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The Native Rhythms Festival organizing committee is currently in the process of completing the selection of performers for the 2011 festival. Our list of "headline" performers is nearly complete, with one possible addition. As formal commitment is reached with our "featured" performer cast, their photos and biographical information will be posted here. Check back often. 

2011 Native Rhythms Headline Performers

Robert Mirabal

mirabal.com

2008 GRAMMY Winner

2006 GRAMMY Winner

Two-time GRAMMY winner (2006 and 2008), Robert Mirabal, lives with his family at the foot of sacred Taos Mountain in northern New Mexico.

Maintaining a traditional life, keeping the centuries-old customs of the Taos Pueblo people, Robert has been described as a Native American "Renaissance man" - musician, composer, painter, master craftsman, poet, actor, screenwriter, horseman and farmer - and travels extensively playing his music all over the world.

If you live a traditional life you see things differently—spiritually and musically.

His first flute came when he was 18 with money he borrowed from his grand mother, and shortly afterwards he had the opportunity to meet Native American flute player R. Carlos Nakai who greatly influenced him.

When we met he looked at my hands and laughed. He said, I have that same scar. It's the scar of the flute maker.

In the years since, Robert has continued the evolution of his flute making and has also become a concert performer and recording artist. His dozen albums of traditional music, rock and roll, and spoken word present a contemporary view of American Indian life that is unequaled.

My music is informed by the ceremonial music that I've heard all my life. What I create comes out of my body and soul in a desire to take care of the spirits of the earth.

A leading proponent of world music, Robert has merged his indigenous American sound with those of Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, tapping into a planetary pulse with a style that defies categorization.

My travels have provided me with experiences that I could have never imagined, and exposed me to a global sound and a global voice.

Whether as a composer, songwriter or musician, Robert has won many honors including two-time Native American Artist of the Year, three-time Songwriter of the Year, a 2006 GRAMMY Award for Sacred Ground, and his 2008 GRAMMY for Johnny Whitehorse Totemic Flute Chants, blending all of Robert's influences into a musical landscape that conjures up both the historic and contemporary West.

We are honored to have Robert back for his second appearance at Native Rhythms. His performances at the 2010 festival captivated our audiences.

Arvel Bird

www.arvelbird.com
www.facebook.com/thearvelbird
 www.myspace.com/arvelbird
www.reverbnation.com/arvelbird

Arvel Bird, a Native American flutist/violinist, is known around the world for his dramatic connection between Native American and Celtic traditions, stirring up scenes that echo from North American memory. Dubbed "Lord of the Strings" by fans and music critics, his music evokes the soul of North American history and is thoroughly entertaining, but also enlightening and humanizing. In a language and experience that captures the hearts of all audiences, he's emotional without being condescending, intellectual without being pretentious. One measure of any art form is when the medium is so mastered that it becomes transparent, allowing its message to be seen, heard and felt. Arvel Bird has achieved that mastery. 

Bird’s first private violin teacher in Salt Lake City saw his early potential. She brought the magic of music to life and taught him to play with passion. Bird attended Arizona State University on music scholarship, and later transferred to Champagne/Urbana, IL where he studied classical violin with renowned Hungarian violinist Paul Roland at the University of Illinois. 

As he worked to develop his own music style and a large and loyal following, Bird went wherever the music called him, which led him away from classical and towards Bluegrass, Appalachian, Folk and Celtic. Bird returned to Arizona in 1986 and was quickly hired by Glen Campbell to tour worldwide for six years. In 1991, he moved to Nashville and also toured with Loretta Lynn, Tom T. Hall, Ray Price, Louise Mandrell, Clay Walker, and others. 

His dream to record and perform using the violin as a lead instrument – completely contrary to the Nashville view of the fiddle as a backup or side-musician instrument - began in 2001. The result was a fusion of both his Scottish (Clan Kennedy) and Native American (Paiute) roots that are uniquely his own and intricately woven throughout his songs. Bird has released 16 CDs and two DVDs, earning him numerous music awards. 

In 2009, he took home top honors for Best Instrumental Album and Best Producer/ 
Engineer (with Grammy-winning producer Tom Wasinger and Nashville engineer Chas Williams) at the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards for his orchestra album Tribal Music Suite: Journey of a Paiute. 

