Known world wide by
musicians for high quality cane flutes
Native American Love
Flutes from River Cane, Bamboo or wood.
James R. Gilliland Jr.
Jim Gilliland, a
Native American artist and flute maker for the last 18 years, from
North Alabama. He retired from the Space Program as a Senior Design
Engineer after 40 years, in 1999. He uses his engineering skills and
Native American heart, to create a River Cane/Bamboo flute that
sings. These flutes are made using the traditional methods and new
He is also making wood
flutes, from all types of wood. These flutes are bored out and
shaped on a gun drilling lathe, so there are no glue joints to fail.
The solid bore also improves the sound quality. The sound mechanism
is milled in with a milling machine and the playing holes are burned
in with burning tools. All his flutes are precision tuned on a
Peterson Strobe scope.
One of his river cane
flutes that was played on the International Space Station in 2002,
this flute is now at the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian
in Washington, DC.
commissioned in 2004 to make the River Cane Flutes for the movie,
The New World that will open in November of 2005.
He was also
honored in 2005 year as the First Place winner in the Musical
Echoes, Flute Makers competition in Ft. Walton Beach Florida.
He took first place with a river cane flute in the key of E that had a
roost and sound mechanism of inlayed ebony.
have been sold around the world through The Oregon Flute Store since 1998.
He is a
registered Native American of Cherokee/Creek/Scots Irish heritage.
interest are primitive technology, carving, wood &
metal working, gold prospecting, knife
making, blacksmithing, lapidary and flint knapping.