The Quality of Dryad Flutes
 A flute made from a
tree branch offers both the
maker and player a
more direct connection with the beauty and spirit of the natural
world. The value of such a connection suggests that a branch
flute be thought of as much more than a novelty,
or
a quick and easy way to make a flute in a primitive way. Rather,
the challenge is to make it of the highest quality possible, without
losing those characteristics that make a tree so beautiful to
behold. To meet that challenge, I'll use a combination of hand
and power tools, whatever works best for a particular branch. The
most important tool, though, is a focused awareness and listening grace
given constantly to the branch in the process of helping it find it's
voice. Every branch flute will have it's own character, since every tree and each branch is unique. But within that uniqueness, I want every Dryad Flute to be precisely tuned, designed to resist wet-out, sweet sounding not breathy, with a sufficiently loud volume and stable tone that can accommodate the full dynamic range and moods of different songs. After boring out the air and sound chambers, keeping it whole and unsplit, every branch worked is kiln dried before voicing, ensuring that the wood has shrunk as much as it's ever going to, preventing any degradation over time in tuning or tone. On those flutes with the bark left on, I make sure it's tight to the grain before working it, the natural adherence preserved by sealing the branch in the finishing process. Any bark that is loose after that will either be removed or re-bonded to the wood. Finally, since the branch is not split and glued back together in the making of the flute, there are no seams to ever fail or to detract from the tree's natural strength and character. Every Dryad Flute is covered by a no-fault lifetime warranty. If anything ever goes wrong with one, for whatever reason, I will fix or attempt to fix it for free, minus the cost of shipping the flute to and from my studio. There is also a 30 day happiness guarantee on each flute purchase. If not happy with your Dryad Flute, for any reason, please return within a month of first receiving it for a full refund or exchange. Pricing
for Special Orders
Because
of
the
unique
nature
of
the
process, unsplit
branch
flutes
require
individual
attention
every
step
of
the
way.
There
is
just
no
way
to make them in batches, the way some standard flute makers
can with store bought wood and assembly line production. So my
pricing has to reflect the extra time devoted to each flute
-- time that honors the individual character and spirit
of the tree and time needed to find the sweet voice within its
branch. The
prices
below
are
ballpark
figures,
to
give
those
interested
an
idea
of
what to expect for a special
order
flute.
Final
price
is
determined
by
amount
of
stone
inlay
or
rarity of the branch. If
interested,
please contact
me to get started on your own special Dryad Flute!
Making branch flutes is what I most love to do, so deposit money is not a motivator and is not needed from you, just your word that you'd like a flute from me. Two to three months is the usual time it takes to make an unsplit branch flute, from gathering the branch, through the boring out and drying process, voicing and final finishing. However, certain keys and woods may take considerably longer depending on my ability to find the right branch and take it successfully through all the steps to completion. As mentioned, this process simply cannot be rushed, another reason why I will not tie your money up with a deposit. I feel it's worth the wait, however, as your completed branch flute will be one of a kind, bringing the joy of many new songs into your life, along with the strength, spirit and beauty of trees. Wishing you good health and many natural blessings, ~
Jon
Sherman
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