In 2007, he was voted Artist of the Year by his fans and peers at the Native American Music Awards. Bird led with six nominations at the 2010 Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards, and took home honors for Best Traditional Instrumental. 
During his years in the Midwest, Bird won the Indiana State Fiddle Contest four times while still perfecting a variety of musical styles. 

His continuously evolving music is delighting audiences worldwide. His latest album, From the Heart of a Paiute was released in March. 

Although based in Nashville, TN, Bird is permanently on the road, connecting with 
audiences the old-fashioned way...live. This is where Arvel's emotionally driven 
performances thrive, igniting concert venues, symphony halls, festivals and more, leaving his audiences inspired, transfixed and transformed.

Mark Holland with Cory Edwards

www.autumnschild.com

Mark Holland is considered by many authorities on the Native American Flute to be among the top flutists performing and recording today. Leader and founder of Autumn’s Child, Mark Holland has been called, "the Jimi Hendrix of the Native American Flute". His unique approach and usage of the flute along with his technical skills brings about such comparisons. Holland has described his project Autumn’s Child as Global Chamber Music; a hybrid of world, jazz, classical and folk styles. Through Autumn’s Child, Holland showcases the versatility of the Native American Flute, creating a new acoustic instrumental fusion, an eclectic sound that is truly one of a kind. Mark Holland started Autumn’s Child in 1995. He began his publishing and record label, Cedar n Sage Music in 1997. He has recorded 16 CDs to date.

Holland has a B.A. in Music from the University of Missouri where he studied with two members of the Saint Louis Symphony. Mark Holland is known for his unique soulful style of "playing from the heart". Holland has been a featured artist at a number of prestigious music festivals, including:

The International Native American Flute Association (INAFA) conventions in Kent, Ohio; Taos, New Mexico; Belmont, California; and Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Musical Echoes Flute and Art Festival in Fort Walton Beach, Florida
Zion Canyon Flute and Art Festival in Zion Canyon National Park, Utah
Potomac Native Flute Festival in Rockville, Maryland
Yosemite Flute Festival in Oakhurst, California
Magic Valley Flute Festival in Filer, Idaho
Native Rhythms  Flute Festival in Melbourne, Florida
Flower Mound Native Flute Retreat in Texas
Chippewa Valley Flute Retreat in Michigan
Oklahoma Native Flute Festival in Tahlequah, Oklahoma
Sunwatch Flute Festival in Dayton, Ohio. 

Holland has recorded some tracks for a future PBS documentary, "Redemption Road". He appeared as a guest on Capitol recording artist Chris Ledoux’s CD, "Horsepower". 

The music of Autumn’s Child has been played on NPR, PRI, JPR and Satellite Radio stations including Sirius/XM and Hearts of Space as well as various community and internetstations. Mark's Music has also been played on Jet Blue, Frontier and Air Tran airlines.

Holland has shared the stage with such diverse artists as R. Carlos Nakai, Mary Youngblood, Bill Miller, Oregon, The Rippingtons, Acoustic Alchemy, Jesse Cook, David Lanz, Tingstad & Rumbel, among others. 

Mark also tours regularly with Peter Mayer’s "Stars & Promises" concert series in addition to other performances and recordings including Peter’s Beatles Tribute project.

Most recently, Mark won the Indian Summer Festival in the Native Spirit category for 2010. He was also a finalist in the Native American Music Awards.

To find out more about Mark Holland, please visit http://www.autumnschild.com.

BOOKINGS: windnfire1@gmail.com

 

N. Scott Robinson

www.nscottrobinson.com

N. Scott Robinson, world percussionist, scholar, and teacher, has performed on the Grammy Award-winning CD Harlem Renaissance with the Benny Carter Big Band. He has also performed or recorded with a multitude of world class performers, including Mark Holland and Jeff Ball who are also appearing at this year's Native Rhythm Festival

Scott has produced two CDs of his music including World View (1994) and Things That Happen Fast (2001) released and distributed internationally by United One Records/Qualiton Imports. He also has an instructional video published called Hand Drumming: Exercises for Unifying Technique for udu (1996) distributed by Wright Hand Drum. Fourteen scores of his world percussion compositions (seven of which are commissions) have been published by HoneyRock Publishing and New World View Music in 2003-2010. His music and interviews have been featured on the nationally syndicated Public Radio International show Echoes by John Diliberto, among others.

