INTERNATIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN AND
WORLD FLUTE ASSOCIATION
A Musical and Education-Based Organization Whose Goal is to Foster the Advancement,
Appreciation, Preservation, and Understanding of the Native American flute,
as well as other world flute traditions

2010 INAFA Convention

Convention Sponsor: University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire School of Music

Hosting Flute Circle: Clear Water Flute Circle

Date: July 14 - 18, 2010

                    

"2010 Convention Performers and Presenters"
(thus far)



R. Carlos Nakai

The world's premier performer of the Native American flute. Nakai is noted for his cross-cultural, cross-genre collaborations, his research and scholarship in the field of Native American music and culture, and his many achievements and awards, including numerous GRAMMY nominations.

www.rcarlosnakai.com

        

Lee Zimmerman

Lee Zimmerman is a cellist, vocalist, songwriter, luthier, and builder. A fourth generation Montana native, Lee lives on the Flathead Reservation near Flathead Lake in Western Montana.

Lee fell in love with the cello at the age of eight and was graced with an elegant woman childhood teacher who became a major artistic influence in his life. As a child, he loved the study of classical music and the deep discipline the cello brought to his life, but he hungered for the free improvisation and freshness missing in the classical world. Embarking upon a long journey of pop and rock music and a flirtation with many instruments and styles, he continued classical study at the University of Montana and Rocky Mountain College. He has played symphonic and chamber music, as well as in numerous small ensembles and groups, and has engaged in collaborations in performance art, dance, multimedia, and film.

A hand injury in 1978 turned his focus to a 30-year career in artisan home building. A major life trauma brought him home to the cello in 1996 and the music of his soul. The cello became the vehicle of personal healing and spiritual practice. The isolation of small town living and a strong sense of ensemble inspired him to become one of the pioneer cellist-singers and electronic loop composers.

His music today is an eclectic mix of classical technique, soaring improvisation, and a bit of shameless whimsy. He is influenced by early music and chant, J. S. Bach and the courtly dances of 16th century Europe, jazz and Astor Piazzolla’s tango neuveau, Bobby Mcferrin and R. Carlos Nakai, and cellists David Darling and Eugene Friesen. The song of cityscapes and the dreams and weather of Montana’s vast landscape play major roles in his music.

His performance diversity has taken him from New York City to the straits of southeast Alaska, Holland to Turkey to Bali, to Nashville and Austin. He has been featured at the Bumpershoot Festival, New Directions Cello Festival, and the winter Cellobration at the University of East Washington.

Lee Zimmerman will perform with R. Carlos Nakai in an evening performance at the 2010 INAFA convention.

www.leezimmerman.com


        

Recognized worldwide as the premier performer of this traditional instrument, Sachdev began playing the bansuri when he was 14-years-old, and has created a rare form of instant communication with audiences through his music. Unlike many musicians, he has shied away from fusion, finding great pleasure and a sense of immense satisfaction with the rigors of infinite exploration within traditional pure classical Indian music. Beyond his worldwide live performances, Sachdev’s music is thoroughly enjoyed in yoga studios, meditation ashrams, massage rooms, spiritual centers, and homes everywhere imaginable. His music is considered an antidote to stress, fatigue, and cynicism. Sachdev’s frequent world tours and recordings have won him many laurels and made him an internationally renowned legend, respected by musicians and audiences in all realms of world music today.

Quotes: “We are fortunate to have such a fine musician as G.S. Sachdev in our presence.” (George Harrison)

“I admire his ability to touch the spirit of the raga he performs and also to move the listeners emotionally with his pure and classical approach” (Ravi Shankar)

“ ... haunting performance ... the sound of his flute rings with an indescribable purity." (New York Times)

“Sachdev's playing is the most sensitive I have ever heard. The metal flute is just not capable of the subtleties and nuances produced by the bamboo flute. It is truly transcendental music.” (Paul Horn)

“Sachdev's natural simplicity and crystal clarity transcends all boundaries of technique and form. He caresses your mind with the sweet voice of his flute, leading you into worlds of ultimate pleasure, beauty and peace.” (Alternatives Magazine)

“Awarded Shiromani Sangeetkar Of 2008” (By Government Of Punjab, India)

www.gssachdev.com

        

Nitin Mitta is one of the prominent young tabla players of his generation. Born in Hyderabad in 1975, and brought up there, Nitin first performed solo tabla at the age of ten. Over the years he has matured into a tabla player of rare technical virtuosity and sensitivity. He has performed worldwide with some of India's most celebrated and honored musicians – such as Pt. Jasraj, Dr. Prabha Atre, Pt. Rajan Sajan Mishra, Pt.Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Smt. Veena Sahasrabudhe, and Pt. Budhaditya Mukherjee, just to name a few. Nitin's accompaniment – at once dexterous, supportive and spontaneously inventive - combined with the rich repertoire that he has inherited from his gurus, as well as the inspiration that he draws from his peers, has won him the admiration of music lovers and connoisseurs at an international level.

Nitin received his early training in Hyderabad from Pandit G. Satyanarayana. In his years as a tabla-student, he won many accolades, including the first prize in the All India Competition held in Calcutta and completing the diploma in music from the Telugu University, Hyderabad with Honors. He was also awarded a National Scholarship by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Central Govt. His passion for rhythm and his desire to enhance his repertoire of tabla-compositions, lead him to seek the guidance of Pandit Arvind Mulgaonkar who lives in Mumbai, and is one of the most highly respected Tabla-mentors of his generation. Mulgaonkarji familiarized Nitin with numerous traditional tabla-solo compositions and focused his student's attention upon those finer aspects of rendition that bring these compositions to life in performance, allowing for all the subtleties of individual interpretation. Both of Nitin's Gurus are disciples of the late Ustad Amir Hussain Khan Saheb, legendary doyen of the Farukhabad Gharana. Nitin has thus received two perspectives upon a single tradition and he has enriched his inheritance through his own capacity for assimilation and interpretation.

