Musical Monday: Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo is considered to be one of the greatest French Romantic writers of all time. He was known as a novelist, poet, playwright, humanitarian, and politician. His original works inspired today's adaptations of Les Misérables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Hugo's literary career lasted over sixty years and during that time he explored a variety of different genres.
Hugo wrote some of his best works including Les Misérables during his exile. In 1851, when Napoleon III took control of France, he abolished their democratic system of government. During this time, Hugo denounced Napoleon III's coup d'état, and his liberal views on social injustice, press freedom, and the death penalty labeled him a traitor and forced him into exile.
We chose Hugo's quote "Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent," because Hugo viewed music as a way to speak unpopular opinions or express what was not allowed to be said. This week is a difficult holiday for many and is often misrepresented throughout our history. We hope for those that are struggling this week to find comfort in music and the expressions it can offer.
Choosing Your Flute Guide
In this video playlist, Odell Borg helps you choose your High Spirits flutes. These free video tutorials focus on the essential skills for non-beginner, end-blown wood flute players.
Listen & Learn Video: All About Our Hand Drums
In this video Odell Borg, founder of High Spirits Flutes compares the musical voice of each drum size (13-inch, 16-inch, and 18-inch) and shares important tips about caring for your handmade hoop hand drum.
Your Flute Journey: Supporting Intermediate Players
In this video playlist, Odell Borg teaches intermediate playing techniques for High Spirits flutes. These free video tutorials focus on the essential skills for non-beginner, end-blown wood flute players.
Ways To Express Gratitude & Celebrate Inclusively This Holiday Season
Holiday seasons can be difficult for many people for different reasons. Holidays can feel exclusive, lonely, frustrating, and misrepresentative of culture and history. Whether you enjoy the holidays or dread them, there are ways we can be mindful, give thanks, and celebrate in our own ways. We can transform our negative emotions into positive ones by spreading joy to others through acts of kindness, healing through being present in the season and dedicating time to ourselves or spending time with those close to us. Instead of feeling overwhelmed and excluded by a cookie-cutter definition driven by the propaganda of what the holidays are supposed to look like, we want to take a more inclusive approach. Here are several ways to spread joy, show gratitude, and make a positive impact.
Attend A Humanitarian Event
Support a cause you are passionate about and find a local or virtual event to attend. Giving back to your community can be a great feeling! There are so many great causes to get involved in. Perhaps you are passionate about people or animals. Showing support for something close to your heart will bring you joy and a sense of purpose. Here are eight great events to attend this month in Arizona:
(Click on the event name to be directed to the link)
4th Annual Indigenous Arts Show
Shop an extraordinary selection of Native Crafts online from November 9th through the 21st! Native Seeds/SEARCH “seeks to find, protect, and preserve the seeds of the people of the Greater Southwest so that these arid-adapted crops may benefit all peoples and nourish a changing world.” Proceeds help support Native Seeds/SEARCH.
Support neurodiverse children with Down syndrome on Saturday, November 12th at Mica Mountain High School. Help educate, advocate, and celebrate!
Take the family or come with your friends for a fun evening benefiting the Arboretum. Drink wristbands and raffle tickets will be available for purchase and proceeds will go directly to the Arboretum. This event is located at Peace Surplus, 14 W Route 66 in Flagstaff on November 12th.
Roll out your bikes beginning and ending at the infamous Phenix Raceway racetrack. Choose between a 60, 40, or 20-mile bike ride. Pedal for doctors, nurses, patients, and staff at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Phoenix Children is committed to providing world-class care to its patients and families. This event takes place on Sunday, November 13th.
Support PACC and all their furry friends on November 13th at the Hilton Scottsdale Resort & Villas. PACC has been improving the lives of animals for 23 years and provides a voice and support to abused, neglected, or injured animals. This event will help at-risk animals find forever homes and allow rescue groups to receive medical funding. Featuring a live and silent auction, a beautiful program filled with stories of animals who were saved, and a delicious meal.