Scott's national performance experience includes appearances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Apollo Theater, St. Peter's Church, Cathedral of St. John the Divine, and the Knitting Factory all in New York as well as The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, Severance Hall in Cleveland, Blues Alley in Baltimore, and elsewhere. He has also performed internationally in countries as diverse as West Africa, South Korea, Australia, India, Greece, Canada, Germany, Italy, and others.

Earlier this year, Scott's collaboration on the Wind & Fire CD with Mark Holland earned them an Indian Summer Music Award in Milwaukee.

BOOKINGS: windnfire1@gmail.com

The Jeff Ball Band

www.jeffball.net 

The current incarnation of the Jeff Ball Band has been in the making for 15 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); Sennen Quigley (guitar); Randy Ball (bass and synth pads); N. Scott Robinson (percussion) 

Jeff Ball

Jeff Ball was first exposed to the American Indian Flute while attending a Powwow in Baltimore, D in 1993. Though given some basic instruction from a Choctaw named Windtamer, he is largely self-taught. "I am often asked what kind of music I play, to which I respond: 'I don't know. It's music that I like. I've been told there are two kinds of music, good and bad, I try to make the former.'" Jeff was honored with a Native American Music Awards nomination for best flutist of the year in 1998, and his album Cedar Moon won it's category in 2001. The band’s most recent album “Ghost Town” is a finalist in the Indian Summer Festival’s Native Spirit category. 

Scott August

cedarmesa.com

Native American Music Award winner, and three time nominee, Scott August is a nationally acclaimed composer, producer, keyboardist and Native American flute player known for his forays into World Music. His music has been featured on the nationally syndicated radio shows “Hearts of Space” and “Echoes” as well as receiving airplay on the the digital networks XM, Sirius and DirecTV.

One of the nation’s most influential Native American flute players, August was a headline performer at the 2006, 2007, and 2011 Zion Canyon Flute Festival as well as the 2008 and 2009 Yosemite Flute Festival and 2011 Musical Echoes. He is known for both his award winning music and knowledge of the Native American flute. In July 2005 he opened for Dr. Wayne Dyer at the International New Age Trade Show and he was a musical guest at the 2005 TED conference.

Echoes radio says "August has always been a cut or two above most native flute players... He layers guitars, keyboards and all kinds of percussion into his compositions, moving from world fusion to airy ambiences."

August has also composed music and sound design for hundreds of films, commercials and video projects, for clients such as NASA, The Discovery Channel, Lexus, Chevrolet, HBO, Nabisco, and Minolta. The Los Angeles Times has called his music "shimmering and luminous."

August began his musical training on cello and piano, and became interested in world music when he was given as African kalimba at age 10. He discovered Native American flutes in 1996 during a trip to the Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico. Its haunting sound captivated him, and he soon began adding native flutes to his recordings. He founded Cedar Mesa Music in 2001.

 

Dock Green Silverhawk

www.dockgreensilverhawk.com

www.silverhawkflutegathering.com

Dock Green Silverhawk's life with the flute began many years ago as he was being transported to life saving open-heart surgery and went into cardiac arrest, sudden cardiac death. While in this state he went into the "white light", and had a near-death experience and vision. His life was forever changed.

Dock is of Creek and Cherokee blood and three months after leaving the hospital his wife Cindy took him to his first Indian powwow to learn more about his heritage. There the Lord led him to the Native American flute. A year later he began using the flute in the same hospital as a chaplain and uses the medicine of the flute and power of prayer in the Intensive Care Unit and Cardiac Critical Care Unit at Tampa General Hospital. Today Silverhawk is considered a pioneer of using the flute in this manner and is requested at other hospitals as well as TGH.

His ministry has been featured on local Tampa Bay television NBC, CBS, FoxTV, PBS and national NBC NEWS. He has also been featured in the Tampa Tribune, St Pete Times, and local radio stations.

Silverhawk is the founder and spiritual leader of the American Indian Christian Circle of Thonotosassa, Fl., one of the first churches of it's kind in the country. He is a co-founder and Chairman of CONAM (Committee On Native American Ministries) of The United Methodist Conference of Florida. He is a co-founder of the annual CONAM Spiritual Gathering in Leesburg, Fl. Dock is also the founder, with Mike Knight's help, of Silverhawk Native American Flute Gathering, an annual event.

Dock has the distinction of being the first place winner of the flute playing competition of the first Musical Echoes. The second year he was asked to be the chaplain and a judge at these competitions and still serves in this capacity now. He recently had the extreme honor of being asked to represent the American Indian people of the Tampa Bay area and lead off the grand opening ceremonies with prayer and flute songs for the Tampa Bay History Center.

