Hello Everyone!
I have been making flutes for nearly 40 years. For the last 18 years I have been mostly making Folk Flutes for many of you, which has included countless hours answering your frequent questions about care and delivery before, during and after purchase, and servicing these flutes when necessary. I have also been making other more expensive flutes with tuning slides and keys. I would say that out of the last 18 years of production, 14-15 of these years have been primarily devoted to Folk Flutes. This instrument serves the need for an inexpensive beginner instrument that plays as well as a top-of-the line instrument. Unfortunately I have worn my body out to some degree making these numerous flutes and have stopped. Hopefully my apprentice Karly will start making these again soon - currently this is delayed by the Pandemic.
Making all of these flutes has come at a cost. I do not have any sort of retirement saved up besides Social Security and still live somewhat paycheck to paycheck. I have helped the world by subsidizing your flute playing as something like a voluntary peasant. I am now asking for your help in return.
I am trying to crowd-fund an exciting project.
For the last 20 years I have been researching the wonderful glass flutes that were made in Paris by Claude Laurent from 1805 to 1845. These flutes are historically important. Laurent chose glass as a superb engineering material that didn’t warp or crack (one just didn’t make a habit of dropping it), not to mention its beauty. This necessitated the invention of the Post-mounted Keys that are now found in Every orchestral woodwind. He patented these immediately so he could control the use - which he wished for everyone. Laurent immediately open-sourced the concept, aware of its revolutionary appeal. Finally: what is hardly known is how these flutes played, especially before 1820. I recently had a chance to measure and try this well-restored specimen from 1816. Laurent achieved by then what many of the London makers achieved 30 years later in terms of richness of tone, volume and projection. These really were the best flutes around and ahead of their time!
These were owned by well-known players, as well as royalty and politicians. Napoleon and his brother Louis owned two beautiful specimens currently on display at the Metropolitan Museum (see the one Louis owned below). President Madison was also a recipient of one of these flutes. This one can be viewed in the Madison Wing of the Library of Congress, as one of 18 Laurent Flute specimens in the Dayton Miller Collection. Most of the 225 or so flutes that came out of Laurent’s workshop are now in the hands of museums and collectors. Anyone who has read about the history of the flute learns of these instruments, and wishes they could try one - if not own one. I have only seen a few come up for auction.
Many tried reproducing these. William Haynes of Haynes Flutes tried and concluded that these could never be produced ever again! I hope to prove otherwise, as I have been researching these with an eye towards making these while still in the thick of my flute making career. The Pandemic has forced many to revise their careers and I am no exception. After I stopped taking orders for the Folk Flute, I decided to do the same for my other flutes and am now almost caught up with my queue. I plan to simply make the flutes I want to make and list these for sale at my new Traditional Flutes Webstore.
I really need a break from wooden flutes entirely however, and am eager to pursue this project. Seattle with its large art glass culture helps and I have other resources at hand. I am in the process of upgrading my workshop, adding new tooling and machinery to work glass, and need to install a 12 X 16 metal building with a concrete floor for a hot shop and a heavy Pantograph Milling Machine. Once set up I will need 3-6 months of time making prototypes and bringing this project to fruition. This will require a few weeks on the East Coast measuring the three flutes mentioned above (I have access) and several others. Eventually, the Library of Congress is hoping I copy Madison’s flute so the original can safely stay in its case whenever some important flutist is performing for the current President.
This costs money. I do not have any savings to apply to this. I do not want to undertake any debt or borrow from our home equity, or sell off assets like the musical instruments we still enjoy playing. The voluntary poverty is starting to wear a little thin. In the past I have iteratively afforded what I can in terms of R&D. This project needs more input sooner than what that usually achieves. This why I am asking for your help.
Over the next few months, I hope to raise a minimum of $50,000 to afford these expenses and salary while bringing these flutes online for the first time since 1845. Thus I am asking everyone to help me in my crowdfunding campaign that will be up at my website. I am targeting this campaign first my large Folk Flute client base, and then my other clients followed by everyone. I have over 5000 clients who received flutes from me. If 500 of these each donated $100 to this cause, that would suffice.
Since this is paying for tools etc. and salary I will just consider it as income for tax purposes. Since my business is for profit, you won;t be able to use it for a tax deduction.
Its best not to promise things that I can’t yet deliver. I wanted to say, however that I am working on an Ebook on my flute making experiences, including this latest project. If and when this happens, I hope to send my donors a copy.
Larger gift contributions are welcome! These could be labeled as a “Gift” in the memo line which would spare me any tax complications. Large gifts or endowments would not necessarily grant you increased access or influence. Please contact me first if you wish to offer such endowment.
The glass flutes will not be inexpensive. However, they will be available. The main point is to make them for the first time since 1845 and leave enough Instructions and Data so that living and future flute makers have a path to follow to make these, instead of come to the same conclusion as William Haynes. The glass artistry of Laurent’s time will be the basis for further development with the current diverse glass possibilities. For me as a maker a few months shy of retirement age (and I never plan to retire), I will be able to survive and savor finessing one or two flutes per season or more, rather than be chained to the bench producing some 125-200 flutes in wood yearly!
Please contribute. NOTE - THE CONTRIBUTION PAGE ON MY WEBSITE IS CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION. I HOPE TO HAVE IT UP SEPTEMBER LATER TODAY
Thank you for your Support!
Casey
Louis Bonaparte’s Flute on display at the Metropolitan Museum. We call this one “Blue Louie”. Many consider this one of the most beautiful flutes in existence!