El Recuerdo Benefit Concert For Kino Border Initiative
KBI’s mission is to “promote U.S./Mexico border and immigration policies that affirm the dignity of the human person and a spirit of bi-national solidarity.” El Recuerdo benefit concert for KBI takes place on Saturday, November 19th at MSA Annex, 267 South Avenida del Convento, Tucson, Arizona. They will be accepting donations including diapers, coats, pants, shoes, and long sleeve shirts. KBI is Located in Nogales, Arizona and Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, KBI’s vision is to “help make humane, just, workable migration between the U.S. and Mexico a reality.”
Wine Tasting Benefit for PAWSitively CATS
Raise a glass for the cats on November 27th at the Arizona Wine Collective in Tucson! Vegan wine and snacks, and raffle prizes will be available for purchase. Proceeds go to PAWSitively CATS No-Kill Shelter. PAWSitively CATS is a cage-free No-Kill shelter located in Tucson, Arizona. They are largely volunteer-based and their mission is “to provide a No-Kill shelter and compassionate care for homeless cats in Tucson, to find loving permanent homes for these cats, to promote TNR for feral cats, and to educate the public regarding spay/neuter and responsible pet ownership.”
Book your calendars for Book’em Storytime on Wednesday, November 30th at the Native American Fatherhood & Families Association in Mesa! Take your Pre-K little ones to join the Mesa PD and the NAFFA for snacks and stories. NAFFA’s mission is “to strengthen, keep, and reunite families by responsibility involving fathers and mothers in the lives of their children, families, and communities to provide happy and safe families.” Their vision is “to support fathers and mothers in becoming models of healthy parenting everywhere."
Release negative energy and join a wonderful gathering of music and kindness every Monday. Donations are accepted and this event is located in Grounded 32 North 32nd Street in Phoenix, Arizona.
Donate To A Meaningful Cause
There are so many wonderful organizations and charities to donate to. Help animals in need, support raising mental health awareness, sponsor a child battling cancer, or donate to other humanitarian efforts. Supporting a cause and being a part of something will brighten your day and make you feel a part of something larger than yourself.
Volunteer
Reach out to local organizations to lend a hand. Many organizations rely on volunteers to help carry out their mission and initiatives. Volunteering is also a great way to meet other like-minded people and occupy your day.
Play Music
Learn a new song on your High Spirits Flute or hand drum! Soothe your soul and play until your heart’s content! Music is a great way to heal, occupy your time, and experience enjoyment. Mastering a new song will give you the feeling of accomplishment!
Cook For Yourself Or Others
Love to cook or bake? Take the day to make something scrumptious for someone else. Host a dinner party or bake for a local bake sale. Try a new recipe or make something for your furry friend. Use your creativity while doing something you love!
Find A Pen Pal
Connect with people all over the world and make new friends! Check out sites like PenPal World and Global Penfriends. Make sure to read the privacy settings to find the site best suited for you. Help each other through hard times or learn about someone else’s culture. You never know the positive impact you can have on someone’s life or the impact they can have on yours!
Sign Up For A Class
Have you always wanted to learn a new language or take a cooking class? If you have time off for the holidays but don’t have any plans, it’s a perfect time! Focus on spending quality time with yourself and learning a new skill or taking a class in a subject you enjoy!
Take Up A New Hobby
We recommend the Native American Style Flute if you haven’t tried playing yet! Already play our flutes? Try our drums! Expand your music collection and teach yourself how to play something new or find a different hobby to try. Take a pottery-making class, explore painting, or start a DYI home improvement project!
Learn About Indigenous Land
Research the history of the land you live on and become familiar with the tribal lands in your area. Learn ways in which you can contribute to the environment and have a positive impact.
Perform An Act Of Kindness
Giving back to others and your community can feel empowering and rewarding. Be the reason someone smiles today and make their day a little brighter. Pay someone a compliment or bring a meal to a local homeless person. Sit down with someone who is lonely and have a conversation. Small acts of kindness can go a long way!
However you choose to spend your holiday season this year, strive to be inclusive and compassionate towards others. There are so many great ways to get involved, spread a smile, or help someone out. We hope you find this list useful. Have a musical and magical holiday season!
High Spirits Flutes 32-Year Anniversary Calendar & History
Every year we release a different calendar theme featuring diverse landscapes throughout Arizona paired with our flutes. This year for our thirty-two-year anniversary, we decided to take you back to a blast in the past and feature our classic flutes. Our Classic Arizona calendar combines classic and old-school images such as the Route 66 old-fashioned gas station, with our classic flutes.