More recently, Dock was voted "Artist of the Year" for 2009 by the Greater Brandon Arts Council, the first Native American and the first non-visual artist to win this award.

Silverhawk also plays and speaks at numerous events and churches as well as hospitals and federal prisons.

Dock's life wish is to continue to be used by Creator and His Son to bring peace, comfort, and healing to those in great need through the power of prayer and medicine of the flute. "I pray He continues opening doors for me to serve Him, and uses me until He calls me home".

Clint Goss

www.clintgoss.com

Performing artist, Clint Goss, melds a wide array of world instruments to create organic, improvisational, "Ethnic Fusion" music. His particular blend of world instruments is a result of his early experience on the clarinet, his encounter with the Native American Flute, and extensive experience traveling and performing around the world. His performances weave rhythms and melodies from many musical heritages to create music that is deeply respectful of the cultures that created the instruments he plays.

In 2003, Clint and his wife, Vera, began facilitating music workshops for Native American Flute players. Clint earned a certificate in music facilitation from the Music for People organization, founded by cellist David Darling, and now facilitates weekend and full-week workshops.

Clint performs on the Native American Flute, Indian Bansuri, African Kalimba, Slovakian Fujara and Koncovka, Indian Shruti box, Swiss Hang Drum, and a variety of world percussion instruments including African Djembe and Udu. He has performed and recorded on five continents, both solo and in a wide range of musical ensembles. His collaborations have included artists Randy Brody and the Global Rhythm Group, Catherine Marie Charlton and the CMC Trio, Jim Parker at the famous Nashville song venue The Bluebird, Ron Kravitz of Music in the Moment, David Darling, Peter Phippen, Ash Dargan, Zambian Reggae artist Mathew Tembo, Marrakesh Gnawa musician Youssef Mestauri, Choctaw flutist Don Zimbelman, and Adelante, with members J. Jody Janetta and Paul Mimlitsch.

He has recently collaborated with renowned bluegrass artist Eric Miller and vocalist Lynn Miller to form the SpiritGrass ensemble. In 2006, the released the SpiritGrass CD on the Manifest Spirit Label.

Ed WindDancer

www.edwinddancer.com

Ed WindDancer, dancer, flutist and educator, is a Nanticoke Indian who was born and raised on the eastern shore of Maryland in a family and culture that has a very close and unique relationship with the land. "We hunted, fished, and grew crops for our well being and, in growing up this way, learned how to live with our animal brothers and sisters and all the wonderful creatures belonging to our Mother Earth and Father Sky. Nanticoke Elders are beautiful people who taught me the precious things of our native culture."

While a member of the U.S. Military, Ed was president of an American Indian dance group that toured the Hawaiian Islands. He has successfully performed before audiences in Europe and across the United States where his gifts as a flutist, dancer, and educator continue to keep him in demand as a presenter at schools and at cultural and civic events. "I use my gifts from Creator to educate people and have dedicated my life to this path."

A highly regarded musician and head dancer at many Pow Wows, Ed has the honor of being adopted into a Lakota family, the Medicines of Wakpala, South Dakota.

Jonny Lipford

jonnylipford.com

What does it mean to think "flute outside the box?" Jonny Lipford takes an age old instrument and uses it to create not only the traditional sounds, but also sounds that are new and not commonly linked to the Native American style flute - a voice all his own.  In every song you hear, you'll experience the unbridled passion of an individual who has experienced far more than many people his age.  Jonny's innate sense of composition and mature understanding of melody touches the soul. Jonny's hands play out melodies that are uniquely pure, invoking a variety of emotions that will warm your heart and leave you astonished at his musical technique. Whether it be a jazzy beat, spirited tune or a heartfelt ballad that you desire, you will surely be satisfied. 

Today Jonny Lipford, who started his musical journey at the young age of 13, continues to shares his music with audiences across the United States and broadcasts world wide.  Lipford has been featured on NativeRadio.com, the worlds largest collection of broadcasted Native music, as Spotlight Artist with the debut of his first release. As a composer of his own original music, Jonny has been recognized as a two time NAMA Nominee, ISMA and JPF Nominee and NEMA Winner. Along his journey, he has shared the stage with many notable musicians including Mary Youngblood, Mark Holland, Jeff Ball, Arvel Bird and Michael DeMaria.  Most will find it hard to believe that one so young could have mastered the flute so perfectly. With a love and respect for all types of music, Jonny awakens these genres, making him a true virtuoso in this industry.

