| When you ask someone why he or she likes
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| | German heritage, played piano, and Mr.
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| a band, performer or style of music, the
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| | Nakai the native flute. I discovered that
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| usual response is either, "they're
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| | I too like the sound of the native flute.
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| awesome," "they rock" or "it's fun
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| | I went to a Kater and Nakai concert in
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| stuff." People tend to say that music is
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| | Chicago, where Nakai mentioned a
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| simply for entertainment. And as for
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| | week-long workshop at the Feathered Pipe
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| musicians, the reason they play music
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| | Ranch in Helena, Montana. I had a choice
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| either involves "the call" to do so or
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| | of paying about $1,200 for the flute
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| the ego-driven need to stand in front of
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| | workshop taught by Mr. Nakai and his
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| a crowd. But why do we even have music?
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| | partner and flute-maker, Ken Light, or
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| Is it, as Shakespeare stated, "to soothe
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| | going to Japan for two weeks, all
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| the savage beast"? It's not like it's
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| | expenses paid by the school where I was
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| life or death. Or is it? For Gera Clark
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| | teaching. I chose Montana.
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| and John Sarantos, who perform on Native
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| | [Mark Kirby] What lead you to play this
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| American flutes as the NightDancers,
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| | kind of meditative music?
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| music is that deep. Mr. Santos started
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| | [John Sarantos] We don't think of it as
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| with the simple desire to express himself
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| | only meditative music. We worked hard to
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| musically, but discovered that the Native
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| | stay away from falling into that
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| American flute, by its nature, takes one
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| | stereotype of musical style on our CD.
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| beyond pigeonholed functions, including
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| | Although a lot of people use our record
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| new-age "meditation" music. Ms. Clark's
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| | for meditation, they also use it for
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| journey to music started with desperately
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| | healing and relaxation. Several people
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| needing something of a life line at a
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| | who have cancer told me that they find
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| critical time. She states: "After a
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| | inner peace while listening to 'Montana
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| prolonged critical illness, I began to
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| | Crossings'.
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| put my life back together... While on
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| | [Gera Clark] In fact, after John had his
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| this spiritual path, I discovered the
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| | cancer surgery last year, we decided that
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| Native American flute." In this era of
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| | 10% of the gross sales from 'Montana
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| art-as-diversion, or lifestyle accessory,
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| | Crossings' would be used to buy flutes
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| it is a wonderfully pleasant surprise to
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| | for cancer patients. So far, we have
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| be reminded that, as Clark and Santos
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| | donated flutes to cancer flute circles
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| reveal in the interview below, music is a
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| | and individuals in New York City,
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| powerful and healing force.
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| | Chicago, Lansing, Michigan and Jefferson
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| [Mark Kirby] What kind of music was
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| | City, Oregon.
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| played in your home when you were growing
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| | [Mark Kirby] Are Native American flutes
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| up?
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| | more like shakuhachi flutes or transverse
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| [Gera Clark] My mother played classical
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| | flutes in terms of technique?
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| music on the piano as an escape from her
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| | [John Sarantos] Neither. The shakuhachi
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| existence as an urban housewife raising
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| | can take three months just to get one
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| four children. When I started school, my
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| | note. The transverse requires many hours
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| mother went back to work and I noticed
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| | of playing to learn just the basic scale.
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| her appetite for opera increased
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| | The native flute is one of the easiest
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| dramatically. My father fancied himself
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| | instruments to play. I have taught
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| as being Bing Crosby and I would catch
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| | elementary children to play the native
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| him now and then trying to learn the cha
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| | flute, and they have started playing
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| cha. Meanwhile, my sister would sneak in
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| | songs in about five minutes or less.
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| rock and roll. We aspired to write music
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| | [Mark Kirby] Describe the flutes that you
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| together in the style of Carol King. We
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| | use in terms of size, number of holes,
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| also listened to some of my relatives'
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| | type of wood, etc.
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| records, one being Seamus Ennis, my grand
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| | [Gera Clark] We use flutes ranging from
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| uncle who played the Uilleann pipes (an
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| | four to six holes and from four inches to
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| Irish type of bagpipes).
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| | five feet.
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| [John Sarantos] During my early years, my
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| | [John Sarantos] Traditionally, most
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| mother would play classical and operatic
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| | flutes were made from soft woods; for
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| music when I was in school, but very
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| | example, cedar and pine. However, when
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| little music was played while I was home
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| | the Europeans came, they brought with
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| except at Christmas.
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| | them tools that made it easier to create
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| [Mark Kirby] What kinds of music have you
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| | flutes out of harder woods; some flutes
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| studied prior to the Native American
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| | were even made from old gun barrels.
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| flute?
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| | [Gera Clark] Today, flute-makers are
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| [Gera Clark] As a child, my mother would
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| | creating flutes from all types of woods,
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| bribe me with soda to take piano lessons
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| | from cedars to walnut to iron wood, to
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| because she wanted me to be a child
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| | even flutes made out of one of the
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| prodigy. When I was able to travel on my
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| | hardest woods: ebony.
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| own, I took up the traverse flute, which
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| | [John Sarantos] We also have a wide
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| I carried with me for three years.
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| | assortment of clay flutes based on the
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| [John Sarantos] I tried learning the
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| | Aztec and Mayan cultures made by master
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| drums from the junior high school music
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| | flute-maker Xavier Quijas Xyotol.
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| teacher, but he told me I had no rhythm
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| | [Mark Kirby] How did you arrive at the
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| and would not work with me. After
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| | name of NightDancers for your musical
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| attending a Jethro Tull concert and being
| |
| | duo?
