Pam Greenslate, an accomplished Native American flute player, will bring her talents to Bookmans Mesa on Wednesday, February 3 at 6:00 p.m. Greenslate, who has been playing the Native American flute for more than 13 years, was originally self-taught after purchasing a traditionally-made flute and learning to play by ear and experimentation.

In 2006, Greenslate decided to escalate her education and to study the flute in a more serious manner. She purchased her first concert-tuned flute and began taking lessons, traveling to Tokyo in June 2007 to study with the world's foremost Native American flute player, R. Carlos Nakai, where she deepened her instinctual relationship with the flute, learning that truly being able to play the instrument is a journey to one's own heart, where each player learns and hears their own song.

Greenslate's meditation and yoga teacher, Swami Dharmakeerti, encouraged her to follow the tradition of India, where a skill takes 12 years to master before the student is expected to move into the world and spread their knowledge. Dharmakeerti's charge to Greenslate was that for 12 years, she should apprentice to the energy of the flute and the sound of the heart chakra. Greenslate says that it was in her twelfth year of apprenticeship that she found Nakai, the teacher who returned her to “the song of her heart.” Now, after completeing her 12 years, Greenslate travels, sharing the teachings to others along the same path, and will be sharing her impressive knowledge with us at Bookmans Mesa on Wednesday evening. Be sure not to miss this amazing cultural experience!