Upon moving to the United States in 2002, Nitin received a grant from the Rhode Island State Council on Arts. He has been on the Faculty at the Learn Quest Academy of Music in Waltham, Massachusetts . Now a resident of New York City, he is actively involved in teaching, performing, recording, and conducting tabla workshops. He has recently performed at venues like The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rubin Museum of Art, The Asia Society, and The Indian Embassy in New York and The Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C. He has also conducted lecture-demonstrations and performed at Brown University, MIT, Harvard, UC Berkeley, U Penn, The University of Chicago, and Drury University.

www.nitinmitta.org


        

Flutist, composer, and bandleader Rhonda Larson entered the national music scene from her native Montana by winning first prize in the National Flute Association's Young Artist Competition in 1985, including a Carnegie Hall debut. Shortly thereafter, Rhonda joined forces with the Paul Winter Consort, initiating her journey of combining diverse musical styles in addition to her classical training. Rhonda won a Grammy Award during her last year with the Consort, departing the group at that time to embark upon her individual cross-cultural/multi-genre music path.

Rhonda's diversity, combined with her musical and technical wizardry, has begun a new generation for the flute as a leading voice in the music world. Composing much of her own repertoire, Larson continues to be recognized as a visionary force creating a refreshing hybrid music for the flute, including her versatility on an array of ethnic flutes from around the world.. Larson journeyed to South Africa as a musical ambassador for the United States to perform for the Parliament of the World's Religions, sharing the stage with such luminaries as Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama. In addition to South Africa, Rhonda has toured in Russia, Japan, Europe, Central America, and throughout North America. She has recently performed in Ireland, Italy, and Spain. In Spain, she recorded with the Celtic Galician group "Milladoiro" from the Santiago de Compostela region, and performed as a guest soloist with this stellar bunch along with guest soloist Eileen Ivers, famed Celtic fiddle player of the original "Riverdance" troupe.

Rhonda has a discography of more than 19 commercial recordings from label/distributors such as Windham Hill and American Gramaphone, among others. She has recorded a variety of flute music for the CBS television series "Survivor" and "The Restaurant", and performed on the Live CBS finale episode of "Survivor" from Madison Square Garden, seen by more than 40 million viewers.

Rhonda has two solo recordings, Free as a Bird, and her newly-released second solo CD, Distant Mirrors. The latter is an eclectic musical reflection on world cultures and ancient traditions, and was listed in the top-ten of the "25 Essential CDs for 2003" nationally syndicated Public Radio program, Echoes. Rhonda is featured in the 2003 Flute Stories--101 Inspirational Stories from the World's Best Flute Players, Windplayers publication. Rhonda Larson is on the Board of Directors of the National Flute Association. She has been a Pearl® Flute performing artist since 1987.

Rhonda recently returned from nine months in Ramallah, Palestine (West Bank), where she taught flute at the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music.

Rhonda and her husband Lee deLisle live in southwestern Michigan, and part-time at their second home in the Lazio region of Italy.

Rhonda will present an afternoon class and an evening concert at the 2010 INAFA convention.

www.RhondaLarson.com


        

Kevin Locke (his Lakota name, Tokaheya Inajin, means “The First to Arise”) is known throughout the world as a visionary Hoop Dancer, preeminent player of the indigenous northern Plains flute, traditional storyteller, cultural ambassador, recording artist, and educator. From his early Lakota influences and from his extended “world” family, he has learned how we each can draw from our individual heritages to create a vibrant, evolving global civilization embracing and celebrating our collective heritage.

www.kevinlocke.com


        

Jeremy 'Yongurra Yerin' Donovan (didgeridoo)

Jeremy 'Yongurra Yerin' Donovan a descendant of both the Gumbaynngirr and KuKu-Yalanji tribes and has been playing didgeridoo in both traditional and contemporary performances for more than 10 years. Widely acclaimed as one of the leading indigenous performers of Australia, Jeremy's exceptional skill with the didgeridoo, as well as his extensive knowledge of his cultural heritage, has earned him the recognition of his peer's as a master storyteller, performer, and cultural ambassador.

During the past 10 years, Jeremy has been greatly influenced by his grandfather and a number of tribal elders from his community, as well as by others across Australia. These influences have given him greater ambitions to show the true richness of his amazing heritage. It is Jeremy's passion that has seen him become one of Australia's premier indigenous didgeridoo performers and presenters.

Jeremy is an Amazing role model for both indigenous and non-indigenous youth of Australia. Despite his promising performance and artistic career, in 2008 Jeremy took on a full-time role in Caboolture South East Queensland working with young indigenous people, striving to inspire them to walk toward a brighter future. Throughout 2008, Jeremy traveled to several remote communities including his own, working and developing engagement strategies that would see the continuation of culture with the next generation. Working with both urban and remote indigenous youth, Jeremy encourages them to follow in his footsteps and learn their culture. His message is blunt, yet very powerful: "Learn your culture, be proud of where you come from, and never forget the struggle the generations before us have faced. Don't Blame others for your trouble or problems. You control your own destiny." Jeremy further states, "I make it my job to educate people from many nations around the world about the beauty of my traditional culture."

In 2009, Jeremy resumed his performing and artistic career where he left it. He is now focussing on the development of his music and art, as well as sharing his intimate knowledge of traditional healing. While working with youth is no longer Jeremy's full-time focus, he will still be traveling to remote communities working with youth development. Jeremy will also maintain a close working relationship with those youth living in the urban areas who are battling with their cultural identity, the same battle Jeremy himself once faced.

