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FQ 09 Concert - Mary Youngblood & Gary Stroutsos

Highline Community College
Des Moines, WA

Join Flute Quest 2009 for a fabulous evening in concert with Mary Youngblood "The First Lady of the Flute" and Gary Stroutsos "World Music Sound Traveler"

Mary Youngblood

Mary is known as The First Lady of the Flute. Native American Mary Youngblood, half Seminole and half Aleut is the first woman to professionally record the Native American Flute, and the first woman to win not just one, but two Grammy Awards for "Best Native American Music Album".

In addition to Marys two Grammy Awards and three nominations, she was the first woman to win 'Flutist of the Year' in both 1999 and 2000. She also won 'Best Female Artist' in 2000 at the Native American Music Awards (NAMMYS).

Mary started piano lessons at age six, violin at eight, classical flute and guitar at ten. As an adult, when Mary received her first wooden Native flute, she was driven to pursue the mastery of this instrument so tied to her own heritage.

Now years later with five unique and accomplished albums under her belt, Mary owns over 250 hand carved Native American Style flutes in her collection and uses a wide variety of them throughout every one of her albums. Each of her flutes is masterfully crafted from different types of wood, bringing a unique sound and texture to each song.

When Mary performs, it takes only a moment to acknowledge the profound spirituality of the sacred Native American flute and its historical courtship and wooing attributes. Her haunting music is much more than a song ... it's liquid poetry, a prayer.

Mary Youngblood takes little credit for the intense emotions people feel when they listen to her music. "I am only a vessel between Creator and this instrument. As a sculptor would tell you, the clay has a spirit of its own and decides what it will become; so it is with the flute. These songs came from those who walked before me."

Gary Stroutsos

Gary Stroutsos performs world flute music drawn from traditional cultures. Evoking a spirit of place, and the voices of the land, his work includes internationally acclaimed recordings at sacred sites.

Originally trained as a Jazz flutist, (studying with Jazz master flutist and composer James Newton, and Afro-Cuban flute master Danilo Lozano) Stroutsos' work now features American Indian music and Chinese, Cuban and American Jazz stylings, reflecting his diverse musical influences. His audiences have the rare opportunity to hear ancient Chinese Bamboo flutes seldom heard outside the walls of China.

Himself a Greek-Italian American, Stroutsos is acknowledged to have made a distinctive contribution to the preservation of American Indian music and culture, and plays with some of the finest American Indian artists working today, including collaborating with Navajo flute maker Paul Thompson, a work which expresses the enduring legacy of the American Indian flute and its recent revitalization into todays society.

In a recent interview about his work, Stroutsos comments: I have had a unique career of recording flute music inspired by travels and really awesome masters. My passion is to share with listeners the cultural legacies which my teachers have shared with me, particularly my journey with my friend and mentor, the Navajo flute maker Paul Thompson. We brought to life traditional love songs learnt from American Indians, and recorded these flute songs live inside Canyon de Chelly, the spiritual ancestral lands of the Navajo. I continue to discover more of the wealth of flute traditions, these time-honored traditions which span many generations: this history is the real mystery of the flute, both haunting and enduring. Bringing music to life for new listeners is part of my vision of my own work, because music touches the soul, making it our true universal means of communication.

In over twenty releases, Stroutsos has created a body of work which expresses a passion for sound travelling: music without borders.

Keywords: Flute Quest, flutequest, Native American Flute, Flute Circle, Washington Flute Circle, Teepee, Drums, Didge, FQ09

Note: From Hwy 99 in Des Moines, turn onto 240th St heading west; take an immediate right into the East Parking Lot at Highline Community College. Follow directional signs to Bldg 7. It is a shorter walking distance to Bldg 7 from the East lot. You may use the South Parking lot, and the walk is just a bit longer. From Saltwater State Park, turn Right onto 240th St. Highline Community College will be on the left side of the St. You may park in the South Parking Lot or the East Parking Lot and follow the directional signs to Bldg 7.

Kid Friendly: No

Dog Friendly: No

Non-Smoking: No

Wheelchair Accessible: No

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