Fear and Lathe-ing in Las Vegas!

Yes, I'm back on the lathe! It's been a couple of years since I've done any turning and I'm happy to be back in action. Getting a lathe was a necessary part of learning to make neys in the Turkish tradition, the tradition that set me on fire with this instrument.

The Turkish tradition adds a separate mouthpiece called 'baspare' to the flute that is turned from water buffalo horn or wood, sometimes bone and, in the good lo' days, ivory. It's purpose is to add a more durable blowing edge and also create an 'inner scoop' that allows for greater tonal range and control of the registers.

At first I thought that neys that did not have a baspare were inferior, but soon discovered that was not the case. They simply offer a different tone and behave differently. In fact, I'm known for my 'low end' playing and have for years now played on neys without them.

My endless obsession with the craft not only brought me back to the baspare from a crafting standpoint, but also reintroduced me to the utterly unique qualities that are offered from it. It remains, for me, one of the most beautiful characteristics of the Turkish style of playing and makes the Sufi music of Turkey stand out in a class of its own.

After decades of learning to make neys in the traditional manner, I've been focusing a lot on synthetic neys recently and LOVE them. I've discovered how subtle design changes get a better, stronger, louder tone. Really it was a matter of reverse engineering the math and applying the concept to new materials.

As I return to making baspares I'm enjoying working with incredible new materials that are yielding fantastic results. Certain plastics are so well suited for the job that I think of them as the natural materials of my era. After all, what would Neo play between bouts with Agent Smith?

The result is that my craft is kicking' up a notch, my traditional neys are getting better and the new synthetic design is gaining in popularity. I'm even making a new set of neys that have interchangeable mouthpieces and bodies so I can literally switch from any desired style to any size / key ney in seconds. Plus, they break down into small, compact and easy to carry sets that allow me to carry a full arsenal of neys with a great new ease.

This is a new venture and I'm still perfecting the process, but I am thrilled with the first wave of new stuff. I will soon be sharing a whole new series of neys (including Persian designs) and music that showcases these new materials and designs.

Oh, yeah…I'm also working on a 'glass bore' that will have these things screamin' off the charts. :) I haven't been this excited in a looooooooooong time! I'll definitely keep you posted!

I hope all is well…



Peace,
J


PS - Kudos to my dear friend, David Macejka, for giving me the idea for the title 'Fear and Lathe-ing in Las Vegas'; he's not only one of the 'hands-down' best percussionists I know, but one of the funniest people I've ever met! Check him out: he rocks with a blend of taste, style and chops that I've never before encountered:

David Macejka

Survey says..!

Wow! I'd been thinking about doing a survey for awhile now and I wish I'd done it sooner! You guys really gave me a lot of insight into many different areas and I thank you for that. I have much greater clarity about the next wave of projects I'm working on and where to focus my energy. I am relishing the questions below, along with the stats, and will throw my own two cents in the mix as we go.


1. Which are you most interested in?

music recordings
instructional materials
intruments 56%

This surprised because of what I experience on my end of things. I've been getting a lot more flute making business this past year, but the majority of what I hear from people is 'more music, more music..!' Of course, I'm doing more of all of it, but those of you who are interested in any type of bamboo or reed flute, please contact me! In addition to traditional flutes, I've really been perfecting a synthetic design for both ney and bansuri that I'm beginning to prefer - the tone, the volume and the durability of these flutes have me digging deeper into the design.

2. Which type of music are you most interested in?

traditional / acoustic 75%
brainwave entrainment/healing/self help
yoga / guided meditation
electronic / modern

Again, I was not expecting this result. My day-to-day experience centers on requests for healing and brainwave entrainment music. In fact, I just released 'Bamboo Brainfood, Vol.2: Absolution' which adds the power of Ho'oponopono to the magic of brainwave entrainment music…delivering a 'double punch' to shifting stubborn blocks in the subconscious and physiology of the brain. I just tweaked the site:

'Bamboo Brainfood, Vol.2: Absolution'


The next highest request was for yoga music. I was startled by this because of my earlier release of 'Sacred Yoga Music, Vol.1' in 2009. This is 4.5 hours of music specifically designed for use with yoga practice and includes two separate 90 minute tracks for use in a home or class setting. It also has six separate 15 minute tracks that can be customized to suit your yoga or meditation practice needs. Perhaps I didn't yell loudly enough about this release. I just updated the site with sound samples, too. Oh, it's also an affiliate program that splits the profits 50-50 with anyone who sells it to anyone they know. It's a free service and you can learn more here:

'Sacred Yoga Music, Vol.1'


3. What type of instruction are you most interested in?

learning to play ney / bansuri 66%
learning to make ney / bansuri
learning to play percussion
learning to build a better platform for online businesses

This one makes more sense to me! I have focused more on flute instructional materials the past few years because there is such a need for it. The world of percussion is teeming with amazing people who are stunning players and fantastic teachers. My style of teaching drum, however, still stands out in my mind because of the focus on a few critical principles that teach you how to understand your body mechanics and unravel the mysteries of rhythm in a way that empowers you to play anything you hear. As I finish up several projects I will be working on percussion materials, too!


4. Which format are you more interested in?

downloadable books, audios and video 78%
online courses with real-time lessons and teleconferencing

This caught me a little off guard, too! I was thinking that the books I'm working on and the training audios / videos would not be as well-received as a real-time Skype-style scenario, but…you have spoken! Actually, I'm comforted because I'm very close to completing a new Ney method book and accompanying video and adding single lessons for download. I'll definitely keep you posted on that!