In addition to his passion for music, Jeremy is also a talented artist with a growing reputation. His art has now been featured in three solo exhibitions. On all three occasions, his entire body of work was sold. Jeremy's artwork has gained much recognition from the United States, with large private collections in California, Seattle, and Colorado. In 2007, he had more than 20 works displayed in the PARIS Casino, Las Vegas. Jeremy's work is dynamic, using modern expression and deep rooted traditional stories. He has been described as one of the most collectable young Aboriginal artist of Australia.

Since 2005, Jeremy spent extended periods of time working throughout the United States, performing at festivals, corporate functions, and different spiritual events. He is a deeply spiritual man who thrives on spending time with indigenous people from all over the world. Jeremy has performed alongside a variety of some of the world's best musicians and composers. He has played with the American band System of a Down, and one of the world's most celebrated percussionists King Errisson. He has also toured extensively throughout the United States, Canada, Hawaii, Tahiti, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and the United Kingdom, playing at both world music festivals and cultural centers. Jeremy has also played at many prestigious venues and events, including Australia's Parliament House, The Staple Center in Los Angeles, for Queen Elizabeth II, Amsterdam cruise liners, and one of the openings of the groundbreaking film Rabbit-Proof Fence, which has a similar story with his own family's history.

Jeremy has also been recognized for his role as a keynote speaker and has worked within corporate groups such as Coca Cola Amatil, PepsiCo International, and The Northern Territory Tourism Commission. In June 2007, he was the keynote speaker for the American Payroll's 25th Anniversary in Las Vegas. In October 2007, Jeremy was also a keynote speaker in Melbourne, Australia, for the International Coaches Federation.

Jeremy's ability to captivate audiences with his playing, touch their hearts with words of ageless cultural wisdom, and mesmerize with his detailed artwork are some of the reasons that have seen Jeremy rise to become one of Australia's most sought-after speakers and performers.

Visit Jeremy on the Internet at: www.jeremydonovan.com.au

        

Michael Bucher

Michael grew up in a multiracial neighborhood on the south side of Chicago. In all the diversity, his large family did what they could to ensure that they did not become an invisible Indian. He is a Cherokee singer-songwriter and flutist who was taught from the beginning of his memory about the stories, language, and legends of his people. His songs are intended to teach, heal, and bring awareness to everyone who hears them. He sings about topics that are important to him and others in Indian Country. From the desecration of sacred sites, to Cherokee legends, to the sometimes seemingly invisible Indian, there is a passionate quality throughout his music.

With strong vocals and heartfelt lyrics, Michael's music is a blend of acoustic guitar, Native and contemporary drum, flute, shakers, rattles, bass, and electric guitars. His music cuts a swath through Native folk, blues, and rock.

Michael and Joanne Shenandoah won a 2009 Native American Music Award for Best Compilation Recording with their latest CD, Bitter Tears - Sacred Ground. This same CD won a 2009 Indian Summer Music Award in the Best Folk Recording category.

Quotes: "Michael Bucher is an American songwriting icon." (Native People's Magazine) ;

"Michael's music is some of the best I've heard in a long time. Nothing less than phenomenal" (Vincent Schilling, author/columnist for Indian Country Today)

Michael will be performing an evening concert at the 2010 INAFA convention.

www.michaelbucher.com


        

Rafael Bejarano

Rafael Bejarano is a shamanic musician from Mexico who has studied with indigenous elders and healers from different cultures, particularly in the art of ritual, ceremony, and sacred sound. He has collaborated among luminaries such as Deepak Chopra, Marianne Williamson, Don Miguel Ruiz, and Luciano Pavarotti, playing in places from school assemblies and hospitals to Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Rafael is especially known for his mastery of the Australian aboriginal didgeridoo and the Peruvian multichamber flute, the huaca, along with his ability to create sonic environments of healing energy. The vibrational qualities of the sacred instruments, along with the purity of our intent, are able to catalyze a profound and positive transformation in our being.

Class Description: Rafael will invite us to attend a “Concert Ceremony” where he will play a palette of indigenous and ceremonial instruments from around the world, some of them hundreds of years old. This will be an experiential class where participants can connect with the meaning of intent and expand the possibilities in the use of their instruments as sonic tools for personal and collective transformation. The class will be composed in two parts, the Concert Ceremony and a question-and-answer session to share experiences and address inquiries.

www.soundsofcreation.org

        



Michael Graham Allen (Coyote Oldman)

Michael Graham Allen has been a flutemaker for almost 30 years and a professional recording artist since 1986. He has been a prolific force in the reintroduction, refinement, and popularization of what was at that time a very obscure and almost forgotten instrument, the Native American flute.. At the 2010 INAFA convention, Michael will be performing an evening concert.

www.coyoteoldman.com


        

The daughter of Herman Edwards and Nancy Nacki, Hovia (which means “music” in Shoshone and is pronounced “hoo-vee-ya”) is a member of the Shoshone Bannock tribe of Fort Hall, Idaho. Her paternal heritage is of the Okanogan-Similkameen band Keremos, British Columbia and maternal is of the Shoshone of Fort Hall and the Navajo of Red Mesa, Arizona.

