.
With your flute you will embark on a new and enriching journey.
Begin to play a Native American style flute and express the sounds of your soul.

Craftsmanship or Good Enough is Not

Craftsmanship or Good Enough Is Not

There is a certain presence that has its place in a corner of my mind just behind my eyes. I call it a presence because it has a life of its own. This is my quality control inspector. The inspector has a mind/soul independent of me. I can, as I often do, be looking at a flute in progress. The flute has just completed a particular operation and is being held in front of my eyes. It looks good. But, from a certain angle there is something not quite right. Not there. It is good enough. However, the quality inspector says go back and make another minor adjustment. Good enough is not.

It’s not about making a perfect flute. The perfection I’m after is to be sought in the act of creating not the object being created.

Have I reached my ideal of what it means to be a craftsman? No. Am I striving for it? Yes. I will know I am there when the quality inspector not longer needs to be present. There is an aspect of my approach to my craft that is too goal oriented. I want to get things done, to see results, to finish product. Let’s face it - to make money. After all “time is money” is it not? In the midst of that ‘time is money’ space there is a discernable urge to let the ‘good enough’ be. Put that flute down and go on to the next flute. Oh, thank you God for the inspector. Or is God in the inspector? Saying - wait a minute, let’s look at that flute again. Let’s look at you again. I know when I feel that message that I have strayed away from the center. I am not a Craftsman I am a flute maker.

I consider it a great Grace to hear and be given the strength to act on that admonition. Having acknowledged the message, how can I not make the necessary shift in consciousness? I reorient the center of what I am and what I am doing. This shift is not about making better flutes – although better flutes will result. It’s about being a better me. Being a Craftsman and not a flute maker.

When I embody Craftsmanship the inspector is no longer needed. He is no longer present. In fact he not longer exists. The shift from goal orientation to a process orientation is complete and self-fulfilling. Being there in the work. Where every movement is part of a dance and the dance is the dance of Life. Colors and dimensions deepen and richen. Not making money to support a life. Centered in the middle of Life. Knowing with certitude that this is all that is necessary. Letting Life take care of providing the money.

Craftsmanship, Tools, Time and the Native American Flute

I have devoted myself to perfecting the craft of making a Native American Style flute. This is not a goal that I set out for myself with conscious awareness. It took place spontaneously. As often happens in life working with the flutes has provided me the opportunity to discover different aspects of my self.

My father was a craftsman of the old school German tradition. He acquired his craftsmanship mentality from his father and from his early training a cabinetmaker. I must confess that I did not inherit his tradition of craftsmanship willingly. My apprenticeship started at an early age. This apprenticeship consisted of standing by my fathers’ bench as he worked on whatever project inspired him at the moment. I would much rather have been outside playing with my friends.

When my father wanted a tool he would ask me to hand it to him. If he needed a third or fourth hand mine was available to him. I cursed the idle time in which I would stand at the ready for his next command. My heart was filled with anger as I dreamed of the ball game that was going on in my absence. But in spite of these negative emotions and without my being aware of it I was absorbing a tradition of Craftsmanship.

In that space at his bench my father loved what he was doing. It was not his job. It was his passion. He was absorbed in the process of creation. In spite of his austere, distant and silent demeanor part of this passion must have been passed unconsciously to me. He worked silently not talking about what he was doing. His lessons were not communicated verbally. There were few explanations. What was communicated was an attitude of concentrated effort and respect for the tools that enabled you to do your project.

My fathers tools were hung on a board above his bench. Each tool had its image painted on the board and a shelf or hooks that held the tool. A tool was taken from its place when it was needed. Its painted image remained on the board as a reminder. This was its home to which it would be returned when its job was completed. I realize now that these tools had a certain extra ordinary presence. I was not allowed to use these tools. God himself would have been in peril if one of those tools were to be missing from its place.

I grew up in an era when money was real. A new tool was a precious acquisition to be chosen with care. I can remember the Christmas when my father got his first electric drill. How pleased he was with that Black and Decker metal-bodied 3/8ths inch hand held drill. You would have thought it was made of gold. The drills electrical cord was kept coiled and tied with a string when not in use. The chuck key was taped carefully to the cord so it would be handy when needed. A place was made for it and its outline was painted on the board. Of course, I was not allowed to use it. To this day I choose each of my tools with care. I will agonize over tool catalogues, read reviews and seek advice before committing to an acquisition that will be with me for a lifetime.

He died at the age of forty-three. I was sixteen years old. I still have a few of his tools. They have been with me now for fifty years. I have little need for them in my work. They are reminders of a technology that was made obsolete many years ago by the advent of power tools. A hand drill, a brace and bits, various handsaws, a couple of hammers, some hand planes. They rest in drawers and on shelves in my shop. If I had the space I would display them like the antiques they are. Once in a while I’ll take them out, clean them and wipe on a fresh protective coat of oil.

