Nakai Herschel Freeman to perform at the Concerts, Workshops and Music Composition Competition taking place June 11 – June 13, 2015 in Flagstaff AZ

Sedona AZ (May 30, 2015) – Renowned musicians from around the United States converge in Flagstaff, Arizona, for the Fourth Gathering of the North American Flute.

Come join the Renaissance of the North American Flute Foundation (RNAFF) for three days of music and learning at Northern Arizona University’s School of Music. This unique event offers musician-led flute workshops and presentations from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and live concert performances from 3:00 – 10:00 p.m. on June 11, 12, and 13, 2015. Also included is a music competition contest for Flagstaff area students (high school or undergraduate).

In support of its charitable mission, RNAFF has created a line-up of musical artists to highlight the North American Flute as a contemporary musical instrument within society. Each musical act will be playing the flute in a unique style ranging from Classical to Rock.

Highlighting the intersection of ethnic and jazz idioms, the R. Carlos Nakai Quartet will be gracing the stage Saturday evening. Of Navajo-Ute heritage, R. Carlos Nakai is the world’s premier performer of the North American flute. Nakai has received eight Native American Music Awards and eleven NAMMY (Native American Music Awards) nominations. He recently achieved platinum-record status, with over 1,00,000 units sold in the U.S. for Canyon Trilogy.

Also performing on Saturday, award winning recording artists Rushingwind and Mucklow & the Native Groove, of New Mexico, will be rocking the stage with inflections of the world beat and rock in their contemporary Native American music style. Rushingwind and Mucklow have received a NAMMY for Best New Age Recording, four Indian Summer Music Awards and three New Mexico Music Awards, including 21 nominations for their first three albums.  The duo’s music has been featured in the documentary film Wild Horses & Renegades by Emmy award winning Director James Anaquad Kleinert, and will also be featured on the sequel Rise of the Renegades. Steve Rushingwind is of Cahuilla/Opata and Mexican descent.

Friday evening, Rona Yellow Robe will bring haunting vocals and a unique flute style that springs from her personal journey. The 2014 Native American Music Awards Flutist of the Year, Rona is a Cree and African American woman who was born and raised in Havre, Montana, and is an enrolled member of the Chippewa Cree Tribe of Rocky Boy, Montana. Rona will be performing with her music partner, Bruce Witham. Together, Rona and Bruce have performed concerts on stages nationally and internationally.

Performing on Thursday, The Gathering’s opening night, Cornell Kinderknecht will charm the audience with his world-music style. Cornell is an award-winning flutes and reeds recording artist, performer and instructor. He is an Indian Summer Music Awards winner and has twice been a finalist for Musician of the Year at the Texas Music Awards. He is a Great American Song Contest Top 5 Instrumental winner and a Native American Music Awards (NAMMY) nominee.

RNAFF, with support from Canyon Records and NAU School of Music, is holding a Musical Competition Contest as part of The Gathering. The Composition Contest is open to high school and college level students in Flagstaff. The winning composition will be performed Friday, June 12, 2015, at 4:20in the evening. The winning Composer will win $250. All Flagstaff students interested in competing should go to the NAU School of Music Office in the Performing and Fine Arts Building for contest entrance information.

Music lovers have a choice – they may just enjoy the concerts, or they may register for a daily or full conference pass with which they may attend musician-led workshops on topics such as Learning to Play the North American Flute, How to Play Rim-Blown Flutes, Cultural Aspects of the North American Flute, and many others, in addition to enjoying the concerts.

Concert ticket prices are $25 for adults, $15 for students with an ID, $15 each for groups of 10 or more, free for accompanied children age 12 and under. Concert tickets can be purchased at http://ticketing.nau.edu/ or by calling 1-888-520-7214.

Daily conference passes are $85 per day per person. A 3-day conference pass is $225 per person. Registration is required for conference passes at www.rnaff.org/rrnaf-gathering-2015.html.

All ticket sales for this event benefit the Renaissance of the North American Flute Foundation, Inc., an Arizona based nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission includes:

• ·      The appreciation and adoption of the North American Flute as a contemporary musical instrument within society
• ·      The research and preservation of the history and stories of the North American Flute
• ·      The perpetuation and evolution of the North American Flute as a musical instrument for the people of tomorrow
• ·      Collaboration with other cultures around the world that desire to study, contemporize, and persist the instruments of their indigenous peoples.
  

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