Flute Magic: An Introduction To The Native American Flute
is an excellent presentation for all of thos e who have any interest
in the Native American Flute and is a suitable "class room"
instructional guide and tutoring text covering such topics as history
and designs, learning to play the Native American Flute, various
performance techniques, instrument keys, an explanation and
description of the TABlature created by R. Carlos Nakai to write out
music for the Native American Flute and music composed for both the
five hole and six hole Native American Flute.
Tim "WindWalker" Crawford's journey with the
Native American Flute began in the spring of 1991, when, while camping
with muzzleloading shooting friends, north of Mt. McKinley, Crawford
was lent a tape, Earth Spirit, recorded by R. Carlos Nakai to listen
to. He fell asleep in his tipi that night, with his headphones on,
listening to the wonderful music, which played the whole night
through. The next morning the same friend who lent him the tape
showed him a Native American Flute that he had built; as it turned out
that the friend had actually built two Native American Flutes he sold
one to Tim who simply wandered off into the woods, found a stump to
sit upon, and began his Native American Flute Playing
journey.
Since that beginning "WindWalker" has performed on five
albums of music of the Native American Flute: Shadows (1992), Guardian
Spirits (1993), Mystic Visions (1994), Hear My Heart (1995) and the
latest release, his first solo album, on his own label (WindWalker),
Voices, (1998).
"WindWalker" has also written a book on the
Native American flute, entitled: FLUTE MAGIC, An Introduction To The
Native American Flute (1997), edited by Dr. Kathleen Joyce-Grendahl,
that covers history, designs, Flute Music TABlature and a number of
songs for both the five and six hole flute (all 12 of the songs on
VOICES have sheet music in the FLUTE MAGIC book.)
In addition,
"WindWalker's" music has appeared or has been featured on a number of
video's with the most recent being the video documentary Steinauer
Nebraska (1997).
Tim "WindWalker" Crawford, 58, has resided in
Anchorage, Alaska for over thirty years. He is a member of the
International Native American Flute Associations, the Arizona and
Oregon Flute Circles, the National Academy of Recording Arts and
Sciences (NARAS), an associate member of the Audio Engineering Society
(AES). In 1994, 1995 and 1998 Crawford attended a week long workshop
on the Native American Flute, hosted by the world-renowned recording
artist R. Carlos Nakai. In 1996, Crawford attended a Music Production
Workshop at Berklee College of Music.