Thirty-Two years ago, Odell began selling High Spirits Flutes out of his truck and at art festivals. His inspiration began in 1988 when he received his first Native Flute for Christmas. Immediately, he experienced the joy it brought to his life. In 1990, Odell was going through a difficult time and was struggling to rebuild himself. During this time a friend reminded him that he had always been a craftsman and to explore making his own flutes.
They say it takes a village, and that is exactly what Odell had. He had support and mentorship from his friends who helped guide him through the woodworking process. On his first attempt, he created four aromatic cedar flutes in the key of "F#." Odell was overwhelmed with the blessing of having to been able to successfully create the instrument that brought him so much solace. Odell knew he wanted to share the Native American Style Flute with as many people as he possibly could.
For further reading on Odell's story visit our blog titled Odell Borg - The History Of His First Handmade Flutes.
Enjoy a free High Spirits Flutes 2023 Classic Arizona Calendar with purchases of $150.00 or more. Continental US only!
Why The Key Of 'A'
A common question is: what's the best flute for a beginner....?
The answer is the key of 'A'!
We are absolutely confident that anyone who has the desire to play a musical instrument (even with no musical experience) can be successful with any of our easy-to-play, key of 'A' flutes. This includes all our Spirits Flutes in the key of 'A'!
Our Spirit Flutes are extra versatile because of their unique design, which utilizes a fixed plate and a shorter length, making them ideal for any new flute player who wants to travel and adventure with their flute.
We want you to find success and ease as you begin your flute-playing journey! From 30 years of experience, we know the key of 'A' is the perfect flute for any beginner because we've celebrated thousands of new players succeeding at the start of their flute-playing journey.
New players are often deeply drawn to the beautiful, low tones of our Bass Flutes! Their enchanting, meditative sound is so compelling that new players often choose a Bass Flute as their first flute; but what you might not know is that to create those incredible bass tones, the flute must be longer, larger, and have bigger fingering holes, and those exact characteristics are the complete opposite of what makes a flute easy to learn to play.
Our key of 'A' flutes are just the right size for any beginner. Not too small like our high tone flutes, which take more breath control, and not too large like our bass tone flutes, which take more dexterity.
All of our key of 'A' flutes are mid-tone flutes, which are well-sized for new players because they are a perfect balance physically and musically from our high tone and bass tone flutes.
Now....we want to remind you that the key of 'A' is the perfect starting place....not the final destination! So our approach is to encourage you to master the key of 'A' to provide a solid foundation for building skill and advancing to whatever size flute your heart and mind desire.
A little patience and practice with our beginner-friendly key of 'A' paves the way to success with our Bass Flutes, step-by-step!
Throughout this holiday season, our key of 'A' flutes are the perfect gift and value for anyone who wants to join a musical community! Together we can share our unique musical voices with loved ones and the world because music inspires celebration, soothes hardships, spreads joy, and creates peace and relaxation.
Here's more helpful information about our key of 'A' flutes and why they are our flute of choice for all beginners -
Ease of Playing
The key of 'A' is the easiest Native American Style Flute to play because of its smaller size and finger placement. Each hole is smaller and closer together making it ideal for beginners, children, and those with smaller hands. We cover the third hole from the stop with a leather tie to make the flute even easier to play. However, this gives the option to use it as a six-hole or five-hole flute. In contrast, a base flute strains the hands and is more difficult to play due to its large size.
Lightweight
Our Spirit Flute Key of 'A' is made out of Spanish Cedar wood, which is lightweight and easy to hold. Spanish Cedar is a softwood that gives the flute a deep and rich musical voice, with warm high notes, and firm low tones. The short mouthpiece minimizes moisture buildup and creates ample back pressure for clarity on the higher register notes.
Affordable
Providing high-quality flutes at an affordable price is important to us. We understand that a flute is an investment and we want to provide lasting value to your collection. Our Spirit Flute Key of 'A' offers a beautiful design, rich sound, and easy travel. Sealed with non-toxic oils, our flutes are affordable without sacrificing quality.
