Mark's personal addiction to Native American Flutes is being featured in the first quarter 2006 edition of INAFAs newsletter. Thanks to Dan Ricketts for a favorable take on Mark's quirks!
A visit with Mark Slater, Flute addict: Mark (Holland) Slater and I first crossed paths at the INAFA convention in Taos New Mexico. Mark is so gregarious and out going it is very easy to strike up an acquaintance which has developed into a friendship since that time. Mark, like so many of us fluties happened on the flute quite by chance in 1993. Mark has been into martial arts much of his life and is now working on his third degree black belt. At the time he had a student that was a Kiowa and while at the Fort Worth stock yards he saw a booth, manned by Butch Hall that was selling native items including peace pipes. He decided he would buy a pipe for himself and one for his student-friend. While talking to Butch and completing the transaction, Butch talked him into trying an NAF. Butch had not been making flutes too long at that time and was to become a great friend and mentor. Mark just could not seem to put the flute down so he bought one. About one year late Mark's house burned down as a result of a lightening strike. He filed an insurance claim and in the process of doing so he remembered he had the NAF. He called Butch and told him what had happened and ordered a replacement. Butch sent the replacement free of charge! Shortly afterwards Mark and his wife Karen went out to see them at their home and they all went out to dinner and this encounter just seemed to cement their friendship. Mark has gone with him to shows, played with him in the booth, and helped out how he could. Butch would show him prototypes and often compensated him for his help with a flute. No better payment could be made! At the time the only other maker he even heard about was Ken Light. Just when he thought he could not get any better on the flute by listening to R. Carlos Nakai, Tom Mauchahty Ware, Kevin Locke and Doc Tate Nevaquaya, Peter Phippen came in as the guest at the Armadillo Flute retreat. This retreat has become an annual event and is organized by Bill Tucker, a circle member. Peter opened up a whole new level in how the flute could be pushed. Peter had just put out his album "Book of Dreams" which quickly became one of Mark's favorite albums. The circle towards the end of the 90's also brought in Kelvin from the group Burning Sky who had a big impact on his playing. After attending his first Armadillo flute retreat, Bill Tucker the organizer, told him about a trip they were going to take to Okalahoma to see the Nevaquava boys perform at OU. Bill is the Vice Chancellor of the local Community college and Mark was his first flute teacher. They were put together by Butch Hall. Bill and Mark were accompanied by good friends Robert Gatliff and Maurice Bingham on the trip to Oklahoma. After the performance they went to Doc Payne's' home and played flutes and he was able to get to know Doc and his vast collection of flutes. This was around 1998-1999. Mark realized as a kid his parents had moved from Florida to Okalahoma and he lived in the neighborhood where Doc Payne lived and he just knows he had to have gone to his home Trick or Treating a number of times as a youngster before they moved on to Texas. Mark was privileged to go back several times with Butch Hall for visits with Doc. The final occasion was when they did a recording of Doc Payne playing his collection of rare flutes produced by Peter Phippen. On one track Mark was privileged to play a north coast whistle. Several of them in attendance played whistles in different keys on this track. He also enjoyed playing hymns along with Doc Payne. As he continued down his flute path he and his wife Karen had started a family and wanted her to be a stay- at- home -Mom. This meant he needed to find a means to fund his flute "addiction". After exploring several options he decided to start the Flute Case store. He designed cases that were durable, practical, and affordable. He is very grateful to Butch and Laura Hall as they encouraged him in his pursuit. He also wants to credit Charles and Vicky Littleleaf who were so gracious to purchase and then endorse his case line without solicitation. He knows there is also a fine product produced by the Oregon Flute store, which he competes against, but here too Jeff Calavan was so gracious to him in Taos and gave him some good advice on growing a business. He has no illusion he will corner the market, just a niche within it. However it does bring him gratification that he is able to put a high quality product in the hands of fellow fluties. The other spin-off is that he gets to meet and service friends and new acquaintenances all over the country. His wife Karen helps him with the enterprise. Most of his business comes by word of mouth and he enjoys working with people, like the author who had special design needs to accommodate large sub bass flutes and drones. Thus the "Bear" line was born to provide protection to these very large flutes. Karen does the mailing and answers emails. He wanted to develop a flute stand to go with the case and she arranged for him to use the wood shop of a friend at church. He is planning a new product sometime later this year, and it is now in the design stage. Without her help and dedication he would not be able to pull it off. He designed his own web page from his IT background and the enterprise has been steadily growing since its inception Mark like many other fluties loves the instrument and those who construct them. While his arsenal will always contain a full compliment of flutes made by Butch and Laura Hall he has enjoyed meeting and collecting flutes from other makers. He met Ed Hrebec of Spirit of he Woods Flutes through his association with Peter Phippen, Colyn Petersen of Woodland Voices Flutes, and Geoffrey Ellis of Earth Tone flutes, through his association with the author. He has flutes in his collection by Andrew Begay, who he met at Taos, Maurice Bingham, a close friend and others. He enjoys the flutes of these newer makers and they have all become friends. However he found a soul mate in Russ Wolfe. Mark had a friend who lost his job and decided to make some flutes while he was laid off. He knew about Russ Wolf's book on making flutes and was able to obtain his phone number. This led to a meeting in a restaurant. Russ brought some books and four flutes. One had what Mark describes as the Kiowa shield; a flattened piece of tine used for the fipple edge much like the flutes played by Belo Cozad, the Kiowa that taught Doc Payne. Russ actually used an old tobacco tin in the construction of the flute. The flute was not intended to be for sale but Mark went home with that one later that day. They found they had lot' of things in common besides the love of the flute. They were both in the Boy Scouts as youth. They both enjoy martial arts, and Russ already has his third degree black belt. He enjoys working with Russ in his shop and having some creative input in to the process. Mark has been privileged to hear many fine NAF artists in concert and he has a large collection of NAF CD's. He has enjoyed helping many artists with cases and recommending flute makers. He has tried to collect every CD made by Mr. Nakai and enjoys the traditional flute played by Kevin Locke, Tom Mauchahty Ware, the Nevaquaya's and others. Of the more modern artists his favorites number artists such as Mark Holland, Austin O'Malley, and Kenneth Hooper of Elysium Calling. One of his treasures is a tape made by his cousin of Doc Tate Nevaquava playing at a pow wow in the 1980's. Mark enjoys the company of other flute enthusiasts and feels the Taos INAFA convention is on of the best events he has attended to date. He looks forward to his associations, flutes, and music that continues to bless his life as he travels the flute path yet layed out before him. |
About Mark 