Hovia began playing the Native American flute under the encouragement of her father who is a flute maker and performer. She has toured extensively throughout the U.S. and Canada and represented the Goshute tribe of Utah as a flute player in the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. She appeared on a PBS special about young artists and also provided music for the PBS mystery movie, Skinwalkers. Hovia has served as a keynote speaker and performer at the Idaho Indian Child Welfare Conference, World Peace Conference, and various youth, domestic violence, and substance abuse prevention conferences. Hovia records on the Canyon

Records label: www.canyonrecords.com


        

Tim Lane has taught at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (UWEC) in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, since 1989. In addition to teaching at UWEC, he serves as Principal Flutist for the Eau Claire Chamber Orchestra, as a member of the Wisconsin Woodwind Quintet, and as baroque flutist with the period instrument ensemble titled “Les Favorites.” He has performed live solo and ensemble performances on Wisconsin Public Radio, as well as at other locales throughout his career. Dr. Lane actively promotes new compositions for the flute, pursues yoga, and he is presently learning Gaidhlig. Dr. Lane earned his Bachelor of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music and his Masters and Doctoral Degrees from University of Illinois at Urban-Champaign.

Dr. Lane will present a lecture at the 2010 INAFA convention entitled, The Unification of Breath.

Class Description: Breathing represents the unification of the imagination and the body through the sounds that we produce on our flutes. Breathing also connects us both physically and imaginatively to the environment around us. The breath class will present practical ideas and directions based on these central themes.

www. uwec.edu/Mus-The/faculty/lanet.htm


        


Xavier Quijas Yxayotl and Ancient Americas Dance Ensemble

Indigenous music and dance of Mayan, Aztec, Huichol, Tarahumara, Yaqui, Tepehuanes cultures.

www.yxayotl.com

        


Peter Phippen and Friends

Canyon Records recording artist Peter Phippen is an innovative performer of world flutes, having researched the performance technique and history of his vast collection of antique and contemporary anthropological aerophones. He is a two-time Native American Music Awards nominee, a two-time Indian Summer Music Awards nominee, and has received a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board. Phippen's CD, Shadows of Dawn, was featured for five months in the top 25 on Public Radio International's syndicated program Echoes, in 2006-2007. Phippen's Canyon Records recordings have brought his acclaimed flute playing to the attention of critics and flute enthusiasts worldwide. Experience Phippen's enchanting and timeless world of sound images.

www.peterphippen.com


        

Mark Holland and N. Scott Robinson (Wind & Fire)

Wind & Fire features Mark Holland, a skilled and innovative performer of the contemporary Native American style flute and world flutes, and gifted world percussionist N. Scott Robinson. Together their masterful concert performances have astounded audiences across the United States. Mark and Scott have been touring throughout the country since the April release of their latest CD, Wind & Fire. A unique duo of flutes and world percussion, their new CD has been on the Echoes Radio (PRI) Top 25 list since its release and was most recently ranked at #3. Mark and Scott also recorded a Living Room Concert feature for Echoes Radio hosted by John Diliberto. Their music has been featured on two previously released CDs by Autumn's Child entitled In Performance and Progressive World. They also appear on the INAFA compilation, Clearwater Reflections.

Wind & Fire reaches new heights in the world music/Native American flute/jam band music scenes and is receiving strong reviews. Mark Holland's evocative melodies and improvisations feature him on an array of 20 flutes, including Native American (single and dual chambers, Anasazi) and world flutes such as the bansuri, Chinese dizi, and the Andean quena, along with other unusual wind objects. N. Scott Robinson's fiery improvisations and colorful rhythmic textures feature him on a diverse variety of 30 musical instruments including frame drums (Irish bodhrán, Indian kanjira, Azerbaijani ghaval, Arabic riqq); African finger pianos (Zimbabwean mbira dza vadzimu and Central African sanza); Brazilian berimbau (musical bow); Indian tabla; Tuvan overtone singing; melodic vocals; Brazilian caxixi; Milltone metal slit drum; Australian didjeridu; donso ngoni (harp from Mali); hindewhu (Central African Pygmy whistle); and a variety of world percussion. Mark's and Scott's new CD is a real musical breakthrough in their duo work together - thoughtful compositions and inspiring improvisations offering audiences their one-of-a-kind musical voice full of accessible depth, breadth, and beauty.

www.myspace.com/windnfire1


        

The Jeff Ball Band

The current incarnation of the Jeff Ball Band has been in the making for 10 years. The musicians knew of each other through the diverse local music scene in the Washington, D.C. area, supporting each others' endeavors in the past and crossing paths along the way in the studio, clubs, and festivals. All band members have released their own works in different genres. They formed the current band because they felt compelled to collaborate to produce a distinctive energy in blending their musical styles into a near-mystical sound.

The band, simply deciding to use their flutist/front man's name, wanted to build a tasteful bridge between the tonal emotions and spiritual melodies projected by the Native American flute and the modern world to yield a more contemporary style. By exploring the boundaries of the flute, the group has achieved that without forsaking the haunting, stilling sound of the flute as the focus of the orchestration.

Band personnel: Jeff Ball (Native American flute); Greg Dillon (guitar); Randy Ball (bass and synth pads); N. Scott Robinson (percussion)

www.jeffball.net


        

Frank Montano (Anakwad)

Frank Montano was born in 1941 on the Red Cliff Ojibwe Reservation where he presently lives and works. He has been a lead vocalist and guitarist in rock, country, and bluegrass bands around the Great Lakes region. His traditional performance is an extension of his Native roots and cultural experiences. Now a master flute maker, he took up the flute following interpretations of dreams by traditional elders. His drum evokes the ancient, yet vital beat of the Mother Earth.When not performing in concert, Frank Montano can be found sharing his gifts in schools, prisons, and/or in treatment centers. Or, he may be busy with local environmental issues, community concerns, or at ceremonies for his own personal growth. Frank Montano has lectured and done workshops at colleges around the Midwest, as well as performed in Canada, Germany, and Japan. He has become an ambassador of goodwill.

http://arts.state.wi.us/static/folkdir/montano1.htm


        

Rona Yellow Robe

It is by playing the Native American flute, which she refers to as “her other voice,” that Rona Yellow Robe has become comfortable sharing with all audiences personal aspects of her life.

