In its rooted determination and endurance through the changing seasons,
in the stillness of its heartwood, in the mandalic circle of life
represented
by
its growth rings, in the up-flowing prayer of its sapwood sending an
earthy
gratitude toward the sun and sky and in the wonderful bounty
of its flowers and fruit, there is much that a dryad, or spirit of a tree, can
teach us. And
we might listen if we quiet
the human mind for a spell and open our hearts
in wonder to the
language of leaves.
How then, would a dryad make
a flute? This has been the guiding quest since the beginning of
my
flute
making journey. A quest ongoing and ever
evolving, as every tree and each branch presents a unique challenge in
the minute details of finding its voice. Yet some answers have
come
in broad strokes. A dryad
would keep the natural beauty
and strength of the branch intact. A dryad
would honor the spirit of the ancient inhabitants of the land. A dryad
would voice the flute clear and bright as a bird song. And
a dryad would make the flute a
magical home for its own continued habitation.
Or so speak the
trees to
me.
So in a Dryad Flute, in the sweet
timbre of its voice, in its unique shape, in the unsplit strength
and
beauty of its grain and growth rings, in the color and texture
of its
bark, in the character of its knots or crevices to be inlayed
with colorful stone (a reminder of the rock and soil into which it
sent its roots) the spirit of the tree is invited to remain. A
spirit
that might then inspire you to open your heart to the natural world,
sit with
the trees, like the birds above, hold on to a branch and play a
song of life.
~ Jon Sherman
dryadflutes@gmail.com