Jonny honored us in 2009 by selecting the Native Rhythms Festival to launch his third and latest CD, Turn the Page.

Billy Whitefox

www.billywhitefox.com

Billy Whitefox Stall is a Native American of the Southeastern Muskogee Creeks. As a tribal dancer in men's traditional dance Billy won many awards. He then began teaching tribal dance to youth and in 1985, was gifted his first flute by a student's father. It was a cedar flute given to him by Quana Parker, Jr., and of course this changed his life. With his interest now focused on tribal flute music, he sought knowledge from his Uncle Clyde concerning rivercane flutes.

He played his Native American Flute Music and made his Old-Style Rivercane Flutes for the next few years, until in 1998 he released his first professional CD, "Sacred Journey".

Billy was made Vice-Chief of the Red Heart Clan of Alabama in 2003, a significant event and great honor in his life. In 2009, Billy was asked to join the Southeastern Elders Council and was re-appointed by Governor Crist to his 3rd consecutive term as a Florida State Commissioner on Human Relations.

In 2005 Billy was awarded Flutist of the Year, winning that year's Native American Music Award or NAMA with the release of his second disk, entitled "When the Wind Sings".

Billy shares his Creek ancestry through international recordings of Native American flute music and storytelling. He enjoys touring the country sharing his music and stories of his heritage. Billy Whitefox is also a national champion Flute Maker, well known for his old-style techniques in making rivercane flutes.

 

Mistress of Ceremony
Chante Ishta

Chante Ishta hosted Florida's own Native American cultural radio show, Two Worlds, on WMNF 88.5 FM, between 2000 and 2008.

Chante Ishta is a much sought after Mistress of Ceremony for Native American music events. Some of these events include:

Musical Echoes (Ft. Walton Beach, FL)
Silverhawk Flute Festival (Dade City, FL)
The Green Frog Moon Festival
Native Rhythms Festival (Melbourne, FL)

Chante Ishta was a presenter at the 2005 and 2006 Native American Music Awards, and was a judge and presenter at the 2006 Indian Summer Music Awards.

In addition to what she is best known for, Chante Ishta is also a singer and a songwriter. Her current CD is entitled It All Begins With a Prayer.

Painted Raven

www.painted-raven.com

Painted Raven is a contemporary Native American and World Music duo from Central Pennsylvania. Their first CD titled “Spirit Journey” features an exciting blend of Native American flute, acoustic guitar, keyboards, and various ethnic percussion instruments, presented in an eclectic variety of contemporary and World music styles.

David Rose, a lifelong musician of Mexican and Native American heritage, now resides in Elizabethtown, PA. David has recorded two solo CD's entitled, "Kokopelli Songs" and "From The Spirit." Most recently, his flute music was featured on internationally acclaimed Mars Lasar's "Tahoe Spirit." Music from this CD was used in the Jeff Corwin's MSNBC documentary, "100 Heartbeats.”

As a solo performer, David has performed at weddings, art gallery openings, historical venues, libraries, public events, multi-cultural events, charity events, and educational functions. In 2008, he performed as part of the The Gatherings Concert Series in Philadelphia, PA, hosted by Chuck van Zyl, host of Stars End radio program.

Annette Abbondanza, a native of central Pennsylvania, currently resides in Orlando, FL. Previously with the band The Legend of Stone Soup, Annette focused her musical talents toward furthering the efforts of various charitable organizations such as Domestic Violence Services, The Food Bank, American Cancer Research, AIDS awareness, and many other urgent causes.

Self-taught on guitar, keyboards, Native American flute and many other instruments, Annette has written, recorded and produced several of her own CDs, as well as many other recording projects for several other area artists and youth. She has performed at the Hershey Theater for the live broadcast of the public radio production “The Chords are Stacked” and performed at many regional arts and music festivals. Her music has been aired on many local and national radio and web broadcasts such as NPR's “Echoes” with John DiLiberto, The River WRVV 97.3 FM, and most recently Richmond, Virginia's "InterTribal" program on WRIR 97.3 lpfm.

David and Annette have just recently released their brand new Painted Raven CD titled “Mirage,” and accompanying music videos on YouTube featuring songs from the new CD.

