Right City, Wrong Conference!

Flute Choir Therapy

Evening, Old Town

Right city, wrong conference, or so one might think! Despite the big adventure of my bus trip across the continental U.S. to attend this years annual Flute Convention in New Mexico - not to mention the inundation of concerts and workshops that I am still recovering from - at the heart of this experience there is ones individual voice with the flute, and the healing power of sound. It is the sound of the flute that brings each of us back to play and to listen and, in the end, never tire of the experience. Admittedly the flute world in North America and internationally is big business: sheer numbers combine with the sustained popularity of the instrument make for a massive industry of schools, music publishers, flute makers and the like.

For me, a particular highlight, however - something inexplicable and wonderfully serendipitous - was learning upon arrival the first morning at the conference centre, that a groundbreaking Town Hall on Autism was happening under the same roof the very next day.

The positive links between Music Therapy and Autism are widely recognized, and although no formal connection was made between the two conferences that I was aware of, I like to think that this auspicious coincidence might foreshadow the NFA deliberately forging links to our broader community: our love of the flute deserves to extend beyond just the ‘flute world’ and our immediate ‘flutistic’ points of reference!

I made a point of attending the Mayoral kickoff presented to a capacity audience in a jammed conference room.

In the words of Albuquerque Mayor Chavez, ‘…we desperately need Support Services’. Beyond his pledge to enhance the support and services for Autism in New Mexico, there was also the suggestion that New Mexico strive to be internationally recognized as the center for research and therapy. This begs the question, individually and collectively, as flutists and musicians: how might we be involved and help in any kind of meaningful, sustained way?

After numerous attempts, my 10 minute mp3 of Mayor Chavez heartfelt words refuses to upload, however here are some related links for the Soutwest, and I believe there might be media coverage of what was actually discussed at this unprecedented Open Forum that I will try to locate.

New Mexico Autism Society

Autism Town Hall, Albuquerque

Southwest Conference on Disability

Southwest Autism Network (SWAN)

Center for Development and Disability

Music Therapy and language for the Autistic Child

National Association for Music Therapy

Harness the Spirit of Music Therapy

Sound Healing Conference