By Point Kirby

When you inquire someone why he or she likes a band, player or style of music, the typical response is either, "they're awesome," в they rock" or "it's enjoyable stuff." Mankind tend to conjecture that hymn is simply for entertainment. And as for musicians, the motive they play chin music either involves "the call" to create so or the ego-driven itch to stand in front of a crowd. On the contrary why discharge we yet enjoy music? Is it, as Shakespeare stated, "to soothe the fierce beast"? It's not compatible it's being or death. Or is it? For Gera Clark and John Sarantos, who perform on Native American flutes as the NightDancers, bebop is that deep. Mister Santos started with the facile fancy to distinct himself musically, nevertheless discovered that the Native American flute, by its nature, takes one beyond pigeonholed functions, including new-age "meditation" music. Ms. Clark's exploration to heavy metal started with desperately needing something of a lifetime wrinkle at a critical time. She states: "After a prolonged critical illness, I began to settle my esprit back together... While on this spiritual path, I discovered the Native American flute." In this period of art-as-diversion, or lifestyle accessory, it is a wonderfully good surprize to be reminded that, as Clark and Santos affirm in the interview below, melody is a almighty and curative force.

[Mark Kirby] What clement of tune was played in your down home when you were growing up?

[Gera Clark] My cyclopean played classical ragtime on the piano as an escape from her life as an urban housewife raising four children. When I started school, my immeasurable went back to effort and I noticed her appetite for opera increased dramatically. My dad fancied himself as career Bing Crosby and I would grab him at once and then trying to be taught the cha cha. Meanwhile, my sister would sneak in rock and roll. We aspired to draft classical well-organized in the style of Trill King. We as well listened to some of my relatives' records, one life Seamus Ennis, my grand uncle who played the Uilleann pipes (an Irish type of bagpipes).

[John Sarantos] During my early years, my extensive would play classical and operatic piece when I was in school, on the other hand further tiny harmonization was played while I was homey apart from at Christmas.

[Mark Kirby] What kinds of air carry you studied prior to the Native American flute?

[Gera Clark] As a child, my great would bribe me with soda to select piano lessons since she wanted me to be a youngster prodigy. When I was able to expedition on my own, I took up the traverse flute, which I carried with me for three years.

[John Sarantos] I tried learning the drums from the lower flying academy rhythm teacher, however he told me I had no rhythm and would not drudgery with me. After attending a Jethro Tull concerto and activity inspired by Ian Anderson's flute playing, I tried the transverse flute, but was told by my flute instructor that I was tone deaf and she wouldn't drudge with me. I tried singing, but I was told that I was tone deaf by three better Los Angeles sound coaches and they would not commission with me. I tried guitar and banjo, but it was solid to play even-handed cords as I could not sing along with myself. Then I discovered the Native American flute.

[Mark Kirby] How did you come to dawn playing Native American orchestration in general, the flute in particular?

[Gera Clark] After the downfall of my spouse and a swift rebound wedding and divorce, followed by a prolonged critical illness, I began to place my activity back together. I further began searching for beauty. While on this spiritual path, I discovered the Native American flute.

One day, I commence myself approximately a hundred miles west of Just out York standing gone a Tibetan Buddhist Temple, when suddenly I heard the most cute sound. Next the powerful, even haunting sound, I discovered it emanating from a Native American flute, played by Ed Callshim (Ponca Sioux). After this experience, I last of all institute a flute of my own at the Federal Museum of the American Indian in Latest York. Later, when travelling to Niagara Falls with my teacher, Amy Refuge (Iroquois), a profound require to connect with my earlier travels in the southwest was awakened. On one specific journey, I endow myself exploring the canyons along the Rio Grande. Eventually I was led to the mountains and the Taos Pueblo, where I heard that haunting sound drifting fini the air. I followed it to its source, a hardly any adobe. Looking inside, I met a amiable and talented gentleman who encouraged me to play the native flute. That gentleman, unbeknownst to me at the time, is one of the finest Native American flute players in the world, John Rainer, Jr. (Taos/Creek). Leaving Current Mexico with renewed faith, I was led, via The American Indian Limited Habitat in Contemporary York, to Franc Menusan (Muskogee Creek). He became my immoderately patient mentor for various years.

On my birthday, I flew away to an R. Carlos Nakai (Navajo/Ute) concert with the San Francisco Symphony, where I learned about the Renaissance of the Native American Flute workshop in Montana. I came back to Advanced York and booked myself a flight to Montana, which was where I met John Sarantos, and our euphonious business was born.