Painted Raven also appears on:
FaceBook ( http://www.facebook.com/PaintedRaven2 ), 
Twitter ( http://twitter.com/PaintedRaven2 ), 
MySpace, ( http://www.myspace.com/paintedravenmusic ) and 
YouTube ( http://www.youtube.com/user/PaintedRavenMusic

For more information about Painted Raven, please visit their website at www.painted-raven.com

 

Mark McGourley


Photo credit: Wildflowre Photography

www.markmcgourley.com


CD cover photo credit: HST/NASA/ESA

Mark McGourley is a seasoned performer and multi-instrumentalist with over 25 years of professional experience. He started his career performing bass guitar, keyboards and lead vocals in a variety of bands throughout the Tampa Bay area. For the past 10 years he has focused more on his acoustic guitar and vocal abilities and has become a solid solo act performing at the top venues along the Suncoast beaches. 

More than 20 years ago Mark's mother gifted him his first Native American flute and he has been playing and composing on it ever since. He has written several hundred tunes largely inspired by nature and many of these peaceful songs are based on melodies created with the NA flute. His original performances feature selections which are sure to soothe the soul from his first CD titled "Universe Dance" as well as tunes from his upcoming yet untitled second album focusing on NA flute, guitar and percussion.

In 2009, Mark performed as guitarist with world premier NA flutist R. Carlos Nakai and multi-Grammy nominee world percussionist Will Clipman. During that same summer he traveled across the U.S. and journeyed for several months all over the west. He has hiked very extensively throughout more than 30 of our country's most prominent National Parks and has accumulated video and photo imagery of all these majestic places. 

Over the past two years Mark has performed at several NA flute festivals in Florida and his performance of “Kokopelli's Dance” was featured on the “Live from the 2010 Native Rhythms Festival” compilation CD along with many of the world’s top NA flute artists. He is currently producing a multi-media live show of his music synchronized with a video projection backdrop of his moving visual images of nature. He will begin touring with this powerful performance in early 2012 and will release his second CD soon after.

Mark holds a B.A. in Creative Writing and a M.A. in Education from the University of South Florida.

For more more information and audio demo please visit Mark’s website at

 www.markmcgourley.com

See Mark performing with Nakai in concert -

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aryeXvKp2Uo&feature=related 

Mark Wagenschnur

Mark Wagenschnur has been making music his whole life but his love affair with the Native American style flute and its magical music began in 2007. Originally from Wilmington, Delaware, Mark has resided in Palm Coast, Florida since 2004. He crafts all his flutes from local bamboo and embellishes them with gifts from Mother Earth and the sea.

Mark has performed his original flute compositions at jazz and blues venues in Pennsylvania and Delaware as well as the following festivals:

Silverhawk Native American Flute Gathering, Dade City , Florida

Green Frog Moon Festival, St. Petersburg, Florida

Heartsbreath Flute Extravaganza, Weedon Island, Florida 

21st Annual Native American Festival, Waycross, Georgia

The Soul Fest, Daytona Beach, Florida

Mark has collaborated with several Florida musicians including St. Petersburg’s Key of Life, has performed live on Flagler County radio and has been the featured local artist in the Daytona Beach News Journal’s “In the Spotlight”. His music can be found on the CD, Flutie and the Blowhards, a collection of flute music from four Central Florida musicians. Mark is currently working on a project of original piano and flute compositions including some tracks with guitarist Steve Forester. 

Mark enjoys donating his time teaching people, young and old, about this magical instrument and its healing gifts. He feels we all have the ability within us to make a joyful noise.

Easy Feelin'

Laura Covel Clark and John Ellis first met a couple years ago at a gathering of the Indian River Flute Circle in Cocoa, FL. Laura was one of the founders and the principal leader of the group at the time. John became a regular participant in the group, sharing his knowledge of flute construction to complement Laura’s flute playing guidance with people who found their way to the group’s monthly gatherings. John would sometimes bring a guitar or other instrument to play with the circle members, expanding their flute playing experience to include playing improvisations with accompaniment. During one of these gatherings, John & Laura began playing together and liked the way the instrumental duets sounded. John introduced a guitar background he had written to accompany a Native American Flute lead, and Laura immediately improvised the flute part, which they play today as their original composition called Remembrance. From that impromptu beginning was born Easy Feelin’

Easy Feelin’ blends the many moods of Laura’s Native American Flutes with a variety of John’s picked and strummed acoustic instruments to create a sound that is best described as easy listening. The music includes both imaginative versions of traditional popular songs, such as Summertime, Wayfaring Stranger, and House of the Rising Sun, with original compositions, like Autumn Snowfall, Remembrance, and Tumbleweeds.

