Upon the Threshold
 
Elder is a tree I feel deeply connected to. They bring me great comfort and joy, and many Elder trees live around my home. To me, Elder is a great ally, one that quietly accompanies me and helps me to listen for and understand the wisdom of my ancestors. In creating this drone flute, I wanted to build a bridge across the boundary between this realm and that of those who came before us. A sacred tool of sound and heart. A companion for journeys inward, to that place within us where we carry the things that have been passed down through generations. What we carry may be deep pain and suffering. It may be great strength and joy. It may be love and much more. Whatever is held there, above all, there is wisdom waiting to be realised, understood and honoured. It is my hope, and the root intention of this flute, that her melodies, songs and prayers will help to carry the whispers of our ancestors into a place within us where greater understanding can arise. Beneath those melodies, the low voice of the drone offers a steady presence, a grounding thread that keeps us anchored and held safely as we journey inward. Elder reminds us that we are not separate from those who came before us. Their stories, their wounds, their gifts and their wisdom live within the roots of who we are. In honour of this unfolding journey I name this flute, 
Upon the Threshold.
 
She is in the key of F# tuned to 432Hz and is crafted from Elder that I foraged here in Cornwall from a tree that had been uprooted during a powerful storm last winter. I returned to the place where this tree once lived and played this flute in honour of her life and ancestors. The inlay in the body of the flute is Malachite representing the green richness and beauty of Mother Earth and this realm in which we live. The  totem is handcrafted from Sugar Maple lovingly foraged by my dad in Upstate New York and is secured to the flute using lace from North American White-tailed Deer. May the songs and prayers help to connect deeply with your ancestral wisdom.
 
Find the Music inside yourself!!!