5. If you are local (West Coast), which are you most interested in?

private lessons
small group instruction 75%
larger workshops

I thought people would have been more interested in workshops, but the numbers don't lie! Small group instruction stands out by a mile - no one voted for a workshop. No one! If you are on the West Coast and want to participate in a small group setting to learn ney or bansuri, please contact me so we can begin coordinating an event.


6. Where are you?

US 68%
Europe 25%
Africa 6%

Not surprisingly, North America takes the gold in this event! I'm happy to have many customers and clients in Europe and also in Africa.


7. Have I shared with you enough clear information on 'stem cell nutrition' and the benefits it offers?

I had a hunch this question would get strange results and it did. There was a close match between those of you who said 'yes' and 'no', and large number of folks who 'didn't get it' and a few of you who basically suggested I keep the topic of 'stem cell nutrition' away from my music endeavors. Well, I just t can't do that with a clear conscience….

The reason is that 'stem cell nutrition' literally chased my Carpal Tunnel Syndrome away. And for us performers and technicians that is a huge deal. Huge…

How I came across 'stem cell nutrition' is a whole 'nutha' story. My wife and I wrote a book about it that is a free download on one of our sites. It tells the story much better than I will attempt here, but it had such a profound affect on my body that I believe everyone should investigate it - especially musicians, dancers and athletes. Everything we do, from diet and nutrition to exercise, is thrown at cells that are slowly going into degradation. What would happen if you threw all that at brand new cells?

So, no… I'm not going to keep 'stem cell nutrition' a separate topic from my music endeavors. It makes way too much sense to me and has kept me in great shape regarding endurance and recovery for almost 5 straight years now and I swear by it. If my mentioning it doesn't set well with you, please ignore the message and focus on what does interest you…but I ain't gonna shut up about it. Period.

Stem Cell Nutrition

In the 'comment;' areas of the survey, many of you added some great advice and I'm working to implement it now. One of them was to add more sound samples to my pages and more videos, too - especially of the new flutes. Well, I'm on it! Just knocking the things off that have to come first...

I cannot thank you enough for all the feedback you provided; it really means a lot. I appreciate you taking the time to complete the survey. Please contact me with any questions about any of the topics. I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Peace,
J


PS - My latest release 'Bamboo Brainfood, Vol.2: Absolution' is available for a limited time at a special introductory price. People are loving the combination of 'Bamboo Brainfood' and Ho'oponopono! It will remain on sale only for the rest of February, so hop on over to the site and grab it while it's still on sale!

'Bamboo Brainfood, Vol.2: Absolution'


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Jay Kruse
"If the message touches the heart, it never dies.."
www.jaykruse.com
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On the prowl...

One of the few things consistent in my life for decades now is my love of flute making. That means I'm constantly scouting out sources of suitable bamboo and reed. Bamboo is tricky because the species I prefer to work with for larger flutes does not grow in the U.S. It's always interesting tracking that stuff down!

But there is another type of reed that I love working with. It's readily available in many parts of the States and it's the species that I am most comfortable with. It's called Arundo Donax and it's the traditional material for ney, gasba and kawala flutes. This species of reed was brought over by the Spanish and quickly took root along the southern U.S. and can be found throughout the Gulf Coast and all the way across the Southwest into California.

It's a very aggressive plant and is hated in many areas because it takes over riparian systems with nothing to stand in its way. It's referred to as 'Devil's Reed' in some parts and I can't help but find that amusing considering the fact that many cultures use Arundo Donax to make the flutes for their most sacred music traditions.

Not discounting all of the troubles this plant may cause, I still love the stuff! I have worked with it for the past 20 years and it produces beautiful flutes. Arundo Donax grows all over Texas, my home state, and harvesting it is simple and straight forward. Finding patches of Arundo Donax out here in Nevada has proven challenging because, though it definitely grows out here, the dimensions are completely different because of the dryer climate and harsher conditions.

Now I'm happy to report that I have finally found a great reed patch here in Vegas! This is a big deal for me because I have been patiently scouring the landscape for a few years now and was getting quite frustrated. In fact, the day before I found this patch I literally prayed for it. No joke! I had gone to a little patch I noticed on the side of the road (with minor trespassing involved) the day before and as I left in disappointment I lifted my head to the sky and said:

"Please, Universe...I want to find the perfect reed patch...one that is conveniently located with total (free) access...one that has plenty of reed suited to the designs I need...one that delivers like Domino's!"

The next day my wife Missy and I were driving to yoga class and my head snapped around as I caught sight of the perfect reed patch! It was exactly what I had asked for!



It's interesting to note that as I begin drifting away from the specs of the traditional ney I am finding myself needing reed that has a very different node placement. As I fuse together elements of the kaval, bansuri, shakuhachi and ney, the reed I'm working with is more from the root end. Here the bore gets much thinner while the walls get much thicker. Aside from the freaky math this throws at the air column, it also means that the appearance of the flute will lean towards that of a shakuhachi - stout at the bottom and tapering towards the top. It also means that as I rework the bore for this new design I am freed from the normal restraints of the node constrictions found in traditional ney design. This is giving me a warmer, throatier sound...and I like that! I'm still playing with the tuning, though - haven't decided for sure where I want to take it.

I'll keep you posted...



Peace,
J


PS - Stay tuned for photos and clips of the new design; I'm pretty stoked about it!