The Native American Flute

In the process of my photography not only do I strive to learn more about my surroundings and, of course, the history of the world but, as evidenced in the many webpages that I have created, over the years, and several years of reporting for progressive and independent media outlets and my more recent blogging a driving force behind my body of woirk is to inform and educate others as well.

So, though I have photographed what I sometimes referred to as Native American or Latino Musicians since the early 90's with includes the group known as "500 Years After" it was not until last night when in the process of posting images of a street musician that I captured on Constitution Avenue and 15th Street during Washington DC's 04 July 2007 Celebration and searching the internet for Native Spirit - Native American Musicians that I learned the instrument that many of the Native American musicians play is known as the Native American Flute.

While 500 Years After and many other such street performers sell cds of music that they themselves produced in the case of the Native American Flutist that I captured on 4 July 2007 the cds that were being sold were not his work. Which I do not have a problem with, as long as I am not misled to believe otherwise.

One of the cds that was being sold was Native Spirit - A Gift of the Mother Earth which I was misled to believe was the work of the street musician that was performing. The CD is actually the work of Carlos Munhoz.

Here is an interesting article, "I Was Fooled, Were You?" that may shed light on how I felt last night when I realized the deception. Or, perhaps, my misconception.

Regardless, in the process of this project I also found the International Native American Flute Association (INAFA) and as a result, have now launched an ongoing "Native American Flute" project.

Here is a video that I shot of Native Spirit / WDC / 04 July 2007.

Friday's Photo of the Week . 03 August 2007

Musicians Hands 2007 . David Knight, Fiddler

Street Musicians at Dupont Circle Series

Thrusday evening, 02 August 2007

2007 Friday Photos of the Week

Cowgirl Creamery at Penn Quarter Holds Cheese Classes and Demonstrations on Thursday evenings throughout the summer

As part of my ongoing Windows of the World, Penn Quarter and Downtown F Street projects I have photographed and reported on Cowgirl Creamery at 919 F Street, NW, since shortly after its opening last June.

And, therefore, was very happy to view Wendy Rieger of NBC4 Going Green segment on The Cowgirl Creamery. Which I learned of during my 14 April 2007 documentation of Global Warming Rally at Gateway Park in Arlington VA.

As a supporter of the Fresh Farm Market at Penn Quarter which takes place every Thursday throughout the summer which is also amongst my ongoing farmer market series, on two Thursdays of each month throughout the summer 2007 season Cowgirl Creamery Cheese Academy will hold a Penn Quarter Cheese Class Series to coincide with the Fresh Farm Market at Penn Quarter.

On 26 July, Eric Sanford focused on Designing A Chees Board. The next scheduled class will take place on Thursday, 9 August when Eric Sanford holds a Farmstead Cheese of the Pacific Northwest Tasting and will lecture on the influence of seasons of cheese production.

Call 202-393-6880 to sign up. $35 per person. Buy two seats and save $10.

Cowgirl Creamery is located at 919 F Street, NW, in the Penn Quarter area of Washington DC.

Click the above photo to view my ongoing Cowgirl Creamery / Penn Quarter photoset.

Hand Painted Bird Whistles and Hand Carved Balsa Sculptures IMPORTS from Street Vendor (Mark) at Dupont Cirlce South

Though I officially launched my ongoing Street Vendor Documentary Project with several summer 2005 photo-interviews of Frank Lloyd of Frank's Place which sheds light on the personal stories of street vendors this expose on Mark, Street Vendor at Dupont Circle South represents the first installment of my now ongoing STREET VENDORS (FOCUS) SERIES which brings attention to the items and merchandise for sale.

Hand made in Ecuador, these bird whistles are finely crafted and hand painted by the Quechua Indians. A highly desirable tool for bird lovers as well as fun for people of all ages. First fill with water, then tilt to about a 45 degree angle to let some water run out, which will adjust the amount of water needed. Blow steadily into the mouth piece to hear a bird whistle.

Mark, the street vendor at the intersection of 19th Street, NW, and Dupont Circle South, sells imports from Ecuador. He can be found most days of the week with the exception of Sundays.

Mark says that a favorite merchandise that he has had a problem selling, over the years, has been his collection of hand carved Balsa Sculptures. Here is a site that provides information about Ecuador Art including Balsa Sculpture.

Jena Six featured story TONIGHT on NBC Nightly News / Brian Williams & CBS Evening News / Katie Couric

Photojournalist Michael David Murphy reports in an update pertaining to his ongoing Jena Six Docu-Project that NBC Evening News with Brian Williams and CBS Evening News with Katie Couric are doing stories on Jena tonight, 31 July 2007, at 6:30 PM EST.

