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first time I heard the flute I was blown away, the music took me to places I had
never been before and my heart was lost to the flute then and there. I was lucky
enough to be staying with a Cherokee friend at an inter-tribal powwow in Florida.
I was so captivated that I knew I had to have my very own flute The next day I
bought my first flute, made by “ cousin Bruce” it was cedar and in the key of
f sharp. I still play that flute. Since then I am lucky enough to have played
many flutes made by, in my opinion, some of the best flute makers around. I believe
that each flute had its own spirit or energy which draws the right player to it.
The player then can act as an instrument themselves allowing the flutes songs
as well as their own songs to flow through them and be brought into this world.
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flute maker friend of mine told me that originally flutes were made out of the
heart of the tree so that when the flute player plays a song they can put their
heart back into the flute. This is what I try to do every time I play it. The
flute traditionally was used for courting amongst most of the tribes, the young
man would play his flute trying to express how he felt about the young lady he
was trying to woo, as each flute was made to fit the individuals hand position
instead of in any set key individual flute players could be distinguished by the
sound of their flutes. When the flute player was brave enough he would place his
flute outside the teepee of the girl he was interested in. Then if she wanted
to see more of him she would take the flute inside, but should she not be interested
by him or impressed enough by his music she would snap it
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