There is a respectful satisfaction that goes with picking up a well maintained tool from its appointed place. Each tool has its history. How it was developed. Where it was made. When it was acquired. The objects it has contributed to making. Some tools are irreplaceable. Old and good companies go out of business for one reason or another. The tools they made were beyond compare and perhaps never to be equaled again. I watch a treasured chisel shorten with each sharpening. The cutting edge grows closer to the temper line on the steel. Will it last my lifetime? I am growing closer to the end of my craftsman’s life also.

For more information about John Stillwell and his Ancient Territories Native American style flutes visit http://atflutes.com/

Craftsmanship

For me, Craftsmanship involves the constant seeking after perfection. Craftsmanship flows from a personal dedication to finding the best in myself. After I have centered myself then I expand that space to encompass the shop and the flute in my hands. Acts of craftsmanship flow from this place of inner calm and concentration. Then, the work of my hands is in tune with the Greater Good.

When a craftsman is dedicated to making musical instruments his ear is his muse. For the instrument maker there is an ideal sound calling from just over the horizon. It calls from a place just beyond the best flute I have ever made. Striving for this ideal makes me focus on even the most minute detail that may have an effect on the sound. I feel I have an obligation to bring that Spirit to every flute I make. Because the flute player deserves no less. A flute made in this way is a success even if the sound of different flutes varies in tone. Because, even though I may prefer one flute over another different people react differently. Thus, every flute finds the right player. An instrument made in this way can bring Spirit into the life of the flautist.

There are individuals who learn how to do a trick - make something - that's cool. But, they are not necessarily craftsmen. Because, their flutes are not the creation of a craftsmans hands. Their flutes may actually sound pretty good. But, when you touch it, when you look at it, when you play it something is missing. You have the work of an engineer in your hands. Engineering/manufacturing (even when well done) and craftsmanship are not the same thing.

In my view a craftsman has a right to use any tool that is available to him. Our tools are a gift of hundreds sometimes thousands of years of experimentation by generations of craftsmen. In our own time electrical tools have made many procedures easier and consistantly accurate. From the first cast iron planer to the Dewalt that I have is a matter of sixty years. Countless improvments have forged a tool that allows me to thickness plane a piece of wood to a degree of perfection not possible with hand tools. It is my personal view that to not use this technology to produce the best possible instrument would a dereliction.

There are craftsmen who make flutes using the old tools - spokeshaves, wood gouges, files. These hand tools require a very unique mental and physical space to work in. A space where every second and every movement of the hand is an art form. That type of craftsmanship is certainly to be respected.

The Acacia Tree

The bees are buzzing in an acacia tree. The acacia, which is also called cat's claw, wait-a-minute, tear blanket. It is one of the least endearing plants in the desert. It's hook shaped spines will rip a scratch down your leg just like a cats claw. But, the acacia has one of the sweetist smelling of blossoms. It's fragrance drifts on the Desert air. And, The acacia waits until the other plants have finished blooming. Then it comes to life and releases its come-hither purfume. By acting in this way it has the bees all to itself. Spring has passed. Now, only one fragrance drifts on the breeze of early Summer. It has no competition. Calling in all the honey bees. The acacia doesn't compete with the other sexy flowers. It has learned that solitude is the best. Separating yourself from the herd. Not vieing for attention. Instead, finding a space that's uniquely your own. It takes much time and experimentation. Thousands and thousands of years of patient experimentation. To slowly, cautiously, intelligently, devinely allow Time to be the teacher. Infinite patience. The acacia waits even after it's branches are warmed by the radiant rays of Spring. It waits while the other plants awaken from Winters sleep and come to life. The acacia waits. A Desert plant - a conservative plant. But, not now. Now, it is giving out everything it can afford. Calling the bees from far and wide and pollinating itself. It is preparing to drop seeds - thousands of seeds. Out of those thousands perhaps one seed will germinate in a place where it can take deep root and thrive.

Ahh, the bees, the busy little bees. They were up before dawn. Waiting for this wise Desert plant to begin to call. They were up before the Sun had broken the horizon. Standing at the entrance to their hive. Waiting for the fragrant summons. In another hour the feast will be over. The breakfast complete. The Acacia pollinated. Even now, the Acacia is beginning the process of transforming those two different germ cells from two different plants. One from itself and one from a donor carried by a bee. Now, it is combining the accumulated wisdom of millions and millions of years. It will pass on into the world a replica of itself - improved. Another genetic experiment launched.

And, they say this world is all a shadow. This marvelous shadow certainly looks real to me. Yet, I know that it is enough to see only the shadow. I must live in awareness of the form behind the shadow. The Devine form that is casting the shadow. The shadow that I see as this material reality.

Are we ready? Are we ever completely ready? It appears not. Like the Acacia we take what we experience of from the environment around us. Then we start sorting out and recombine our experiences, trying to make something better, fuller, more loving, more inclusive, more respectful, more conscious. An improved way of being in the world. Something in tune with Universal Intelligence. We have the power to be able to read from deeper within. We can see what is ideal form, ideal behavior and ideal feeling. Then we turn this understanding into something higher still through the power of Love.

