Windelf's Story

Breathe and play --flowing and free...
It was more than 20 years ago that I first heard the shakuhachi flute being played so beautifully by Riley Lee at a music festival near Brisbane. I was drawn to it's mystical haunting sound . Even before I knew what it was called I found myself thinking "I'm going to learn that instrument!"
It seemed to be stirring some ancient knowing or longing.....what I now recognize as a longing for a more peaceful, harmonious ,connected existence....a longing that I suspect is within us all.......And so began my journey into the mysterious and wonder filled world of bamboo flutes and into many undiscovered places and spaces within myself ..............exploring the ever more subtle relationship between player and instrument, between sound and silence.
Having come from a very "unmusical" background,I found learning the shakuhachi challenging, fascinating ,enriching and at times extremely frustrating, but I eventually reached a level where I was happy with my playing.My interest wandered to other flutes.... Native American with its beautiful peaceful tones and ease of playing, Transverse flutes.. more recently the bamboo Xiao from China........ .I was lured by the flute's enchanting sound.
Possessed with a natural curiosity to find out how things work and with plenty of woodworking experience, it was not too long before I was making my own bamboo flutes .......just to see find out how it was done and attempt to get more to the gist of the instrument..
Soon I was making flutes for friends who had heard and liked the sounds of the flutes I had made........ the circle grew wider.......,the quality of the tools and flutes also grew . From being fairly computer illiterate to setting up this website and selling my flutes all over the world..... Friends and others came to visit and make their own flutes.... so flute making workshops were born....... market stalls ......feedback from travelers on how much they enjoyed playing their flute .......being part of the beautiful Wintermoon festival near Mackay ...
It seemed to be stirring some ancient knowing or longing.....what I now recognize as a longing for a more peaceful, harmonious ,connected existence....a longing that I suspect is within us all.......And so began my journey into the mysterious and wonder filled world of bamboo flutes and into many undiscovered places and spaces within myself ..............exploring the ever more subtle relationship between player and instrument, between sound and silence.
Having come from a very "unmusical" background,I found learning the shakuhachi challenging, fascinating ,enriching and at times extremely frustrating, but I eventually reached a level where I was happy with my playing.My interest wandered to other flutes.... Native American with its beautiful peaceful tones and ease of playing, Transverse flutes.. more recently the bamboo Xiao from China........ .I was lured by the flute's enchanting sound.
Possessed with a natural curiosity to find out how things work and with plenty of woodworking experience, it was not too long before I was making my own bamboo flutes .......just to see find out how it was done and attempt to get more to the gist of the instrument..
Soon I was making flutes for friends who had heard and liked the sounds of the flutes I had made........ the circle grew wider.......,the quality of the tools and flutes also grew . From being fairly computer illiterate to setting up this website and selling my flutes all over the world..... Friends and others came to visit and make their own flutes.... so flute making workshops were born....... market stalls ......feedback from travelers on how much they enjoyed playing their flute .......being part of the beautiful Wintermoon festival near Mackay ...

World Enviroment Day Stall.
If one of my flutes brings even a small amount of more serenity , more harmony ,more connectedness or creativity into the life of just one person, I am honored and privileged to be a part of that process....
"The fluteplayer puts breath into a flute . Who makes the music?
Not the flute.............The Fluteplayer"
Rumi
Not the flute.............The Fluteplayer"
Rumi