Maker of American Indian flutes puts on concert for pupils

“Everything I play is from the heart,” said Reed of his improvised songs. “I don’t even know how to read sheet music. It’s what my fingers feel like doing at the time.”

Reed shared his talent for making and playing American Indian flutes with a group of third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students at Eastmorland Elementary on Friday afternoon. He started crafting flutes about five years ago, always from recycled pieces of wood he has found. One flute came from a hunk of wood his wife found at Pier One, another from the submerged root of a tree he found while scuba diving.

Now Reed makes flutes for the noted American Indian recording artist and flutist John Twohawks. And he takes time to share his gift with schools and churches around the area. Reed laid out several of his polished flutes on a table covered with a buffalo skin for the students to explore.