Lee is a recent graduate of Siena Heights University, Adrian, Michigan, with a degree in Music and a focus on History. He is able to play many instruments such as piano, Celtic harp, bowed psaltery, plucked psaltery, lyres, and Native American Flute, and several others. Lee's business is Timeless Creations found at http://www.timeless-creations.net.
He is also an apprentice luthier under the guidance of Jeff Lewis of Lewis Creek Instruments. The instruments are crafted with care an in his own wood shop. Among these instruments are Native American Flutes, Bowed Psalteries, Plucked Psalteries, Lyres, and several more.
Many of the instruments are made from reclaimed or recycled woods to honor and respect our Mother Earth. Little waste comes out of the wood shop. Most woods are used until they are too small to work with. Much of the wood is either donated or purchased at a large discount. Some exotic woods are available for instruments both as reclaimed or commercially purchased. Contact Lee for more details as to what is available.
Of the Native American Flutes, 95% of them are built from reclaimed woods including the exotic woods from South America and Africa such as Ipea, Purple Heart, and Paduk. The flutes are digitally tuned to a minor pentatonic scale in the Ojibwe finger style which is slightly different compared to the Lakota finger style. The outside appearance of the flutes are basic, however they are carved by hand not by machines. The tuning is also done by hand with hand files after a tiny hole is drilled. The flutes are finished with a natural oil then polished with several coats of a bees wax polish.
The lyres, bowed psalteries, plucked psalteries, and other instruments vary in relevance to history. Contact Lee for more details. Several instrumens have been researched into the Middle Ages. Sources can be sited for several of the instruments to authenticate them as being historical reproductions and tuned to what is believed to be similar tuning as would be found from that time period. All instruments are tuned to modern concert pitch.
The summer of 2007 will be a busy time as Lee tours at several Renaissance Festivals, Pow Wows, and Art Fairs as a vendor selling CDs and musical instruments. At times, he may also play the Native American Flute or Celtic Harp for demonstrations.