Though Michael David Murphy did not contribute photographs for either of these broadcasts two recent Murphy updates with links, details and audio stories about the case can be found at the following:

1. http://www.whileseated.org/photo/003252.shtml
2. http://www.whileseated.org/photo/003253.shtml (with NPR & a tremendous audio piece from the BBC).

CO2LED-2 arrives in Crystal City. On display thru Labor Day.

July 31, 2007 - Crystal City (Arlington, VA) – Art has always been known as being good for the soul, but a new project also is good for the environment. The Crystal City BID and Arlington County proudly announce the arrival of CO2LED-2, an environmentally friendly and creatively illuminating art in Crystal City. The project is an extension of the CO2LED display, which was unveiled last month in Rosslyn.

CO2LED, created by artists Jack Sanders, Robert Gay and Butch Anthony, is a temporary public art project that promotes the use of alternative energy sources, recycling, and responds to Arlington’s environmental initiative, FreshAIRE (Arlington Initiative to Reduce Emissions). In Crystal City’s version of the display, a traffic island is illuminated using nearly 100 solar-powered LED’s (light-emitting diodes) secured to rods of varying heights. Each rod is topped with a reused plastic drink bottle. The poles’ slight flexibility, combined with the LEDs’ nebulous glow underneath the ridged surfaces of the plastic drink bottles, create a soft, undulating cloud of light. Being solar-powered, CO2LED produces long-lasting illumination, but with reduced toxic by-products, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions associated with the use of incandescent light bulbs.

“This project furthers our mission to inject light and vibrancy into Crystal City,” says Executive Director Angie Fox. “Crystal City is A Bright Place to Be. What better way to physically express this than with environmentally-friendly lighting, which is visible to the 48,000 cars that transverse this section of Route 1 every day.”

The BID partnered with Gould Property Companies and Arlington Cultural Affairs to erect “CO2LED-2” at the southern gateway entrance into Crystal City at Rt. 1/Jefferson Davis Highway and Crystal Drive.

My July 2007 Video of the Month

Sunday, 01 July 2007 represented my 4th time for capturing the Malcolm X. Park Drum and Dance Circle at Meridian Hill in NW WDC. It would be the first time that I shot video footage of the Malcolm X. Drummers and Dancers. So that there is no confusion between our work I, purposely, have chosen the name Malcolm X. Park (Meridian Hill) Drum & Dance Circle for my 2006 and 2007 photo collections as opposed to Malcolm X Drummers and Dancers which is their official name.

Having just purcchased my Canon Power Shot S3 IS while on vacation in Fort Lauderdale during the Memorial Day week videography is a new thing with me. My 01 July 2007 Malcolm X. Park Drum & Dance Circle Compilation #3 which includes 6 of the 7 video clips launches my first Video of the Month ongoing project.

Six individual video clips uploaded to Elvert Barnes at YouTube are idenfited as:

1. MXP-DCC-WDC-01July2007 Video Clip #1/7
2. MXP-DDC-WDC-01July2007 Video Clip #2/7
3. MXP-DDC-WDC-01July2007 Video Clip #3/7
4. MXP-DDC-WDC-01July2007 Video clip #4/7
5. MXP-DDC-WDC-01July2007 Video Clip #6/7
6. MXP-DDC-WDC-01July2007 Video Clip #7/7

#5/7 was shots a few seconds in length. So, I did not upload it.

The 3 compliations uploaded to Elvert Barnes at Google Video are identifed as:

1. MXP-DDC-WDC-01July2007 Compilation #1 which features clips 1, 2 & 4.
2. MXP-DDC-WDC-01July2007 Compilation #2 features clips 1, 2, 3 & 4.
3. MXP-DDC-WDC-01July2007 Compilation #3 includes clips 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 & 7.

Also of interest, at google video, may be my Alleviation of Distress - Malcolm X. Park Dance & Drum Circle - WDC - 30 July 2007 photo montage, with Pete Tong's version of "Alleviation of Distress" by Jark Prongo serving as background music.

Click the above photo to view my 01 July 2007 Malcolm X. Park Drum and Dance Circle photoset and 2007 Malcolm X. Park Drum & Dance Circle collection.

And here is my 01 July 2007 Malcolm X. Park Drum and Dance Circle video compilation which, as the July 2007 Video of the Month, launches my now ongoing Video of the Month project.