I have been making simple flutes for over twenty five years. Some of the materials I have used to make flutes include bamboo, acrylic tubing, metal tubing, and lathe turned exotic hardwoods. Every material has its own particular "voice." Simply put, the quality of the vibrational frequencies produced by different materials contributes to the character of the "voice" of the instrument. The sound produced by bamboo might be characterized as subtle and delicate like an Indian raga. Wood might be characterized as mellow or smooth like a piece of Baroque music, or Celtic flute music. Silver, gold, platinum are all durable precious metals used to produce Boehm style concert flutes. The concert flautist will tell you each material has its own "voice" and expressive quality. What material is best? Some people prefer the sweetness of an apple to the acidic flavor of an orange. It is a question of individual taste and mood.

I became intrigued with clay as a medium for making flutes when in college. It was there that I was first introduced to the vast array of clay whistles and flutes produced by the Pre-Columbian cultures of Central and South America. I was fascinated by the quality of the sounds produced by clay, and inspired by the range of artistic expression capable of being expressed through the medium. In addition to my formal education, my research into ceramic flutes and whistles has included viewing and taking measurements from instruments at the Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian Institution; the Dayton C. Miller Flute Collection at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.; the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City; and the National Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology in Mexico City. I have also had the good fortune to live in several parts of the world with rich musical and folk art traditions including Central America, East Africa, and South East Asia. My love of ethnomusicology and art are the driving forces behind the creation of my instruments. I am constantly thrilled and inspired by the complexity and subtly of music played on simple instruments from around the world. My artistic vocabulary is expanded, and my life is enriched through my appreciation of the diversity and richness of artistic expression reflected in the traditional arts of the world.

Robin Hodgkinson's spirit vessels were the subject of an article in the Christian Science Monitor. That article is available to read online.