Redbelly Music: REDBELLY NEWS

I would like to thank David Tregenza and Brian Bates for inviting Steve Wyse and I to Valentino’s Ristorante Italiano.  It was great to be a fan and to share some songs from the new CD.  Al, we would like to thank you for having us and for the cool percussion.  The restaurant is beautiful and the food was out of this world.

Last weekend we had the great honor to have 3 Red Tails Hawks 1 Red Shoulder and 2 Bald Eagles fly over us in the course of 1 day.  So, we give thanks to the Creator.

What a great way to start Spring!!

Our vacation in late summer to Turtle Island was such a beautiful experience.  Our earth is the only place for us to live and as the human animal we affect the planet the most.  One of the goals of Redbelly Music is to lower our impact on this beautiful planet so; we will be releasing a special digital CD in the next coming months, plus a new download store.

Redbelly Lives,

David Martinka

The fall has been some hard work getting the final mix right for the next music project. The mix has not changed for the past 2 months of testing. So, we are moving to the art design and text stage. It was a great honor to have Two Bucks, Billy and Mike get a 2009 Just Plain Folks Nomination. Two Bucks, Billy and Mike is very close song to us here at Redbelly Music and we are so happy to have it recognized. We also have had great response to the new songs we have added to the flash player of the website. REDBELLY LIVES, David Martinka

From everyone at Redbelly Music would like to thank the following people for making the 2009 SunWatch Flute Festival such an enjoyable event.

Presenters of the Event
SunWatch Indian Village
SunWatch Indian Village Board of Directors
The Miami Valley Flute Circle
The Miami Valley Flute Circle Flute Awards Judges

Performers
John DeBoer
Douglas Blue Feather
Singing Horse Harold Darding
SoTiw
Sunflower Janice Trytten
 
Flute Makers
Billy Crowbeak
Laughing Fox
David Johnson
Randy French

Sound and Stage
Stage Manager- Charles Animiki

Redbelly Super Fans
Melanie, Gloria and Terry

Redbelly Lives,

David & Eileen

There was a beautiful day at this year’s Dozinky Festival and always it’s a great honor to be a part of the festival.  We were able to share a true purpose for the recording Native Slovak to a great and fun audience.  Also we had the honor to meet Lobor & Ava Kral who are professional dancers in Slovakia.

Thank you to all the Martinka family that were there helping out and to hear me play.

Thank you Tommy and Diane Bradley for letting me come and share these beautiful flutes with everyone.

Special Thanks to Eileen and Mom for being the inspiration behind the songs.

A big thanks to Ross and Dawn Olson for putting on the Windward Salmon Gathering it was a great honor to be part of the Gathering.  The positive energy was strong though the day and so much fun which is a testament to what these gatherings are about this year.  It was great to see old friends and introduce new friends to old.

David

Thanks to all at the summit for making me feel so welcome.  Special thanks to Rebacca Hammond for putting on a cool event, Ken for making me sound so good, Michael Rosteck for the cool pics of me and to Jess, we could visit all day man.

Redbelly Lives,

David

Well the testing has started anyway with my new field recorder.  I have some great locations picked out for these new songs.  To be able to be in the right places at the right times will be a challenge but I have to say the next few years it should be a lot of fun. 

Redbelly Lives

David Martinka

A few weeks ago I had the honor to sit and talk flutes with a great maker from OHIO Randy Brian. This was a great honor since Randy is crafting flutes that few in the Native American Flute world can. He is using some techniques that have been taught to him by a Blackfoot crafter who has had flute crafting in his family for about 400yrs. These flutes have a soft yet full sound and are 90% handmade. In the picture I am holding one of Randy’s Flutes.

Redbelly Lives, David Martinka

As the eagles, blue herons, blue birds, and frogs make there appearances through this spring it is a great time of year to spend out doing some field recording.   I am sure to have our camera just in case something cool is hanging out with me.  My Sage and Sweetgrass is just starting to get going another sign spring is here in our region.

Redbelly Lives,

David Martinka

I found myself with this year coming to a close thinking I am glad the music year is over. There is no way I could pick just one favorite thing that happened. In the coming years I am sure there will be a few places I will play flute in public but this will not be my focus. I do have the next 3 CDs projects completed but like Legends Of Time it could be a while before I decide to release them. Also there are some players who have requested flutes to help them with their healing work so I will be doing my best to compete them. I am going to thank these people for helping get through this music year, for all the support, friendship and honor. Parents- Dad and Mom My Love- Eileen Flute Makers- Dan Haviland and Billy Crowbeak Native American Flute Players- Steve Wyse, Danuwa analihi Adonvdo, Kawennano: ron’ Non-Native American Players- John Sarantos, Paul Schmidt, Ross Olson Winged friends- The Red-bellied Woodpecker and The Red-tailed Hawk I would like to give special thank you to the Native people of North American for keeping your flutes alive. To my Slovak brothers and sisters it is a great honor to up hold a tradition of playing original FUJARA love songs to a woman I love and a plus to share them with the world.

Redbelly Lives, David Martinka

A different way to play.

I have learned early on in my flute journey that the creation of songs and flutes is a creation of who you are, the energy and tools you use, and what materials being used. This I feel should put to rest the idea of what is a traditional way to make songs and flutes. In other words what is created at the time is the tradition. But what about the creation part itself? I know that I put the best of myself in my flutes and songs but I also put the worst. So, what do I do?

I start by recognizing I can consciously affect the kind of energy that is going into what is being created. In the Lakota story the man courted the woman he fell in love with his flute. His flute was the tool to court her but it was the energy of his love that found its way to her heart, good and bad.

For everything created there has to be a beginning. As humans animals we can consciously create things in our lives but for what reasons? One of the reasons could be to fill a need of some kind. If this was the case, recognizing the need would be followed by an intention and then a decision to create. When the early humans discovered fire, it became something they knew was needed. So, their intention was to survive and their decision was to find the materials and tools that would make fire at their will. These steps then created away to keep fire and later away to make fire. This need could be the starting point of what is to be created and what type of energy to be used. If you could take a workshop on how to play the Native American Flute, most of the information might be about how the flute can be ‘healing’ as well as learning how to play; what do you do? Or, you are in a Native American Flute making class were only European tuning was used, then what? I would guess someone would find away to fill that need. Maybe that’s another way to say it.

So, if your need is to heal with the flute then you will focus the needed energy on that. Or your need may be to network to fulfill finical and social status. Whatever the need is, that focus will be a part of what others will see in you. Always remember, the Native Ways and the ancestors know who has heart. I wonder then if there is an order of creation. One possibility is to first fill a need, and then decide what the intention is, what type of energy to be used and then create what is needed by making a focused decision. If this is true, I have outlined a big part of life and that’s CRAZY.

An offering to the 7 directions was given before and after the writing of this Redbelly News Letter. If you have requested and received an “OK” to repost this news letter feel free to repost! If you would like to reprint or repost the Redbelly News Letter please contact Redbelly Music at: dmartinka@redbellymusic.com

Thank you, Redbelly Music