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.