I am far
from a professional flute player though it is something I truly enjoy. What is nice about the Native American Flute is that
it does not require you to be a professional.
What is necessary to play this instrument is just to be able to sit, be
with it, and let the music flow from your heart. With this said I do recognize it is not a common
thing to find someone who plays a Native American Flute nor would I think it is common
to find a former Soldier playing a ‘flute’. I do not come from a First Nation heritage though I have come to respect the flute for what it is and respect the cultural significance it has for First Nations people. I picked up this instrument when I was going to school in British Columbia
7 years ago. Two of the ladies in my
class played the flute and I was immediately drawn to its calming and hunting
sound. I was gifted a flute and it
quickly became my primary outlet to deal with the stress of school, the
military, and life at that time. I would
often find myself taking brakes from my studies to go to the school’s gardens
to play by the pond. It was hear
that I learned to play and more importantly express myself through the instrument.
Ever since I continue to take my flute
out and play it as a way to de-stress and reconnect.
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Royal Roads gardens where I
first played the flute
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The song ‘Amazing Grace’ is a
song I learned right away, as I have always loved the meaning and depth to this
song. It is a very special song to
me as I have played for several of my loved ones who have passed. Playing the flute at Vimy to honor the soldiers
who sacrificed so much throughout the World Wars, is something that has called
to me ever since picking the flute up 7 years ago. My plan so far is to take the Vimy flute
that Stephen is making and finding a place on the Vimy Memorial at some point
on April 9th, 2017. I will play
‘Amazing Grace’ through the wood of the Vimy Oak. I hope that by sharing my journey, you and
others will learn a little about how the battle of Vimy ridge forged our
Canadian identity and to remind us all that it came at an incredibly high cost. May we never forget.
