STORIES FROM OTHER FLUTE PLAYERS
I am hooked, captivated, entranced and mesmerized by the stories that I continually hear from other flute players about their experiences playing the flute. Some people are skilled musicians on other instruments who have used their experiences playing the Native American Flute to expand their connection to a more powerful place to play any instrument from. Some of the stories come from beginning players who are thrilled completely with the joy of being able to make music and explore their own music by playing the flute.
Here is Leslee Tassey’s from Ontario’s story about her connection to the Native American Flute.
"I've listened to a wide variety of music all my life, including native flute music. I'm non native but have followed the native path for years, with my earliest remembrance of being directed to this path from re-occurring dreams in childhood.
About 2 years ago, I started to hear flute music in my head, all the time. It didn't matter if I was working, trying to sleep, doing housework, driving or what, but I heard it. It got louder and louder, almost "deafening" and I felt that I HAD to get a flute. I know it was a message from the Creator. I got a flute and could play it immediately, almost like I'd played it in a previous life. Since then, I've gotten about 9 flutes, now sell them, have been doing performance since 7 months after getting the first one, have done some minor recording, am in one flute circle and been one of 3 who started another.
Jim Cook became involved with the flute to help teach a friend who was finding it slow going in learning the flute. I have not edited or corrected anything in the story as I feel it is meant to be shared the way it was written by Jim.
hi.. my name's jim, saw your msg on the NAF forum. i'm not sure if this is what you're looking for, but it's the story of how i came to play NAF's.
a friend of mine, lori, was on vacation in the ozarks with her dad and mother, who has MS. during the trip the mother had an accident and broke a bone in her leg. while at the hospital in a little town
in the ozarks a minister would walk the halls with a flute on his hip, playing for and soothing the patients there. her mother liked it so much lori thought she'd get a flute and learn how to play for
her mother and her husband, who by the twists of fate, also has MS. she had never played an instrument before so she was starting from scratch and it was slow going. i've played guitar for many years so when i came across some flutes at a festival i decided to learn to play to teach her. i took to it immediately and taught myself how to play. lori doesn't have much time to play due to working and taking care of her husband and mother. but i've played for her husband and have given him many flute cd's that really help him in his struggles with MS. a testimant to the soothing power of the sounds of the flute. ---jim cook-----