This was a fun workshop, and I am glad I had the opportunity to help again, and make another flute. The workshop was at UC Davis Room 146 in Environmental Horticulture, and I believe it will be there in February again next year. The workshop was run by Antionio Flores, he talked about the culture of Native American flute making, and about the endangered elderberry beetle that lives only in one blue elderberry (the beetle does not travel well). Around 70 people came, and kids and adults had a blast working with there hands to create instruments. It was a good day full of knowledge and culture.
It is fairly simple to do, the first time it took me the full 2 hour class, but it took me 15 minutes this time. He provided the dead elderberry wood (the plant is protected as well as the beetle) which as a soft piff (inner wood). Using a screw driver we drilled the piff out, once the majority of it was gone we then used a file meant for the inside of pipes to shave away and smooth out the flute. After your drill a few holes make it look the way you want, and there you have it a flute. The hard part is playing it though, no mouth peice, so you have to find the sweet spot playing it at different angles.