A Sumer Rain

Last night at about 11 PM there was a thunder and lightning storm of great beauty. Almost continuous rumblings of thunder and lightning leaping from cloud to cloud. Enough rain began to fall to call me from my bed to close the car windows and cover the horses hay. Primo and Sheeba were running around their corral in near panic. Slowly the storm moved off to the Southwest. The air was left cool and moist. The Desert was refreshed.

This morning I woke at 5 PM and knew that I had to go for a walk in the Desert. I wanted to take advantage of the cool air and damp ground to begin to break in a new pair of moccasins. And, to commune with the revitilized spirit of nature. Out into the Desert while the Sun was just breaking over the horizon. The ground was scrubbed free of any tracks. The leaves of the bushes washed clean of dust. The air so deliciously cool that I had to put on a pair of jeans and a long sleved shirt. My backpack and Native American style flute over my shoulders and the ground passing beneth my feet. Over the ridge and into the hills beyond.

The Flute Circle

The Flute Circle is a modern phenomena built around playing and sharing information about the Native American style flute. The Flute Circle is founded on the traditional tribal Circles. The Native Americans experienced life as a series of Circles. For the Native American, before the arrival and corrupting influences of the European, each individual life was experienced within the context of an extended family circle, a clan circle, some specialized sacred society circles and the tribal circle. As individual tribal members met face to face around the council fire each person had an equal place. This way of interacting is protrayed in the movie Dances With Wolves. The foundation of the Circle is in mutual respect and tolerance for differences of opinion. The strength of a circle is based on the fact that the deliberations of the combined membership of a circle leads to consensus. Consensus is reached through careful examination of individual points of view. Consensus keeps the circle strong, pure and free of malicious internal friction. In order for this type of decision making to be effective individual members must be flexible, open and considerate of others.


The members of a Flute Circle can be likened to the knights of Arthur's round table. Separate individuals who banded together in the in the service of a higher good. Arthur's band of brothers were dedicated to a higher calling - selfless service to mankind, and the quest for personal development. So, it can be within the Flute Circle. Each of us has discovered something new and rewarding in the Native American style flute. We join or form a circle to share our passion with others of like mind and experience. The Native American style flute has given each of us something unique, personal and uplifting. It is a path to experiencing the presence of something greater than our individual selves - the universality of music. The Flute Circle can allow us to experience something greater than just satifying our individual needs.

The Flute Circle cannot recreate the tribal circles of the past. That way of life is fast disappearing from the planet. The tribal circle is based on traditions and experiences that were not part of our conditioning. We have been raised in a different social environment. So, ours is a conscious attempt to take what we can from traditional ways and apply it to creating something contemporary. A new Circle that satisfies our needs for belonging, sharing and learning. We are forging a new paradigm. And, if we are successful it will provide a new template of behavior that will incorporate the principles of creativity, love, respect, fairness, equality, flexibility - you add your own word/sentiment.

The new Flute Circle does not depend on hereditary or appointed positions for it's directing force. In the new Circle there are no positions of leadership like those seen in the Western model. No one is at the head of the table in a circle. An individual may acquire status in the circle by estabishing his credibility and fitness through service. But, the important thing is that each individual members voice is heard and his thoughts and opinions are respected. This can be the way of the Flute Circle. If we follow this Way each individual has a strong sense of belonging and value within the Circle. Decisions are not made from the top down but through consensus.

Our Flute Circles are based on experiencing the music of the Native American style flute. But, the Circle is not exclusively about the flute or the music. The Flute Circle provides an opportunity where we can all be teachers and students. We can learn from each other on many levels. Here we have an opportunity to share the song gifts we have been given. We support each others development as musicians and as human beings. The search for the holy grail in the Arthurian quest involved self sacrifice, personal evolution and character refinement. Paradoxically, it is a selfless quest. In the flute Circle, a new template is evolving for interpersonal relations. Certain individuals may accept formal responsibilites for helping to facilitate and strenghten the Circle. These positions should not bestow status on their holders or make them leaders as with the Western European command and control paradigm. Holding such a position does not mean that the individual has more power than other members. Or, power over others. We must recognize that the wisdom inherent in the Circle is greater than that of any one single member.

This is the strength and beauty of a Circle as compared to the conventional Western hiearchy. With a hiearchical organization a leader, or group of directors, gives directions to those below who are expected to carry out commands. The person holding the leader position is assumed to be more gifted and intellegent than other members. In this type of organization directives are implemented with little imput from the group. The Western paradigm is not inclusive - it does not build bonds of mutual respect and affection. Reciprecal bonds of mutual respect and affection must be the glue that holds the Circle together.

From what I have experienced the Northern California Flute Circle provides an example - a template, if you will. By observing the behavior of this group I think I can discern the direction in which the Flute Circle phenomena is evolving.