Announcing the Potomac Native American Flute Festival will be held Friday, June 24 - Saturday, June 25, 2011, at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Arlington, Virginia.

Full details and registration will be available soon at Potomac Native American Flute Festival.

Cost will be the same as last year. Some changes of note (pun intended!):
- Friday night's entertainment will be an open mic night and buffet at a local restaurant
- Friday will feature a drum-making workshop with Randy and Shelly (separate cost)
- Saturday night's concert features Mark Holland and Scott Robinson and, for the first time, Bill Miller!
- Vendors at this festival will be spread around in different rooms on the lower floor instead of all in one room; will be easier to sample flutes
- Sunday afternoon the Festival and the church are hosting Bill Miller for a public lecture in the early afternoon; so it's a post-Festival event but all Festival go-er's are encouraged and invited to attend (free will offering)

We've uploaded a lot of details to our Web site, including our schedule and details on the performers and a special drum-making workshop from the Stenzels. Registration form is also up now.

Check it out!

[Edit]: Duh, I forgot to repeat the URL. Potomac Native American Flute Festival

There is an error on the website. It has me listed as playing during the service on Sunday and giving private lessons.
I will not be attending this event.

Karen, that's great. I actually halted the plans for the festival I was planning when you shifted the date because it would have been a conflict. There are a number of festivals that come up during the summer months and I didn't want people to have to pick and choose. I'm actually planning on moving out of the area after this year so I may not even have to coordinate a festival.

This area desperately needs an outdoor festival though so I hope Potomac will consider this as a viable option. I won't be around to do one in this area next year as I'm moving.

It would be terrific if the Potomac flute event could expand their horizons and become a major outdoor festival with a great venue.

All festivals on hold till I find a retirement house.

Hey Mark, glad to know you're around and busy and planning new directions in your life. Interesting to know the outdoor option was top on your mind. Good luck with everything!

Cool Congrats!
I saw the notice on FaceBook that Bill Miller is confirmed for the headlining performer at the Saturday night concert.

Well it looks like I won't make it to the festival this year. I have conflicting events and with so many festivals to go to including a ventriloquists festival, I'll have to pass on Potomac this year. Best of luck with the festival. I hope it will be a success!

We'll miss you!

Hey, is *anyone* coming to Festival from the Portal? Always good to know.

Note that you can still get our $99/night group rate at the Comfort Inn by calling and asking for Sales (not Reservations). If rooms are available, she'll give you the rate. Full details at the Hotel page at the Festival Web Site.

And, c'mon, ya gotta come see Bill Miller!

Potomac Native American Flute Festival

Those going to Potomac, will have a snazzy new flute to try from Butch Hall. He is bringing his new Lakota style "Siyotanka", in high Bb, to your festival, as the first event for it to be shown, outside of the local community. Won't say more.......let you anticipate, a little.

My ears are perked

Is anyone going and able to write any reports?

I like to see a picture of Butch Hall's new flute too. I see he is on the NR vendor list.

My disability hearing won't be resolved in time for this year. But if it all works out I'm gonna try and make it next year.

Festival's over for this year. Wanted to thank a whole bunch of folks who helped out. Jerry, thanks for sharing tips on the VOX box. Colyn Petersen was rockin' a great rack of shakuhachi's. But somehow I resisted and instead purchased a new mid/low C. Beauty!

The concert was pretty incredible.

If you were there and had some feedback to share, let me know and I'll pass it on to the organizers.

It was a new month for Festival this year, and we know times have been tough for folks, so we were happy to see some familiar faces and some new ones.

Karen

I hope to make it one year!

I've seen a couple videos from the open mike, awesome!!!!

Do you have any pictures?

Eric

Rick, please share more about the new Butch Hall flute, there isn't anything on his website about it.

I had a chance to spend a couple of days hanging out at the Hall's place this week. Here is a short youtube video of me playing the new Siyotanka Bb flute. It is not a song, just some noodling up and down the scale. I also included a few pictures so you have a better idea of what it looks and sounds like.

Butch Hall Siyotanka Flute in Bb

Click to view attachment
Click to view attachment

Ooh, nice playing, Mark! But I was a little disappointed. I thought you were going to play all of them for us!

They look very Jon Norrisy!

Hi Jan,

I could have played them all but the upload time for the video would take forever . They played well and had a nice range above the octave. I could get several notes that I normally can't.

Regarding Jon Norris's flutes: Yeah, they do look a lot like is bird head flutes; They also look similar to one Michael Grahm Allen does/did. Butch showed me some pictures of old flutes that he used as references for his new one. The primary ones came from Clint Goss of an old Lakota flute. Butch used those to regulate the head shape and ring placement. It does not have the rounded back end like Jon's and the airway is smaller. Butch's is also smaller in overall size. The flute is a high Bb with no tuning holes so it is pretty compact. The one of Jon's I have is about 31" and Butch's is around 21". I had a great time trying it out. Butch and Laura are fantastic hosts. I really enjoyed seeing new things going on in his shop and playing with all his new cool toys.

Thanks for sharing! They look really cool and sound good.

See the bottom flute in the first picture and the second flute up from the bottom on the rack in the second picture (the unpainted one), that exact same flute pictured just showed up in my mail box today! Yay! I am very psyched. It is even more beautiful in person, as the flute is very textured, like MGA's newer flutes. It is also an amazingly clean piece of cedar, absolutely no knots, and some awesome grain patterns (that you can see in the pictures) to boot! Can't comment about the sound and playability yet as the rest of my family is currently in bed, but just couldn't wait to share! Will post a separate review when I have the chance.

Congrat's

Looking forward to a review and a song.

Eric

I look forward to reading your review Kevin.