Folks, the final total raised for this Flutes and Roots project including checks is $2405! A wonderful show of support for a $1600 request. When I looked through the list of those being charged I was really moved to feel the vote of confidence represented by each pledge. Some pledged because they love and play flutes themselves; some were attracted by the flute offers I made; some were indicating their support of me personally; and a few have already seen the power of the ideas I'm pulling together in this work. I believe that these programs I've been creating and practicing have transformative potential in this society... but I don't know how much. What I do know is that the effects they do have will always be proportional to my confidence in myself and my work, and that your vote of confidence has skyrocketed my own. And that's a gift in itself that will keep on giving.

Within a few days those who have signed up for "rewards" will be getting an email from Kickstarter asking for the information I need to get you your downloads / CDs (physical address and/or email address). I already have most of this information from those who have pledged for flutes.

Thanks once again, deeply felt... and blessings to all.

Thank you so much to every one who pledged. We reached and exceeded the goal today and I'm thrilled! Time to get back to work on the new piece you'll be receiving.

The show in Boston was successful and three flute orders were placed through this site, enabling the project's success. There was a magical moment at the show when my previous work showed up with perfect timing to support this new work, at the same time emphasizing the deep influence musical offerings like these can have on kids. It was one of the more memorable moments of my whole career.

Additional pledges will be used for beginning to equip the performance stage, in particular first a wireless mic that I need to freely move around.

Many, many thanks again to all! This project will stay right here for the next few months as I create the flute reproductions. You'll be able to check on the progress through my updates.

We're coming up on the final push- less than two weeks to go! I'm ready to light a fire under this project, get to the finish line and honor the pledges you have already made. The strategy is simple:
I would like to get to $900 with small pledges (already have $480 pledged here and $290 in checks = $770) and then if someone pledges toward the $700 flute or two $350 flutes... BINGO!
And to help that happen I've made the flute rewards into sweet deals... get up to a $550 flute for $350, get up to a $1000 flute for $700! I will be at the Boston Home Show this weekend offering these flute deals to lots of people. Or, anyone could change their pledge to include a flute. Or, tell me your other good ideas!
I've been doing a bunch of promotion for this in the past week (slow results). I realize that this project is an unusual blend of already unusual elements, so it's hard to explain completely in a few words. But just because it's so multidimensional, there are also lots of reasons to support it! I've come up with a list:
~ It uses the arts to help expand peoples' perspective
~ It's focused on the big planetary picture
~ It's rich and flexible... can be about music, multiculturalism or environment while always including the other two (arts, sciences, humanities)
~ Can be modified for all ages (K thru adult)
~ Introduces new environmental perspectives (see idea page)
~ Cool musical instruments... what's cooler than a 40,000-year-old flute made by a caveman, that plays a harmonious sounding tune?
~ One individual telling their truth to the world can inspire others.
It's taken me years to get to this point. I still remember the day before the first ever pilot performance of this project... I was driving to my workshop and suddenly FELT THE ALIGNMENT, an almost physical feeling flowing up and down through my body, of all the important skills, energies and interests of my life coming together in this one work. And I thought, wow, I wonder how many people ever have this feeling. What a privilege.
Getting this kickstarter project to the finish line is an essential part of the launch this year. So tell a friend about some good deals on a beautiful Native American style flute!

On Thursday I did the first ever "Flutes and Roots for Kids" at Shirley Middle School, Shirley, MA. After watching the video I rate my performance a solid B+... and it will only get better as I refine the script and get more practice. The excerpt below is 17 min. of the hour long program. The first, iffy notes from the 40,000 year old flute prototype are 13 minutes in. I really do need the time to create a more playable instrument!

Total pledges for this project are now $720 including the web-wary. Almost halfway there! I hope I don't need to use the checks though.

Thanks to all for your support of this happenin' project!!! (FYI- pledges can be easily increased)

Today the NY Times *highlighted* my blog comment describing this project. It's in response to Andy Revkin's topic: "What Matters Most?", talking about arts and environment. If it brought you here, thanks for looking!

I am encouraged in many directions about this project! My heartfelt thanks to the first 10 contributors, plus three web-wary people who have sent checks. The total is now $605, a fine start with 25 days to go. Tell your friends!

I have gotten the first wood reproduction of the 40,000 year old flute to the point where I can play a few notes! It sounds much like similar bone flutes I've heard on the internet... like a person whistling gently. So now I know that the holly will indeed work for this kind of small thin flute. It probably weighs not more than an ounce, really feels like a bird bone when you pick it up. I'll post photos/videos of this little flute next week.

It's been sinking in ever more how amazing it is that the "cave man" of popular imagination was able to create these delicate instruments using stone implements. And what's really sparked my imagination is playing these flutes in the caves.... which can have such powerful acoustics (see this article). It almost makes me think that the cathedrals of Europe were (subconscious) attempts to duplicate the acoustics of the caves we inhabited for so many millenia. Playing such a flute in the caves back then must have been a powerful high. Why, great acoustics are a powerful high for a flute player even today, with so much other stimulation competing! The ability to get those otherworldly sounds must have made our ancestors feel really special... like they were in touch with the deep magic of life.

Just found out I got my first local Cultural Council grant... for doing a performance at a local charter school, the Chinese Immersion School in Hadley, MA. Thanks for the support, state of Massachusetts!

Well, I just produced my first 10-minute video... for Kickstarter! Complete with live performance on flutes. It was kind of fun, and I certainly learned a lot. The camera has a tiny mic so I'll be getting better audio quality on there when I can... the voice sounds OK, just some of the flutes are tinny.

I have a Middle School performance of Flutes and Roots for Kids coming up Feb. 11, and I hope to get the first prototype of the amazing 40,000-year-old flute done by then. Will it play??? You'll be among the first to know!

Thanks for checking out this project!