A Place to Stand
 
This flute is made from American Angelica and it is native to the southeastern states. I was gifted it here in the U.K. The bark of this tree is covered in sharp thorns and at first seemed to be an unlikely candidate for a flute. I had never made a flute from it before but was eager to try as it felt right in my heart. As I began to work with this piece it became very clear just how special this wood is. It has a pithy centre which is easy to hollow out yet the exterior is very hard and strong. I am sure Native Americans were crafting flutes from this magnificent tree since long ago.  
Throughout most of my life I have tried to follow my heart and be guided by what it tells me and this flute is inspired by that feeling. At times when I feel lost I yearn to find a steady place within myself from where I can gaze into my soul and listen quietly to what my  heart softly tells me. From this place I find clarity and am able to know the direction of my journey and which path to take. The hard wood on the outside of this flute represents that stable place where I stand and its soft interior is my heart. In honour of this connection between the two and the knowledge and guidance that they bring 
I name this flute A Place to Stand. It is my hope that the voice of this flute will help all those who play and hear the melodies as they travel to infinity to find that special place inside each of us.
 
This flute is in the key of F# tuned to 432Hz and is made of American Angelica. I use a combination of burning, sanding and polishing which gives each of these flutes a wonderful smooth finish and brings out the unique colour patterns within the wood. The block is made of Walnut that my Dad collected in America. It is held in place with leather lace from North American Whitetail Deer hide and has eyes of turquoise. The lashing at each end is artificial sinew and the stone inlays are of raw crushed blue sapphire and blue lapis. The feathers are Buzzard, Magpie and Barred Owl which as always were found while I am walking with Mother Nature or gifted to me by friends.
 
Find the music within yourself