Laid Bare by Bill Leyden

From its discovery, the Native American style flute is an instrument has been considered an instrument of the heart. It is tuned to the natural sounds of the earth, it has the ability to reach deep inside the soul and stop time.

I try to make the approach to this instrument my own. I think most people who start out playing this wonderful instrument will attempt to copy the songs of Native musicians. I think this is a great way to not only appreciate the range of the instrument, but also to honor and respect the origins of the flute.

But a natural transition will take place once the flute is mastered - it can’t help but happen. The melodies will begin to reflect the life’s journey of the player. This happened to me. It was a subtle shift from Native-sounding sounds to improvisations which seemed to flow from the visualizations that were uniquely mine. And this is the magic of the instrument. It facilitates the ability to see deeply into the player’s heart and share the emotions of a lifetime.

In the this album, I have presented the flute without pretense and without other sound effects – just the flute in moments of deep contemplation and sentiment. I wanted to let the flute take take the listener to a place where my heart was