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Background
 My first encounter with the Native American flute was in 2002 when I met Raymond Redfeather of Heartwood Flutes. Raymond is an Ojibwa Indian and flute maker, who was giving a series of talks in the UK at the time. From the moment I first heard the haunting, mystical sounds, I was captivated by the instrument that was unlike anything I had heard before; to me it is a sound that connects with the earth.
My first flute, a Heartwood flute, became integral to my daily routine as I played it constantly both as an expression of my thoughts and emotions and simply for the joy of the music I made.
Working at the time as a boat builder, I felt more and more strongly that I needed to change my life and that my true calling was as a flute maker. This flew in the face of conventional wisdom but after a bout of illness I took a leap of faith, handed in my notice, set up a workshop and began making flutes. Family and friends encouraged me and other flute players gave constructive criticism and advice. My own spalted sycamore flute was one of those early flutes and comes with me everywhere.
The inspiration for my flutes are those made in the traditional way by skilled craftsmen in America. I am not however a Native American - I am a white guy, born and bred in England! With my flutes I seek to uphold and honour the Native American tradition yet create something that captures the mysticism and spirituality of these Celtic lands. We Brits have a long history of reverence for trees and whenever possible I source native woods to make my flutes. Crop circles fascinate me and I am fortunate to have experienced the tremendous energy of this phenomena. It is these images in the fields that appear on some of my flutes.
Steve
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