Murfreesboro Diamond

Sacred Ground Art and Flute Festival to be held May 14, 2008 - No reporter cited

Murfreesboro, AR– Something new is about to happen in Arkansas, and it’s all based around the exciting inaugural Sacred Ground Art & Flute Festival in Murfreesboro. The event will join Native American performers and artists with the public for a unique cause – the proceeds will go to FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder) awareness and the FASD Diagnostics Clinic in Juneau, Alaska.

The rise in the popularity of the amazing instrument that is the flute has given birth to “flute circles” all over the country. The Festival will attract many of these circles, along with local and international guests: it will be fun and educational for the entire family.

Guest of honor, however, will be Morgan Fawcett, an Alaskan Native of Tlingit heritage. Morgan was born with FASD because his mother drank during pregnancy. The resulting impact on his life has been great, and continues today. Many say he was born to play the Native flute, and it is truly through his relationship with pain and his passion for playing the flute that Morgan has risen above his life experience. Morgan, through playing his flute and developing his musical skills, has learned how to do just that.

He felt the pain and saw the destruction caused by this misunderstood and rarely acknowledged condition, and at the young age of 15 Morgan decided to do something about it. He founded a non-profit organization called One Heart Creations, and he uses his music to educate and donate to the FASD cause. He is donating half of the proceeds of his first CD, Ancestral Memories, and has just recorded his second CD, Tears of Our Fathers. One Heart Creations is the primary sponsor of the Sacred Ground Art & Flute Festival.

This incredible young man is not only a flute player, but also a performer. He captures the hearts of his audience with his personality, and his music has helped him and others to find a calm place of understanding and healing. Morgan was invited to play for the General Assembly of the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska and 34th Annual Folk Festival in April of this year.  He has already played at numerous events, including in Juneau, Alaska, with multi-award winning Native American violinist Arvel Bird and at Musical Echoes in Florida last month with Bird and Mary Youngblood.

Back here in Arkansas, the four-day celebration will be held at Ka Do Ha Indian Village, in conjunction with the town of Murfreesboro and the Crater of Diamonds State Park, Diamond Days event. The venue is the beautiful 100-acre property that contains the Ka Do Ha Indian Mounds. Sam Johnson is the owner of the property and a sponsor of the event. The organizers would like to thank Sam and all the employees of the Ka Do Ha Indian Village for their support.

So, what’s in store for all the Festival-goers? They’ll be able to meet more than 40 Native artists from as many different tribes, experience their work, and enjoy their performances. There will be dancers, singers, and musicians; artist demonstrations; and unique and delicious Indian foods. Headlining the music will be the incomparable 2007 Native American Music Awards’ Artist of the Year, Arvel Bird, who will be joined by Native American flute player and music visionary John Two-Hawks, and, of course, rising star Morgan Fawcett.

Arvel Bird is of Southern Paiute/Scottish heritage. He is a classically trained violinist who played all over the world with Glen Campbell before going solo. He now writes all his own music, has recorded 11 CDs and 1 DVD, is constantly on the road performing and making media appearances up and down the country, and wins award after award as the world finally realizes the talent that is Arvel Bird. Along with the violin he is an accomplished Native flute, guitar, and mandolin player and performs in a number of diverse genres, including blues, jazz, bluegrass, Celtic, Cajun, classical, folk, fusion, country, new age, Western swing, American roots, and Native American. His music is healing and unique and truly offers the audience an unforgettable evening. Arvel will be in concert with Morgan on Sunday night.

John Two-Hawks is of Oglala Lakota heritage. He is a true music visionary and pioneer, having taken Native American flute music from the pow wow and the folk festival into the sold-out concert arena, Emmy Award Winning movies, Platinum Award Winning projects, and more. He has performed for sold-out audiences as large as 12,000, and brings innovation, power, beauty, and passion to his work. John will be in concert with Morgan on Saturday night.
Some of the other artists displaying their talents are as follows:

1) Dana Tiger – Muscogee/Seminole and Cherokee Painter

2) Mark Barfoot – Onondaga/Cherokee Drum Maker & Artist

3) Jim Gilliland – Cherokee/Scots-Irish Flute Maker

4) Dennis ‘dg’ Hatch – Native Flute, Chippewa Flute Maker

5) Dr. Michael Layton – Sculptor

6) John Suttles – Fallen Branch, Flute Maker

7) Dennis & Kapotahi Frederiksen – Flute & Maori Art

8) Joseph Chamberlain – Yankton Sioux Painter Sculptor

9) General Grant – Cherokee Jewelry and Stone Carver

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