The Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs recently awarded me a Cultural Explorers International grant to study a collection of ceramic West Mexican prehispanic musical objects dating from about 1800BC to 600AD; it now resides at Bangor University in Wales, UK. I’m just back from my journey, and had a great time. This Crossley-Holland collection is world class and fabulous, 325 pieces of sculptures of musicians, flutes, ocarinas, bone rasps, rattles, and shell and clay trumpets. I brought back lots of pictures of the collection as well as of Wales, recordings of selected flutes, and seven flutes I made inspired by the ancient ones. What a gift! to look at and to play these ancient and beautiful objects.
After 30 years of making clay flutes, yet again these instruments have taught me something new about my craft.
Through sounds and images, come & share my journey!