As 2006 comes careening into the station, I want to wish everyone who stumbled upon my website/blog, a joyous and healthy holiday season. I truly do. Thus far this year, over 5,700 of you folks have visited flutes, totalling over 29,000 pages on my site. I’m glad you all didn’t drop in for Margaritas…… at least all at once, but I sure do appreciate the interest in my work. That interest represents over three times the activity/sales I had for 2005, my first year with a website, and ensures, at least for another year, that I will build the finest, most beautiful instruments available anywhere on earth………instead of trying to make pencils.

During the coming months, I’ll be building flutes from Paldao, Argentine brown ebony, Sydney Blue Gum, Curly Walnut, Mesquite, Laotian flamewood, Lignum Vitae, Goncalvo Alves, two or three varieties I can’t remember how to spell, and addl. flutes from those woods that seem to enjoy becoming flutes instead of firewood. I’ll also be building another 50,000 year-old Kauri flute, and its materials will be at least 4 billion years of age. Most will include abalone to some degree, as it has a lot of varied color, complementing different woods. Most will also include natural faceted diamonds set as eyes …. black, cognac, green, etc. The fetish blocks will continue to be some variation on the theme of birds and horses. If you want a skunk, or a giraffe, you can have one…….but it’s going to look like a bird or a horse. This is because every other animal I try to craft ends up looking like a gopher. There ya go….too much information again.

During the year, I have come to realize that buying a flute on the internet is like buying shoes from a catalogue. You will never get all the information you need until you hold it , and walk around with it for awhile. My sound files will concentrate on scale voicing rather than trying to dream up some ditty. I like ditties, but somewhere, I will accentuate the tonal scale. Plus, you can always call, and we can talk about your skill level, and how appropriate a particular flute might be, as long as you’re not drunk, and it’s not 3 AM.

Ok then………. Have a MAGICAL new year, set yourself some realistic goals, keep them, and let those folks who love you, KNOW that YOU KNOW they love you. Merry Christmas, and please have a Happy/Healthy new year.