[John Sarantos] My mother, who was 84-years-old at the time, introduced me to the air of the Peter Kater and R. Carlos Nakai duo. Mr. Kater, who is of German heritage, played piano, and Mr. Nakai the native flute. I discovered that I besides love the sound of the native flute. I went to a Kater and Nakai concert in Chicago, where Nakai mentioned a week-long workshop at the Feathered Conduit Ranch in Helena, Montana. I had a election of paying about $1,200 for the flute workshop taught by Mr. Nakai and his companion and flute-maker, Ken Light, or going to Japan for two weeks, all expenses paid by the institution where I was teaching. I chose Montana.

[Mark Kirby] What ahead you to play this all heart of meditative music?

[John Sarantos] We don't consider of it as apart meditative music. We worked adamantine to stay outside from falling into that stereotype of lyrical style on our CD. Although a quota of community advantage our document for meditation, they very appropriateness it for healing and relaxation. Distinct persons who keep cancer told me that they jewel inner tranquillity while listening to в Montana Crossings'.

[Gera Clark] In fact, after John had his cancer surgery persist year, we definite that 10% of the gross sales from в Montana Crossings' would be used to pay for flutes for cancer patients. So far, we accept donated flutes to cancer flute circles and individuals in Cutting edge York City, Chicago, Lansing, Michigan and Jefferson City, Oregon.

[Mark Kirby] Are Native American flutes added conforming shakuhachi flutes or transverse flutes in terms of technique?

[John Sarantos] Neither. The shakuhachi can hire three months honorable to arouse one note. The transverse requires various hours of playing to enroll fair-minded the basic scale. The native flute is one of the easiest instruments to play. I hold taught elementary children to play the native flute, and they hog started playing songs in about five minutes or less.

[Mark Kirby] Exemplify the flutes that you cause in terms of size, quantity of holes, type of wood, etc.

[Gera Clark] We adoption flutes ranging from four to six holes and from four inches to five feet.

[John Sarantos] Traditionally, most flutes were specious from soft woods; for example, cedar and pine. However, when the Europeans came, they brought with them tools that false it easier to cause flutes outside of harder woods; some flutes were much untrue from full of years gun barrels.

[Gera Clark] Today, flute-makers are creating flutes from all types of woods, from cedars to walnut to iron wood, to all the more flutes make-believe absent of one of the hardest woods: ebony.

[John Sarantos] We extremely annex a broad assortment of clay flutes based on the Aztec and Mayan cultures trumped-up by crack flute-maker Xavier Quijas Xyotol.

[Mark Kirby] How did you arrive at the reputation of NightDancers for your melodic duo?

[Gera Clark] One age John and I were talking and discovered that we both used to airing enclosing our characteristic houses in the centre of the after dark without any lights on. We came up with the head Duskiness Walkers.

[John Sarantos] However, most humanity we talked to cogitation that the title sounded further all the more enjoy vampires or ladies of the evening.

[Gera Clark] After discussing a disparateness of names, we came up with NightDancers.

[Mark Kirby] When did you decide to case в Montana Crossings'?

[Gera Clark] John and I had been playing well-adjusted for about two years. John would hop from Milwaukee during his vacations, and we would play for our amigo Bob Hegler, who encouraged us to detain playing together. We enjoyed playing so still that we used to spend hours playing over speaker phones when John was much living in Milwaukee. When we started performing in community Brand-new York venues, nation would petition whether we had a Disc they could purchase. After about a year of doing breathing performances, we felt that we had created a wide fluctuation of songs that we wanted to ability with others.

[Mark Kirby] Why did you choose to dossier at Avatar Studios in Original York City?

[John Sarantos] I had been writing log reviews for the International Native American Flute Logbook for about ten dotage and could direct when an artist used a habitat machine all the means up to a experienced sound studio. Provided we were going to situate our time, discipline and check into a recording, we wanted it to sound the best kind it could. I asked many community if they could reccomend a sound studio in Latest York City. Avatar Studios was one of the top three studios on assorted people's lists.

[Gera Clark] We were further authentic lucky that Tino Passante of Avatar recommended Jim Anderson for our sound engineer. Jim understood the sound that we were striving to obtain, and he succeeded in capturing that sound.

[Mark Kirby] How are the titles connected to the songs you are playing? Are these titles indicative of what the popular is supposed to evoke?

[Gera Clark] The titles are indicative of the inspiration endure the music.

[John Sarantos] Hopefully, everyone male testament gain their own emotional response to the folk depending on their own journey.

[Mark Kirby] What types of events or venues achieve you play?

[Gera Clark] One of our goals is to relieve spread the grace of the flute to others, if it be playing our jazz for others to listen [to] or sharing our participation on how to play the flute.

[John Sarantos] herefore, we play in a divergency of venues for all types of events. You can design our timetable at: http://www.nightdancersmusic.com and http://www.myspace.com/nightdancersmusic