Wind and Wood. Flute For The Soul

Snowshoeing for the first time this year in northern Wisconsin.

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:16:19 -0600

The skies were a aqua blue. The wind was soft with a peaceable voice that felt warm with the rays of the sun. The pleasant weather would have soothed the most savaged beast. The first snowshoe journey this year was beautiful.

Some of you are saying I'm being a bit melodramatic. A bit over the top with adjectives and adverbs describing the winter day. But it was one of those kind of days when everything felt so right. I'm willing to bet that I could have been run over by a group of hounds hunting for coyote that day and I still would have had a smile on my face.

I made this video snowshoeing along the cross country skiing trail.

Kevin

With each step I feel confident.

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:49:44 -0600

As I walk up the rocky climb

with each sure-footed step.

I step confident, relaxed

and feeling the strength.

One time when I was In Taos, New Mexico at sunset I went to the gorge bridge outside of town. I mainly went to shoot some sunset photography. While I was standing on the bridge 4 Mountain sheep came creeping from under the bridge walking on the rocky ledge. They were feeding on tuffs of grass and working their way up the gorge wall. I was amazed how they could plant each hoof on the rock without slipping.

With the Cold Moon this winter I had a vision. A revelation about myself. I feel the need to strengthen . Like a warm breeze in spring I can sense the change. I think the key is to stop listening to all the noise that surrounds you and connect with your heart. Your soul is the guide.

As I walk up the rocky climb with each sure-footed step, I stride confident, relaxed and strong.

Lately I have been recording some open rim wood flute music. The sound has a different feel and tone than the block flute. The plan is to continue recording this style of music and end up with the final CD.

I crafting a long open rim flute that is modeled after the ones found at Broken Flute Cave in Arizona. I already have one I made already of this style. But I like one with some designs.

I also been working on a new video done entirely in HD. A first time thing for me.

Below is a video I done a few years ago. The flute used was a rim-blown style. To be honest I can't remember what tuning it was. Journey of the Ancients has images of the southwest.

I hope each step you take on your path is full of confidence and faith.

Kevin

Humble beginnings keep you root bound.

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 07:13:01 -0600

When I was a young boy I would go with my Grandmother every Friday night to her part time job. She would clean offices for some professional folks in town. I would get bored in a hurry and try to find something to keep me entertained.

I would check out each office to find something interesting. Generally each section would have a front office and a larger back office. The front office would have nothing fun. If you would find something it would be the more fancier back office.

The back office would have carpeting and dark wood paneling. Some would reek of cigarette smoke, stale perfume and have faded out landscape pictures hanging on the walls. File folders would be piled up on a fancy oak table. Nothing of any interest to this young kid.

But there was one office that always intrigued me. The dude collected specialized toy trains and other collectibles and had them displayed on fancy bookshelf s. You could tell he did better than the others. His office had a classy feel and felt totally out of reach in the reality of the world to this young mind.

After while I would go right past the other offices and go straight into his on future cleanings and hang out there until grandma was done. Every once in a while I would sit in the fancy leather chair and put my little shoes on top of the dark walnut desk and act like a big shot. Grandma would look in to check on me and say “Kevin get your dirty shoes off there, you know better then that!” and turned around and snicker.

Then one day while I was hiding out under the desk I hit my head on some kind of lever thing. It looked like it could be activated by using your knee. I always had a mind like a curious cat and had to find out what this thing was for.

I followed the wire from it into a lower drawer. When I opened it there was a tape recorder. Even these young eyes and mind could figure this out. After finding the recording contraption the office lost all of it's luster to me. The room felt like a evil tomb. I learned that day about dishonest people working with dishonest people.

From that point on I was proud of my roots. We might not have all the fancy material things these folks have but I wouldn't give up humble beginnings where the spiritual is truly spiritual. And the path is not paved with gold but honesty.

Kevin

Call of the Raven is sometimes bittersweet.

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 00:01:00 -0600

January's Old Moon was on the rise when I was coming home just after sunset last night. With the height of the moon just above eastern landscape it had a warm orange glow to it from the setting sun in the west. I just got done trail running before that and it was a nice way to finish the day. I wish I could have got a photo of it but I didn't have any camera equipment along.

This past weekend I was shooting video in the Chequamegon. The learning aspect of video can be quite a learning experience. A pleasant one if you keep it fun. It was a perfect day that felt more like March than January. Dead calm winds mixed with blue skies and sunshine warmed the earth.

When I first started to record I could hear a pair of Ravens in the distance. I always been fascinated by these large black birds. They are very intelligent and their cousins the crows are amazing. The sad part is they are not the most loved bird. All I hear from the naysayers that they are ugly and useless creatures.

I could hear the Ravens coming in closer. Well by the time I got to the third video recording I called them in with my flute. Apparently they like the key of F. It is turning into a most interesting video. I am trying to add a storyline that will help with the visualization and theme of the video. I hope to have it done sometime next week.

Call of the Raven is sometimes bittersweet.

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:29:13 -0600

Watermelon and cedar. Is there a link?

Mon, 2 Jan 2012 08:41:55 -0600

This past week I’ve been working in the studio. Designing a fetish for a wood flute made of Berlinia keyed in low E. Creative thoughts are running through my mind mixed with pearl and ziricote. Or maybe abalone.

