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