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| inspired by Ian Anderson's flute playing,
| |
| | [Gera Clark] One day John and I were
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| I tried the transverse flute, but was
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| | talking and discovered that we both used
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| told by my flute instructor that I was
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| | to walk around our individual houses in
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| tone deaf and she wouldn't work with me.
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| | the middle of the night without any
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| I tried singing, but I was told that I
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| | lights on. We came up with the name Night
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| was tone deaf by three major Los Angeles
| |
| | Walkers.
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| voice coaches and they would not work
| |
| | [John Sarantos] However, most people we
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| with me. I tried guitar and banjo, but
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| | talked to thought that the name sounded
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| it was hard to play just cords as I could
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| | too much like vampires or ladies of the
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| not sing along with myself. Then I
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| | evening.
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| discovered the Native American flute.
| |
| | [Gera Clark] After discussing a variety
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| [Mark Kirby] How did you come to start
| |
| | of names, we came up with NightDancers.
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| playing Native American music in general,
| |
| | [Mark Kirby] When did you decide to
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| the flute in particular?
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| | record 'Montana Crossings'?
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| [Gera Clark] After the death of my
| |
| | [Gera Clark] John and I had been playing
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| husband and a quick rebound marriage and
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| | together for about two years. John would
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| divorce, followed by a prolonged critical
| |
| | travel from Milwaukee during his
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| illness, I began to put my life back
| |
| | vacations, and we would play for our
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| together. I also began searching for
| |
| | friend Bob Hegler, who encouraged us to
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| beauty. While on this spiritual path, I
| |
| | keep playing together. We enjoyed playing
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| discovered the Native American flute.
| |
| | so much that we used to spend hours
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| One day, I found myself about a hundred
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| | playing over speaker phones when John was
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| miles west of New York standing outside a
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| | still living in Milwaukee. When we
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| Tibetan Buddhist Temple, when suddenly I
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| | started performing in local New York
|
| heard the most beautiful sound. Following
| |
| | venues, people would ask if we had a CD
|
| the powerful, yet haunting sound, I
| |
| | they could purchase. After about a year
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| discovered it emanating from a Native
| |
| | of doing live performances, we felt that
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| American flute, played by Ed Callshim
| |
| | we had created a wide variety of songs
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| (Ponca Sioux). After this experience, I
| |
| | that we wanted to share with others.
|
| finally found a flute of my own at the
| |
| | [Mark Kirby] Why did you choose to record
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| National Museum of the American Indian in
| |
| | at Avatar Studios in New York City?
|
| New York. Later, when traveling to
| |
| | [John Sarantos] I had been writing record
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| Niagara Falls with my teacher, Amy Lee
| |
| | reviews for the International Native
|
| (Iroquois), a deep desire to connect with
| |
| | American Flute Journal for about ten
|
| my earlier travels in the southwest was
| |
| | years and could tell when an artist used
|
| awakened. On one particular journey, I
| |
| | a home computer all the way up to a
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| found myself exploring the canyons along
| |
| | professional sound studio. If we were
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| the Rio Grande. Eventually I was led to
| |
| | going to put our time, effort and money
|
| the mountains and the Taos Pueblo, where
| |
| | into a recording, we wanted it to sound
|
| I heard that haunting sound drifting
| |
| | the best it could. I asked several people
|
| through the air. I followed it to its
| |
| | if they could recommend a sound studio in
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| source, a little adobe. Looking inside, I
| |
| | New York City. Avatar Studios was one of
|
| met a kind and talented gentleman who
| |
| | the top three studios on several people's
|
| encouraged me to play the native flute.
| |
| | lists.
|
| That gentleman, unbeknownst to me at the
| |
| | [Gera Clark] We were also very fortunate
|
| time, is one of the finest Native
| |
| | that Tino Passante of Avatar recommended
|
| American flute players in the world, John
| |
| | Jim Anderson for our sound engineer. Jim
|
| Rainer, Jr. (Taos/Creek). Leaving New
| |
| | understood the sound that we were
|
| Mexico with renewed faith, I was led, via
| |
| | striving to obtain, and he succeeded in
|
| The American Indian Community House in
| |
| | capturing that sound.
|
| New York, to Franc Menusan (Muskogee
| |
| | [Mark Kirby] How are the titles connected
|
| Creek). He became my extremely patient
| |
| | to the songs you are playing? Are these
|
| mentor for several years.
| |
| | titles indicative of what the music is
|
| On my birthday, I flew out to an R.
| |
| | supposed to evoke?
|
| Carlos Nakai (Navajo/Ute) concert with
| |
| | [Gera Clark] The titles are indicative of
|
| the San Francisco Symphony, where I
| |
| | the inspiration behind the music.
|
| learned about the Renaissance of the
| |
| | [John Sarantos] Hopefully, each person
|
| Native American Flute workshop in
| |
| | will have their own emotional response to
|
| Montana. I came back to New York and
| |
| | the music depending on their own journey.
|
| booked myself a flight to Montana, which
| |
| | [Mark Kirby] What types of events or
|
| was where I met John Sarantos, and our
| |
| | venues do you play?
|
| musical partnership was born.
| |
| | [Gera Clark] One of our goals is to help
|
| [John Sarantos] My mother, who was
| |
| | spread the beauty of the flute to others,
|
| 84-years-old at the time, introduced me
| |
| | whether it be playing our music for
|
| to the music of the Peter Kater and R.
| |
| | others to listen [to] or sharing our
|
| Carlos Nakai duo. Mr. Kater, who is of
| |
| | knowledge on how to play the flute.
|