Laura Covel Clark’s life-long love of music has provided opportunities to dabble with several instruments, but the pure and simple sounds of the Native American style flutes bring her an inner peace that no other instrument provides. She says that playing the flute has taught her that life – like music, does not have to be complicated to have great value and she enjoys playing for anyone who will listen, especially those who may not often get the chance to hear live music. Laura finds special fun when others join in by playing along on another instrument or one of the many rhythmic noise makers she collects to share with people who want to participate in the music making.

John Ellis first picked up a guitar at a friend’s home in the late ‘50s. After getting his own guitar that Christmas, he quickly gravitated to the popular folk music of those days. During high school he hooked up with two like-minded friends to form their own trio, called the Bayou Brothers. After graduation in ‘63, the trio broke up as each of the members headed off to college in different directions. John helped form a couple other groups through his undergraduate years. Following graduation, he entered the Air Force and his music was mostly kept on the shelf. Although he kept his Epiphone 12-string handy during all the years that intervened, he didn’t perform publicly again until joining the Praise Band at the Pineda Presbyterian Church about 7 years ago. There he has added his virtuosity with a variety of instruments and his folk/gospel background to the Contemporary Christian/rock music of the band core, helping to create a unique blended sound.

John is self-taught, although teaching guitar himself to help pay his way through college, and plays a variety of instruments, including 6-string, 12-string, and classical guitars, 5-string banjo, autoharp, harmonica, and most recently, the Native American Flute. Since leaving his “first career” as a software & systems engineer in the aerospace industry a couple years ago, his primary focus has been on making Native American style flutes and hand drums, and now is carrying that over to hybrid classical/electric guitars, under the business name Turtle Mound Flutes. In all of his instruments, it’s the animal-themed artwork that makes them distinctive on the market.

Jim Peck

 

Jim Peck is a relative new comer to the flute world. After suffering a very serious back injury in 2008, Jim discovered the flutes as part of his healing process, and instantly found a deep and profound love for the instrument which has since changed his life. No longer able to return to his former job, Jim has instead devoted all his free time learning the flutes, and in the last year has begun playing at local Adult Living Facilities and Nursing Homes in the hope of sharing some of the magic the flutes can bring.

 

Sydney Lee Mitchell

Born in Alabama, Sydney has extensively traveled the country experiencing the wonderful diversity of its people and cultures along the way. She has played and performed standard Native American flute from a very young age, and her unique playing style has developed a maturity beyond her years.

As one of the up-and-coming flute players gracing the Native Rhythms stage this year, Sydney truly enjoys live performing. She has earned many accolades including 1st place at Native Rhythms in 2009, and most recently, placing 2nd of 97 entrants at Musical Echoes 2011. She has performed at numerous Native American festivals and cultural events across the country including Middle Tennessee State University, Cheyenne Frontier Days, Moundville Archaeological Park, Chasco Fiesta Native Venue, The Parks at Chehaw, and Janney Museum.

Sydney currently demonstrates a flute education program for the University of Alabama called Fluting Through the Ages at Jones Archeological Museum and has shared the stage with talented performers such as Jan Seiden, Billy Whitefox, Dave McCullen and many others.

This young lady, known to her friends, students and fans of all ages as “Kokopelli Girl”, has a unique playing style and an innovative approach to ancient rim-blown flutes like the Anasazi, Hopi, and Mojave. It is often said that she “flutes like a girl” with a lingering warmth and tenderness uncommonly seen in the modern flute world. At age 18, she is currently in-studio recording music for one of many highly anticipated albums, the first of which will be released in 2012.

Come and experience the music of Kokopelli Girl, Sydney Mitchell.

Find her on Youtube at

  http://www.youtube.com/user/KokopelliGirlRocks?blend=2&ob=5  

and keep an eye out on Facebook for the ever elusive Kokopelli Girl. You never know where she’ll turn up next!

For more information and possible event bookings contact her at:

Facebook: Sydney Mitchell

  http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100001621576917

Email: kokopelligirl93@yahoo.com  

Please send questions or comments regarding this website to webmaster@nativerhythmsfestival.com.