Rona Yellow Robe-Walsh is a Cree woman of the Chippewa Cree Tribe of Rocky Boy, Montana. After seeing many family members pass away before their time, Rona encountered much adversity as a child, which would continue through much of her adulthood. Fortunately, she was taught that the adversity she encountered could be overcome. She was given a vision of what else she could create through an influential and supportive foster mother.

After much tribulation, Rona began her healing in 1997, when she experienced her reawakening. By paying attention to the mistakes of those who walked before her, and by learning from them, Rona is still here today, and able to share her healing with us through the Native American flute.

When she first heard R. Carlos Nakai play Native American flute in 2001, she recalls, it made her stop: “I was in the moment of it all. I loved the sound and how it made me feel. I knew at that moment I wanted to play the Native American flute because I wanted to give that same feeling I had to others.” She was taught that you do not play the Native American flute: it plays you. And so, Rona is able to pour her emotions into her audiences by “letting go of Rona” and taking on the energy of each audience.

After playing Native American flute for about two years, Rona was introduced to Kristina Bloom, with whom she did the "Create Your World" meditation CD. This project further fueled her desire to create more music. Rona yearned be taught what she did not already know about the Native American flute. In April of 2007, her prayers were answered when she was given the opportunity to participate in a workshop with R.Carlos Nakai, her first flute influence. She opened up a concert in Missoula, Montana, with R. Carlos Nakai and other notable flute players.

At the Renaissance of the Native American Flute Workshop, she participated on a scholarship, which she earned by performing live in front of her Native American flute peers. In one of the defining moments of her career, Rona received a standing ovation from her peers. Although many Native Indian cultures, at one time, only accepted the man to play the Native American flute, Rona has been embraced and welcomed with open arms by Native Tribes and Nations.

There is no set time or situation for her music to be played, as their calling has no regard for time of day or other priorities. She is passionate about playing her flutes traditionally. But, Rona also wants to take her flutes to other levels, having already experimented alongside instruments such as the harp, guitar, and bass. One day, she hopes to play alongside symphonies.

As a child, Rona was the eyes for her blind grandmother, who taught her how to pray with sweet grass and sage, how to sew, and how to cook. As a translator for the hearing impaired community, Rona was the ears for deaf students earning their degrees. With the Native American flute, Rona is the voice of that which surrounds her, and she is able to share it with us:

“Our world is coming into a great change. I see the stir all around us. I feel it. I hear it. The winged creatures and the four-legged feel it. I want my flutes, my breath, to be a part of the winds of change… What I know for now is that I will continue to use my flutes for healing. This is my passion. I feel it in every fiber of my mind, body, and soul.”


        


Randall McGinnis

Randy McGinnis, a Cherokee Indian born into the Deer Clan, lives in Knoxville, Tennessee. The songs that he plays are from the old songs with which he grew up. He taught himself to play these songs on the Native American flute. Randy was presented with a prestigious award from R. Carlos Nakai for his efforts in the promotion, preservation, and education of the Native American flute. Last year, Randy founded the Smokey Mountain Flute Circle. He is also the founder and president/CEO of Echota Technologies, a very successful corporation located in Maryville, Tennessee.

Randy will ceremonially open the convention on Wednesday during the first evening concert, which are open to the public, and serve as the Master of Ceremonies throughout the 2010 INAFA convention.


www.deerstarproductions.com/index.php?page=randy-mcginnis


        

Anthony Wakeman and Mr. Soon

Of the Gunlake Band of Pottawatomi/Oglala Lakota, Anthony Wakeman has been playing the Native American flute for twelve years. Originally from Missoula, Montana, Anthony moved to Phoenix, Arizona, in 1994 and began an apprenticeship with his uncle David A. Montour, noted artist, musician, and flute maker. Throughput his musical life, Anthony has also collaborated with some of today's most respected traditional and contemporary Native American musicians. He has also been a featured performer at resorts, art galleries, and noted museums such as the Heard and Pueblo Grande museums in Phoenix, Arizona. In 2005, Anthony released his first album with Canyon Records entitled Butterfly Dreams. Inspired by the playfulness of his four-year old daughter dancing about, this album contains songs that inspire, tell a story, and illustrate the beauty of the solo flute. The album was a finalist for New Age Retailer’s 2005 Narcissus Award. In 2007, Wakeman collaborated with Joe Jakob (aka Mr. Soon) on Points of Origin. Wakeman also appears as a guest artist on Harmony Nights (CR 6416) with Alex Smith, Cheevers Toppah, and Kit Landry, and Night of the Northern Lights (CR 6440)with Jay and Tiinesha Begaye.

Anthony records on the Canyon Records label: www.canyonrecords.com

An Arizona native, Mr. Soon (aka Joe Jakob) blends minimalist guitar, subtle keyboards, and a multi-colored palette of layered samples into delicate ambient soundscapes anchored with his own rhythmic concoctions. Deeply influenced by the vast landscapes of the Sonoran desert, his music retains a uniquely organic sensitivity while touching upon the worlds of dub, drum & bass and down-tempo ambient music. In 1997 he collaborated with Grammy“ award-winning Native American vocalists Verdell Primeaux and Johnny Mike on the Canyon Records album, Sacred Path. Mr. Soon tracks have appeared on the 1998 Mindspring release Critical Mass and Chill on the Abstrakt Reality label. His 2002 critically praised solo release Places in Arizona is a sonic travelogue through the Arizona desert, evoking the landscape of his home with gorgeous subtlety.

