00. 0 • • 00. 00. 0 . 0 . 00. 0 • • 00. 00. 00• • O. 0 000 00. 0 . 00 00 0 000 00. 0 • 0 . 0 . 0 O. . 0 . 0 • 0 . 0 . 0 00 0 • • O . 00 • 0 0 • • O. 00 • o o o o 0 . 000 00 ©QJJ • blJ o • Instructor creates musical instrument from clay SD ycarving, sawing and sculpcing, Paul Pin, professor ofart, created works that reached back into Native American hisrory. Pitt spent o the last eight years of his life creating Native American flutes. "I had been [making] more pottery than anything else for 30 years with a driving force passion," Pitt said. "But upon seeing and hearing the Nacive American Auce 11 years ago, I knew that in addicion to the poc– (cry as well as drawings, paimings and sculpcure Thad been doing I aJso wanted to make this style of flute." According to Pitt, ir was the instrument's unique sound which first arrraC[ed him to ir. "I like rhem, personally, because of rhe sound. Ie's jusr a far off, exocic sound rhar rhey make," Pirr said. For Pirr, making rhe flures was a chance [0 nor only make works of an, bur co connect wirh rhe rich hiscory of rhe instrument. "If you go back before white men goc here, there were 500 rri bes or more thar were I.na~! ng Ames," Pirr said. "The primary purpose for rhese flmes was cournng. Pin said Native Americans were some of his biggest buyers for the flmes. "People from all over the country see my work on [my] Web site coyoteclayflutes.com, e·mail me, and commission a flute des igned to fit whar they want," Pin said. "Many of my flure commissions are from Indians." According to Pin, the first flute came about when a you ng Native American heard the whistl ing sound of wind moving through a cedar branch that had been hollowed out by termites. Pirr also used cedar in rhe creation of his flures. /f "Cedar finishes CO a really nice and beautiful surface," Pitt said. "Also, it is a soft wood and easy on my tools and does not dull them quickly." Bur Pin's reasons for using cedar went beyond the practical. "[Cedar] is important and yo u might say a sacred wood (0 the Indians because cedar trees rely on each other and help hold each other up," Pitt said. "Their roots spread our to each other and benefit each other; however the tap root does not go ve ry deep, so when the trees grow close together the mutual help each gives the other is a good trait." One appealing quality of these flutes was thar they were easy to play. Pitt said one of his flutes was actually easier to play than a child's toy. "One does not have to read music or be a musician to enjoy playing rhis instrument," Pi(( said. "I mostly JUSt make up tunes as I go. The made-up mnes can reflect a particular mind or a mood." Pitt described his creations as "singing sculptures." H e said engineer– ing rhe actual working instrument was the hardest part of the creation process. However, he said the completion of a flute brought him great satisfaction as an anist. "I jusr feel a great sense ofsatisfacrion upon successful completion of a commissioned flure and enjoy the encouraging posicive reaction from rhe flute collector and player." -Jennifer Merrill and Andrew Leeper While in his office Dec. 11, Paul Pitt. profe ssor of art, works on one of his flutes. Pitt had created Native Ameri· can flutes for the past eight years after hearing its sound II years ago. -Chelsea Roberson faculty 11]2••
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