Hand-carved Wooden Flutes
Woodcarver, Raymond Creasy, takes great care in carving, tuning and voicing each flute.  Flutes are made from Ozark cedar, walnut, or cherry.   Using wood as a material results in a warmer tone than metal pipes. examples of fipplesCeltic flutes have a bright tone, and a full chromatic scale, giving the instrument more versatility. The Native American style flutes have a mellow, haunting tone due to a larger diameter soundhole. The familiar minor pentatonic scale is the most common, but the same low, meditative sound in a major scale is also available.
    Each flute includes a carved fipple (removable piece over the soundhole,  enabling one to fine-tune) tied with leather. In the new and largest G flutes, the fipples are glued down and are made of multi-colored, laminate hardwoods. These flutes can easily be played by the beginner, as well as provide the advanced player enjoyable musical experiences.
group display of flutes

    Keys available:
   Celtic 6 hole major -- chromatic G, A, B, B flat, C, D, E;
   Native American style 5 hole pentatonic in G minor, A minor, C minor, and D minor.
    Each flute comes with a cloth carrying bag.  A leather carrying bag and a simple sculptural stand may be purchased. 

Another type of flute available is the Highlander model or two flutes in tandem. the Highlander One flute plays the root tone, similar to a drone, while the other side with 6 holes plays melody, available only in D major.

     Throughout its long history, flutes have been associated with magic and mystery, ritual and courtship. Twin pipes, sometimes called panpipes, named after Pan, goat-footed nature god of classical literature, were developed and played in Bolivia,  Peru, Mongolia, China, eastern Europe, Burma, and Greece.fipple in lion shape
     Earliest examples were made of bone or bamboo.  An Egyptian likeness of a flute dated 4000 B.C. has been found. A flute was pictured on a Greco-Roman coin dated 169 A.D. and on a painting in middle Europe about 1100 A.D.  Nearly every ancient peoples have been credited with its origin.  carved horse In India,  Hindu divinity Krishna is said to have caused rivers to stop flowing and birds halt in flight with his flute playing.
     Native flutes are played on the islands of the South Pacific, in Alaska, and here on the American continents, we bring you the Indian flute, sometimes called the love flute.Celtic flutes   Native Americans suitors were said to play the flute in soft tones outside of the tent of the young woman during courtship.  These flutes especially lend themselves to outdoor playing and plaintive or meditative moods. It has been our observation that animals such as cats and deer are attracted to the sound of the flute, perhaps because of its elemental sound that communicates so well. A bird who built her nest on our porch will sit on the nest while we sit close by, playing the flute. In our presence without flute music, she is too shy to approach. One realizes why flutes were associated with the spiritual connection early peoples felt with animals. You too, will be reminded of the connection to the spirit while you play.  
     The Celtic flutes have a more versatile scale and can be played with verve and pep or with warm intimacy.  Many of the traditional tunes which are popular are played with fiddles, and are in keys popular with that instrument, such as the key of D and A.  Whether you play alone or with a group, flutes are a pleasure to play.

Music home page
Hear flute sample: Cry of the Wolves, from Shamrock Sampler by Raymond & Sue Creasy.
Hear sample: Birdwoman from Shamrock Sampler.

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