        

Cornell Kinderknecht

Cornell Kinderknecht is an award-nominated recording artist, performer, and teacher of flutes and other woodwind instruments from around the world, including Native American flute, bansuri, ocarina, recorder, and bamboo flutes. His original contemporary instrumental music is a unique style combining his experience in the genres of world, classical, pop, jazz, and folk music. He has twice been a nominee and finalist at the Texas Music Awards. He and his music were featured in the nationally aired television series, "The Art of Living Gallery." He has recorded music for advertisements, a PBS series, and has debuted works for choir and Native American flute with the Texas Voices. He is in high demand as a presenter and performer at music workshops and festivals around the Unite States.

Cornell’s solo recordings, Nightfall and Returning Home, earned nominations for “Musician of the Year” at the Texas Music Awards in 2009 and 2006. In addition to his solo recordings, Cornell has released collaborative projects and his flute playing can be heard on numerous other musician’s' CDs across many genres.

As an instructor, Cornell teaches Native American flute and bansuri at various workshops throughout the United States. He has a private studio of world flute students in Dallas, Texas. He has established and teaches a series of multi-week Native American flute group classes held in the north Texas area. He also visits flute and other music circles, presenting educational programs and concerts. With his expertise, Cornell provides practical hands-on instruction, while his light-hearted approach puts students at ease.

Cornell Kinderknecht will perform on the Afternoon Concert Series and present a class called "Flute Player's Masterclass" at the 2010 INAFA convention.

www.cornellK.com

        

Randy Granger is a native of New Mexico and a lifelong musician. An award-winning singer songwriter, composer, Native American flutist, and recording artist, he is classically trained in both percussion and voice and attended college on a music scholarship eventually earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism. As a Native American flute recording artist and performer, Randy is the winner of a 2009 Indian Summer Music Award in the flute category for his CD, A Place Called Peace, as well as a nominee for a “Lifestyle Award” for Best Native American Flute Album by New Age Reporter in recognition by broadcasters worldwide for heavy playlist rotation. Randy also earned second place in the Musical Echoes flute competition. He performs around the United States at festivals, concerts, the Sundance Film Festival, and Native American flute events. He was profiled on NPR’s "All Things Considered" for his music on the Hang drum, a melodic steel percussion instrument. In addition, The New Mexico Music Commission produced a short documentary on Randy’s flute music. He is the subject of numerous newspaper and magazine articles and appears often as an in-studio guest on public radio stations while touring. His music is played on stations around the world including Hearts of Space, NativeRadio.com, and SIRIUS Mystic Soundscapes. Randy has worked as a percussion and guitar instructor, an opera singer, a professional jazz drummer, a composer, a choreographer, and workshop instructor. He has also worked as a licensed massage therapist since 1991. As a Hang player, Randy has produced several albums and has worked with recording artists such as Michael Graham Allen, R. Carlos Nakai, Peter Phippen, and others. He is also on the INAFA compilation CD, Clearwater Reflections which received a 2009 Native American Music Award nomination.

At the 2010 INAFA convention, Randy Granger will perform on the Afternoon Concert Series, accompany Michael Graham Allen (Coyote Oldman) on an evening concert, and present a class called "The A, B, and Cs of Playing the Native American Flute."

www.randygranger.net


        

Enrique Rueda

Colombian born artist Enrique Rueda is a multimedia artist, a musician, and a designer of sound sculptures. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Art and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he worked with Professor “Skip” Johnson. He has had numerous exhibitions of his “sound sculptures,” or sculptures made of organic materials, using acoustical principles from various world cultures, but drawing on fine arts traditions in their form and visual esthetic.

In addition to sound sculptures, Enrique Rueda makes, and plays, traditional Latin American instruments such as the quena, the quenacho, and the bandola. He has been making quenas and quenachos in the United States for more than 25 years, and has played the quena with a number of well-known musical groups such as Sotavento and Paraguas.

The quena family of flutes is one of the oldest types of traditional flutes from the Andean mountains of South America still in use today. Enrique Rueda continues this long tradition of flute making in a contemporary context. He builds his flutes out of many different types of woods from all over the world. Each one has a unique sound quality and is perfectly tuned to western scales. These flutes have a very unique embouchure system and interesting connections with flutes from all over the world.

In his 2010 INAFA convention lecture/demonstration, Enrique Rueda will draw upon his historical and anthropological knowledge of South American wind instruments to give an overview of the history, the cultural context, and the current usage of the quena and the quenacho. Enrique will present a multimedia show, as well as demonstrate flutes from his personal collection.

www.enriquerueda.com


        

Ann Licater and Jeff Oster



Ann Licater is a lifelong silver flute player who discovered the Native American flute at a powwow. She is a recording artist, a featured performer at the World Flute Fest, and a San Jose Chamber Orchestra soloist as a world flutist. Along with other world musicians, she facilitates healing workshops for Kaiser Permanante Wellness Centers in California. Her debut CD Following the Call, was nominated "Best Native American Album" and "Top Twelve Best Contemporary Instrumental Album" in the NAR Lifestyle Music Awards. Ann's music is heard on NPR stations on the "Hearts of Space" syndicated radio show and ECHOES, as well as on cable and radio stations worldwide. Ann has been a member of INAFA since 2002 and is a grateful contributor to the 2009 NAMMY-nominated INAFA CD, Clear Water Reflections. She studied silver flute at MacPhail Center for Music and Native American flute at the Renaissance of the Native American Flute Workshop led by R. Carlos Nakai and Ken Light. She holds an M.L.A. in Creation Spirituality from Naropa University where she developed her “Flute for the Soul” workshops as part of the “Art as Meditation” curriculum.

www.annlicater.com

Jeff Oster as played trumpet and flugelhorn for more than 40 years. His music is described as "Miles Davis meets Enya." Jeff's albums Released and True each won "Album of the Year" by broadcasters who report their playlists to New Age Reporter in the NAR Lifestyle Music Awards. Jeff has collaborated with NASA and JPL to create music using radio transmissions of aural recordings from space. These can be heard on "Saturn Calling" from the award-winning True release. Oster's music is produced by Will Ackerman, GRAMMY-winning guitarist and founder of Windam Hill Records. Jeff's music can be heard on NPR stations including the "Echoes" syndicated program, as well as on cable, satellite, and radio stations worldwide.

www.jeffoster.com

For the 2010 INAFA convention, Ann Licater and Jeff Oster will perform on the Afternoon Concert Series. Ann will also present an improvisation workshop.


