Arts, inspiration and the Native American flute; a medley of opportunities

Inset photo shows Colorado’s Western Slope Poet Laureate Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, who will be presenting a literary evening at the Canyon Community Center in Springdale Thursday. Background shows Zion Canyon, Springdale, Utah. Dates not specified | Trommer publicity photo courtesy of Z-Arts; composite image St. George News

SPRINGDALE — Haunting Native American flute melodies and the resonance of drums can seep into the soul through performances, lectures and developing one’s own talent to play the instruments. Lectures and arts inspire.

Zion Canyon Arts & Humanities Council is sponsoring several free public events in Springdale in the coming days, Zion Canyon Native Flute School is offering flute classes and the Dixie Archaeology Society is hosting a lecture from a flautist and historian in St. George that complements this medley of opportunities.

Flautist | Image courtesy of Z-Arts, Springdale, Utah, date not specified, St. George News

March 2 at 7 p.m.: Colorado Western Slope Poet Laureate Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer will offer an intimate and intelligent literary presentation titled “Inner Donkeys and Houses on Fire.” Trommer will discuss the writing life, inspiration, vulnerability, metaphors and the art of showing up. See flier below. The presentation will be offered at the Canyon Community Center, 126 Lion Blvd., Springdale.

March 5 at 7 p.m. and March 6 and 8 at 6 p.m.: Zion Canyon Native Flute School will bring three performances: a drum circle March 5, a teachers performance March 6 and a students performance March 8. All will be offered at the Canyon Community Center, 126 Lion Blvd., Springdale.

“Expressing yourself through music is as natural a means of communication as speaking and often more joyful and healthy,” the founders and facilitators of the Zion Canyon Native Flute School believe, the Z-Arts news release states.

March 7 at 7 p.m.: Dixie Archaeology Society will host Native American flute player, teacher and historian Scott August in a presentation titled “The Archaeology of Native American Flutes in the Southwest.” The meeting will be held on the Dixie State University Campus in the Dunford Auditorium of the Val Browning Learning Resource Center, 225 S. 700 East, St. George.

“Scott’s visually packed overview extends from the earliest discoveries of the first Native American flutes to historical use of flutes in Puebloan native cultures,” the Archaeology Society said in its announcement on St. George News. Read more here.

March 4-9: Zion Canyon Native Flute School is offering a six-day intensive training with classes addressing jazz flute, composition, ensemble performance and healing flute.

“Students will learn how to understand rhythms, tones, melody, harmony, and improvisation, giving them the ability to play with confidence,” the news release states.

The school offers four tracks, from the newest beginner to the seasoned advanced master player, plus a special track focused on the Anasazi Flute, according to its website. Sessions specific to the Didgeridoo are included this year as well.

In a thesis, Mary Jane Jones wrote:

The flute’s cathartic appeal probably lies in its simplicity. Beginners can play melodies on the native flute with ease, allowing them to play expressively at the outset. As flute players become better acquainted with their instruments, their improvisations tend to become longer, have more complex melodies and forms, and contain more embellishments. However, the ability to express emotion through improvisation on the flute seems as easy for the beginner as it is for the advanced student.

Contacts: Zion Canyon Native Flute School website | Email [email protected] | Telephone 435-772-0778.

Event details

  • What: “Inner Donkeys and Houses on Fire” lecture by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
    • When: Thursday, March 2 at 7 p.m.
    • Where: Canyon Community Center, 126 Lion Boulevard, Springdale
  • What: Drum Circle
    • When: Sunday, March 5 at 7 p.m.
    • Where: Canyon Community Center, 126 Lion Boulevard, Springdale
  • What: Native flute concert by instructors
    • When: Monday, March 6 at 6 p.m.
    • Where: Canyon Community Center, 126 Lion Boulevard, Springdale
  • What: “The Archaeology of Native American Flutes in the Southwest” lecture by Scott August at a meeting of the Dixie Archaeology Society.
    • When: Tuesday, March 7 at 7 p.m.
    • Where: Dixie State Univeristy, Dunford Auditorium in the Val Browning Learning Resource Center, 225 S. 700 East, St. George
  • What: Native flute concert by students
    • When: Wednesday, March 8 at 6 p.m.
    • Where: Canyon Community Center, 126 Lion Boulevard, Springdale
  • Cost: All lecture and performance events are free and open to the public
Event flier courtesy of Z-Arts, Springdale March 2017, St. George News | Click on image to enlarge

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @STGnews

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