But also this past week I started another project of the continuing series “rebuild studio shop” . Last spring I rebuilt a workbench and added a white top to it. You've probably seen it. I take the photos of flutes that I made on top of it.

My lifelong dream of having a nice shop/studio of my very own is becoming more of a reality. Yes I did say lifelong. Currently I do have a shop that does provide the means of producing flutes but I want to improve it.

I took apart a somewhat cobbled together workbench and want to replace it with cedar cabinets and a nice spacey top. Lofty goals but it can be managed.

The desire to build a working studio started back in my high school days. That was my dream to have my own shop and build my own creations.

Then enter our Industrial Arts teacher Mr. Piston. One day in the classroom we were taking a test and out of nowhere he says;

“If any of you students are thinking of opening a small shop when you graduate from this institution of higher learning forget it. There is no money in it”

I don't like to make fun or talk ill of anyone but Mr. Piston couldn't see very well and had very thick glasses. We had to stop him several times from running into walls because his depth perception was not good. Every once in awhile he would be starting a lecture in the wrong direction and we had to guide him back to us. We did it in a tactful manner by asking a question to stir him in our direction. I always held respect for him. Until one day while we were eating Persian rolls from someone going on a donut run that he said:

“What is wrong with youth these days? When I was your age we would go down to Florida and chase after girls. Then after we would find some action we would take a big watermelon and pop a plug out of the top. Then we would take a large bottle of vodka and plug it in the top and let it saturate that melon. You just don’t see that anymore”

I was thinking you probably couldn't see it anyhow. Also I sat there and wondered who would say that to bunch of high school boys sitting up here in northern Wisconsin. Lucky we had enough gas to get our cars to school much less Florida.

We only had him for that year. I believe he transferred somewhere else (perhaps Florida) or he couldn't find his way back.

Amor Gitano. The freedom to find the elusive passion of life.

Mon, 2 Jan 2012 08:37:31 -0600

As I am writing this post the beginning phase of the Cold Moon is starting to show on the night skies. The Hunter is in the southern horizon. It seems I'm always looking at the night sky for that next song or wood flute creation. Maybe I'm like the hunter smelling the night air of creativity.

Sometimes I work too hard to find the next creative event. It should be a spontaneous, out of the blue type of thing. For some odd reason I get a lot of creative thoughts when I'm trail running. Maybe it is the feeling of freedom or the spirit of the elements like the earth, wind, and the wild.

Lately I have been listening to a lot of Gypsy Kings. My Spanish isn't that good but I really like the song “Amor Gitano” or Gypsy Love. The song is about what a Gypsy would do to find the true love or soul mate of their life. Ahhh to find that elusive soul mate. I was lucky and found mine.

Maybe I like listening to it relating it with my 2^nd passion or love and what I would do to find it's next step.

I must go where the Eagle flies and the Wolf runs.

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 10:26:08 -0600

The spirit of the woods sends out a strong vibe. You can sense it in the sunrise, sunset, and the wind. It attracts you like a beacon light to a ship going into safe harbor. I realize not everyone has this same feeling. You mention it to some and generally the reaction is

ickkkkkk.

Oh there are those who use the woods for their own reasons. Some good and some bad. I can keep going on and on about this but I would only get into trouble and that is not the intent of this blog post.

The premise of this scribbled writing is to tell you my values of trail running.

One afternoon I started to think of what I get out of this passion of mine. Before I knew it I had quite a list.

Trail Running=

freedom,

spiritual,

internal smile,

soulful journey,

soaring,

natural high,

guts,

strength,

rain mist face,

pine scents,

earthy,

wind,

mind clearing,

and the list just seems to grow.

The feeling of freedom. No restrictions trying to harness you. Like wild horses running on the open plains and mountain valleys.

Trail running = Freedom

New wood flute video

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 10:18:58 -0600

Hi friends, I have been working on this video for a while and finished it. I really like how it turned out. I am blessed to be the one behind the lens taking the pictures and video. Please share if you like it. Peace and blessings especially on this holiday week Kevin:)

If you can't view the video in this window here is the You tube url to watch it.

Video description; A collection of the beautiful Southwest in photos and video. The musical instrument used was a Native American style wood flute that the producer of this video also made in his studio. Reflections of the Soul is about a journey of the author traveling this sometimes mystical land called the Southwest. The song is from the album "Spirits of the High Plains" that will be released early 2012

Winter solstice video. Spirit of the Cold Moon.

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 00:01:00 -0600

The first day of winter is a mild one this year in northern Wisconsin. Not much snow as of yet and little cold weather. It was 5 degrees above 0 Fahrenheit this morning. I thought it would be cool (no pun intended) to hike into a favorite spot deep in the woods and do some video recording.

It is about a mile in from the forestry road to get there. The place I hiked to is Big Bend on the Yellow river. When I started from the truck it was sunny with little wind. But I was going along with the trek the clouds started to roll in and the winds picked up.

By the time I got to big Bend it was overcast and the winds were quite strong. I got the video recorder set up and by the time I started recording my hands were very cold. The place I chose to play from is a high embankment on the river and the southern wind was coming on strong. The loud thundering sound you occasionally hear on the video is the ice settling on the Yellow river.

When I finished and packed up my gear the winds started to diminish. Half way out the sun was coming back out with departing clouds. Back out at the truck it was calm and serene.

I believe things happen for a reason and not always on a practical aspect. Because I felt more than a cold wind out of the south on that winter solstice day.Kevin