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In
2002,
my wife and I were
celebrating our anniversary
in a small town called
Julian, CA (near San Diego),
we walked around the local
shops. There was a shop with
Indian goods displayed, this
caught my eye and we went
inside. There was one
display that particularly
caught my interest. It was
the one with several native
American style flutes. The
store owner noticed my
interest and said “try one
out” so I picked one from
the display, It was a
beautiful flute made of
cedar in the key of F#, as I
played it I could hear the
haunting and mystical sound
it produced... I was moved
and I felt inside me... the
need to pursue this
instrument more. I began to
read books, purchase native
American music cd's and
obtain as much information I
could from the Internet,
It wasn't much longer before
I felt I needed to learn to
play the Native American
Flute.
I purchased my first flute
online from a well known
flute maker located in
Arizona in 2005. After the
flute arrived I couldn’t put
it down. I continued to play
every chance I could. I
purchased many flutes from
different flute makers, just
to see the different types,
shapes, styles and sounds.
Soon I realized that my
journey was to make
beautiful sounding flutes. I
began to read various
instructional flute-making
books and watch DVD’S.
My first flute I made was
out of cedar, in the key of
F# and it sounded great and
I decided to call it Wolf
Claw Flutes and proceeded to
number it as #1. I continued
on to #2, #3, #4 and so on,
each time experimenting with
different keys and different
types of wood... always
learning. My passion was
soon recognized as friends
and family started to
purchase my flutes. I did
custom orders that prompted
me to experiment with
mixtures of woods.
Even though it is difficult
to part with the flutes, I
knew in my heart that people
would enjoy them the same
way that I do!
I am of Cherokee descent but
am not associated with a
tribe or clan, I cannot make
Native American Flutes. But
I do consider myself a
Native American, being born
and raised in this blessed
country. I create my Native
American Style flutes out of
the love for the traditions
of our nations ancestors,
and for the music they
inspired, and the
instruments they created.
I look forward to creating
one for you! -Dave |
