Yay! Random cool stuff! I like the sound of this blog! Well, I decided I wanted to focus on R. Carlos Nakai and the Native American flute for this one. Oddly enough, I just found out I had a CD of his on my computer. It’s called Desert Dance and it is in the Converse music library. I found it by accident last summer and thought it was neat, so I picked it up. I literally just found it as I was waiting for Blogger to load, so I’m listening to it while I write my blog. Coolness!
Interestingly enough, Carlos Nakai started out as a trumpet player, but was involved in a car accident that ruined his embouchure. He only started playing the Native American flute when he received one as a gift and was challenged to become a master on it. Mission accomplished, don’t you think..?
Nakai is featured in thirty-five different CDs, spanning from the mid 1980’s up until 2010. He’s had an amazingly successful career!
Nakai has worked with many well know musicians from around the world, including the Wind Travelin’ Band of Japan and Nawang Khechong, a Tibetan flutist and chanter.
Alright, now onto the actual instrument! :) Fun! The Native American flute is very different from the transverse flute that most of us are familiar with. It’s played pointing downward, sort of like a clarinet and has a very different anatomy. They differ in length, decoration and overall construction depending on which tribe and part of the world you are in.
I really don’t know what else to say for this.
Oh, quick thing – the reason I don’t have YouTube links to the coolie keen stuff and I tell you to go look it up is because I can’t get on YouTube on my computer – It would use up the limited number of Gigs I receive from my internet provider and then they would start charging me out the bum. So yeah, that’s the reason I don’t have links to there. I do, however, have these links!
http://cedarmesa.com/flutehistory.html -- A site talking about the history of the Native American flute, as well as anatomical aspects and other information.
http://www.rcarlosnakai.com/biography.php -- Carlos Nakai’s website, giving you all kinds of cool information about him.
I did have a few pictures for you all, but Blogger is being mean again -- I apologize.
It's nice to have some more info about Carlos Nakai--I hadn't known that he started out as a trumpeter.
ReplyDeleteYou DO need to be providing your videos, links, et. al., though. There are lots of computers available on campus, and real life (and future employers) tends to assume that we're all fully functional, technologically speaking.