Jon Norris

Jon Norris

In 1987, Jon heard the music of the Native American flute for the first time on a Powwow. In his hometown of Jackson Missessippi he bought his first flute during and powwow 1992.

Although he practiced a lot, the flute did not sound like the music he listened to on the flute music CDs. He thought it was a lack of skills. Until he honeymooned in Gatlinburg in 1998 and picked up a flute in a store and played it, this was the magical sound he had been trying to make, he now understood that it wasn't his ignorance but it was the flute. Because the purchase of different flutes was going to be expensive, he decided in 2002 to make his own flute. After contact with flute makers and the purchase of the necessary machines, his flutes improved over the years . Today he has a company called Jon Norris Music & Arts. Source: Jon website

2023 No. 077 Beltrami Replica

Beltrami flute.

This flute is the oldest wooden flute that still exists of the original Indian flutes with two sound chambers and a block. The instrument has 7 holes and a unique tuning. Some people think that the seventh hole was probably plugged. The flute therefore comes with a leather strap on the seventh hole. The flute is made of cypress and you have to blow it softly because otherwise you quickly go to the second octave. The scale of the flute is close to the modern diatonic scale. The fingering is different from modern flutes

In 1823, the Italian explorer Giacomo Costantino Beltrami took this flute with him on his travels through the United States. That flute is currently in the Museo Civico di Scienze Naturali in Bergamo, Italy.

Jon made this flute in collaboration with Clint Goss

he had all the data needed to make this flute.

More info on Fluteopedia

This flute is certainly an addition to my collection. When I give a lecture with music about the Indian flute, there is something magical about being able to play such a sound from the past.

The replica