On Saturday, November 22, 2008, from 1 pm to 3 pm, Troy "Good Medicine" De Roche (Blackfeet) will teach a Native American Flute Workshop at The Loo Theater at Chaminade University, located at 3140 Waialae Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96816. The workshop will teach students how to play the Native American Flute.
If you are a beginning native flute player or just interested in the flute, this workshop is perfect for you. Whether you own a flute or not, you can still attend. The workshop will cover the basics of playing a Native American flute including scales, fingering, special techniques, how to care for your flute, what to look for when buying a flute and the history of the Native American flute.
Troy will have a selection of flutes and his CDs available for purchase. The price for the workshop is $30 in advance or $40 on the day of the workshop. Parking on the campus is free. For more information, or to register for the workshop, call Native Winds at 734--8018.
The next day, on Sunday, November 23, 2008, at 5 pm, Troy "Good Medicine" De Roche (Blackfeet) and his wife Liz De Roche (Metis) will enchant audiences with their Native American flute music and traditional storytelling at Holistic Healing Hawaii, located at 1860 Ala Moana Boulevard, Suite 406, in the Wailana Building, in Waikiki.
Tickets for this event are $20. Because seating is extremely limited, audience members will be guaranteed an intimate evening of tranquil music and mesmerizing tales. To reserve a spot, or for more information, call Renata at 728-3452.
Troy De Roche is an enrolled member of the Blackfeet Nation and grew up in and around Heart Butte, Montana, the geographic heart of the reservation. Troy has experienced both the traditional values of his people and the contemporary struggle, absorbing both with equal measures of respect and appreciation, testimony to which is evidenced by his reputation as musician, songwriter and artisan. He was given the name "Shu'k Sha'mii" which means "Good Medicine" for the healing powers of his music. It had been three generations since the elders felt someone was worthy of this powerful name.
Troy has carried the gift of his music worldwide. He has played throughout the United States and abroad at powwows, festivals, schools, museums, and government offices, including such diverse venues as the Homeland Security Headquarters in Honolulu, Hawai'i and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in Louisiana. He has been featured at the Leeds Playhouse in Leeds, England; the MAC Theatre in Birmingham, England; the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis, Indiana; the Museum of Man in San Diego, California; the Maui Performing Arts Center in Waipahu, Hawai'i and the University of Hawai'i in Honolulu, Hawai'i. He has gained world-wide recognition for the quality craftsmanship and clear tones of his handmade flutes. At the Sweet Willow Indian Market in Great Falls Montana, he won Artists' Choice and First Place Awards in Traditional Sculpture. His goal is to express traditional values and the spiritual nature of Native American people through music. He and his wife, Storyteller Liz De Roche (Metis), have performed for audiences world-wide.
Liz De Roche grew up in Seattle, Washington in a family that worked hard to maintain their traditional values in an urban environment. As the oldest grandchild she took it upon herself to be the storyteller for her cousins at family gatherings. Her love for storytelling has continued throughout her life and she has enchanted audiences worldwide with her traditional tales. She was chosen by the BBC's prestigious World Service for the Into the Next Millennium series, the only Native American selected among five storytellers from around the world. She joined her husband, Troy, to create First Mother; Traditional Native American Flute Music and Stories, which was nominated as the best Spoken Word recording by the Native American Music Awards.
Troy and Liz De Roche currently live on the Big Island of Hawaii. Each May they host the Intertribal Powwow in Hilo, Hawaii which provides a venue for over 20,000 people to experience traditional culture in a family oriented, drug and alcohol free event. They continually bring the community together to honor indigenous cultures while creating a unique environment for cultural exchange.
For more information about these two events during Native American Heritage Month, call Native Winds at 734-8018.