        

Jan Seiden

Immediately captivating, Jan's soulful eloquence and flawless technique transport listeners to an inner tranquil state, a journey of imagination and healing that endures far beyond the performance itself. Nominated for the 2009 Native American Music Award (NAMA), two-time nominee for the Indian Summer Music Awards, a 2006 recipient of an Individual Artist Award from the Maryland State Arts Council, and national first place winner of the 2002 Musical Echoes Native American flute competition, Seiden has performed at the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian and many other concert stages across the United States. Jan has presented at numerous federal agencies, including the U.S. EPA, USDA, and the Department of Justice DEA where she was keynote speaker. Her music carries messages of global unity, peace, and personal empowerment to international humanitarian conferences and indigenous gatherings throughout the United States and Canada. She has appeared on CNN Headline News/Comcast and on Maryland Public TV for her healing work with the flute and presented at national medical and environmental health conferences and various hospital patient groups at Johns Hopkins Hospital and the Muscular Dystrophy Association, among others. Her work with Washington, D.C. inner city youth was funded by a grant in 2005 from the National Endowment for the Arts and Washington, D.C. Arts Initiative. Current projects include composing, recording, and producing the soundtrack for a Chickasaw Indian play, Te Ata. Funding for Jan's work is provided by the Ford Foundation’s Expressive Arts Program in partnership with the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian and award-winning Chickasaw playwright JudyLee Oliva.

For the 2010 INAFA convention, Jan will perform in the afternoon concert series and present a class called "Bridging the Gap."

www.janseiden.com

        


Jonny Lipford

They say that music is what feelings sound like, and for 20-year-old Jonny Lipford this is true. Every song, every note he plays, is played with passion from his heart and soul. He is considered by many to be a true Native American flute virtuoso. His music takes the flute "outside the box" toward refreshing new levels. He blends the flute with rich accompaniment from influences such as jazz, country, and even techno. He has a passion for music and is truly an "old soul."

At the 2010 INAFA convention, Jonny Lipford will perform on the Afternoon Concert Series.

www.jonnylipford.com

        

JazZen (Bobb Fantauzzo and Aaron Kerr)

Bobb Fantauzzo (Native American and Chinese flutes) and Aaron Kerr (electric cello) have been performing together in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area as JazZen since 2007. Together they play the music they feel and feel the music they play. JazZen’s performance will include original tunes, as well as jazz standards popularized by Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, and Charles Mingus.

Bobb’s music is currently being aired on The Discovery Channel and Aaron’s music is featured on NPR’s Science Friday.

For the 2010 INAFA convention, JazZen will perform on the Afternoon Concert Series.

www.bobbfantauzzo.com


        

Michael Joseph and Derek Mortland (SOTIW)

SOTIW is part of a new music era - the warm melting tone of Native American flute with elements of New Age, eclectic, world, and fusion jazz. It is music for the world that we do not often hear - music which comes from a spiritual place - it is a musical manifestation based around “Sketches of the Inner World (SOTIW).” Presented by two talented musicians who write together instinctively, their music reflects a depth of creativity which stems from years of working together. With unique fluidity and equal virtuosity, the strong solidarity, set melodies, and improvisational guitar chops maximizes the duo's artistic vision.

In 2008, SOTIW's premier release was recognized with two NAMA nominations in the categories of World Music and Songwriter of the Year, an honor which came after a solid beginning of festival performances, radio charting, and favorable reviews. Wrapping up the CD release journey, the performers were honored recipients of the Ohio Governors Award in 2009 as Individual Artist of the Year. Currently, both artists have independent releases diverting focus from SOTIW; however, the follow-up SOTIW release is anticipated for 2010.

Michael Joseph and Derek Mortland will perform on the Afternoon Concert Series at the 2010 INAFA Convention.

www.sotiw.com


        

Ken Light

Of Celtic heritage, Ken light has lived and worked on reservations for the past 18 years. He founded his flute making business, Amon Olorin Flutes, in 1986 and lives and works on a wooded hilltop near Arlee, Montana, a small town on the Flathead Indian Reservation. To date, Light has created more than 2,200 flutes for flute enthusiasts throughout the world. He also has produced two well-received recordings of his flute playing, Songs of the Earth (1987) and From Where I Stand (1990). Ken Light is a cofounder of the International Native American Flute Association and an active Board Member.

At the 2008 INAFA convention, Ken Light will offer a presentation with his longtime colleague and friend, R. Carlos Nakai.

www.aoflutes.com

        

Chris Otto

Chris Otto’s music is sometimes mellow, sometimes upbeat, and often experimental. At its heart is the natural beauty of the Native American flute that holds it all together. Influenced by folk traditions from Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Scandinavia, the Andes, and Native America, Chris blends these sounds into a unique style of music. Experimental rock and the blues were influences during his formative years; those styles find their way into his music, as well.

Chris has been playing the Native American flute for more than 12 years. He hopes to bring Native American flute music to new audiences and bring the instrument into new genres of music. He is known as the flute/whistle player for the popular St. Louis Irish Folk/Rock band "Rusty Nail," but it was the Native American flute that first inspired him to perform and record music. He has played with experimental rock bands and jazz musicians in the St. Louis area and was a founding member of the percussion-based world music jam band, "The Raw Earth Experience."

His early love of music lead him to try a number of instruments in his search for musical expression. Playing trombone, piano, and harmonica gave Chris an appreciation of many forms of music, but none of them spoke through him. When he discovered the Native American flute, he knew that he had found his voice. Chris states, "The music is there in the flutes, you just have to let it out.”

After years of live performances, Chris has released his first full length CD, Rain on Broken Glass. Five years in the making, it was a true labor of love. The CD pays homage to traditional Native American flute music, while reflecting influences from world music. Chris's music represents a new voice for the Native American flute

At the 2010 INAFA convention, Chris Otto will be performing on the Afternoon Concert Series.

www.myspace.com/flutedude

        

Rich Dubé

Rich Dubé teaches kindergarten through 8th grade music in inner city Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. For 10 of those years, he taught at Pleasant Hill Community School where more than 96 percent of the students are of First Nations ancestry. In 2000, Rich began using the Native American style flute in teaching his senior students. He began with Bear Paw flutes, as his school did not have the money to purchase wooden Native American flutes. After a couple of years, he began experimenting with PVC tubing and came up with a design and tuning that would play well with the other classroom music instruments. Students would drill, sand, paint, and decorate their flutes. He noticed something changed in his students through the process of learning how to make and play a Native American style flute. They gained a great deal of pride in themselves and in their culture. In the words of an Elder, it was no longer just an instrument, it was “their spirit they were carrying.”

Most recently, Rich Dubé, with much helpful advice from Ed Hrebec of Spirit of the Woods Flutes, designed a Native American style flute that he calls the Northern Spirit flute. The flute is made entirely of food-grade FDA-approved ABS plastic and is in the key of midrange A, with the standard contemporary tuning. The flute was designed primarily to provide an affordable Native American style flute for use in schools with middle years and high school age students. Rich hopes the new flute will help bring to life his dream of having an instrument with its roots and history in North America being made and played by school children across North America, to pay honor and respect to our continent’s First Nations people and our shared history.

For the 2010 INAFA convention, Rich will present a flute making workshop during which participants will craft a Northern Spirit flute.

www.northernspiritflutes.net


        

Dr. R. Iván Iriarte

R. Iván Iriarte is a medical doctor, acupuncturist, and Certified Music Practitioner. He is Professor of Public Health and Family Medicine at the Ponce School of Medicine in Puerto Rico where he teaches epidemiology and preventive medicine, and coordinates the medical ethics course. He has been the recipient of Humanism in Medicine Awards given by the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey and the Association of American Medical Colleges. He is a member of the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture and the Puerto Rico Medical Acupuncture Association, where he served as president in 2001. He participates as a clinical preceptor in the Helms Medical Institute Acupuncture for Physicians course. He is also a certified instructor by the Tai Chi for Health Program and has Reiki Level III attunement.

Dr. Iriarte is a Certified Music Practitioner, having graduated from the Music for Healing and Transition Program. He uses the Native American flute as his principal instrument for therapeutic music. His experience with therapeutic music includes activities in nursing homes and Hospice, working with a wide variety of patients including the chronically or acutely ill, those with terminal illness, and individuals in active transition from earthly life.

At the 2010 INAFA convention, Dr. Iriarte will present a class called "Incorporating the Native American Flute into Therapeutic Music." The presentation will include a discussion of the principles that explain the therapeutic effects of music, qualities of music that promote healing, and why the Native American flute is particularly well-suited for therapeutic music. The presentation will include a demonstration of this practice.


        

Lydia Ayers

Lydia Ayers is a Hong Kong-based composer who plays Native American flutes and flutes from a variety of other cultural traditions. She has worked with extended vocal and woodwind techniques, including quarter tones, multiphonics, and other unusual flute timbres. She is creating native American, Australian, Chinese, and Indonesian computer music designs. She has extensively researched and composed with microtonal tuning systems, especially unlimited just intonation. Lydia also uses a 75-tone Indian/Partch scale on the “Woodstock Gamelan,” a tubular percussion instrument built to her specifications by Woodstock Percussion. She has modeled the Woodstock Gamelan and other gamelan instruments using Csound, and authored Cooking with Csound: Woodwind and Brass Recipes, a CD-ROM package which gives synthesis designs for wind instruments. She has played gamelan at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong University. Her Virtual Gamelan CD has been released on Albany Records.

At the 2010 convention, Lydia Ayers will present a lecture entitled "Expressive Performance of the Chinese Dizi, Xun, and Bawu Applied to the Native American Flute."


        

Eleanor Alden

Eleanor Alden started loving music while growing up in a home with two concert grand Steinway pianos. Piano and clarinet were instruments that she played before and in college, when guitar and banjo became more interesting. Having never felt particularly successful at any of the instruments, she became an avid listener and played nothing for decades until attending a class given by R. Carlos Nakai at Naropa University. Since then, Eleanor has come to love the Native American flute and the community that surrounds it, and she began teaching others to play about five years ago. For the past two years, she has also run a week-long summer workshop in Taos; this year it moved to Sedona in the first week of August. To support the expenses of her flute habit, Eleanor Alden is a psychotherapist in private practice, have written a book called StepFamilies, Ancient Wisdom for Modern Life, and is on the faculty at Naropa University.

At the 2010 INAFA convention, Eleanor Alden will present a class in learning the Nakai TABlature system called "Magnetic Color Tab Teaching System."


                    
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