Hawk Henries - Nipmuc Musician

Participants in the Maine Arts Commission’s ArtME event on August 5th at the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor will be treated to music from Nipmuc musician Hawk Henries. Henries is a master flute maker and musician who has performed nationally and internationally, including performances at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, the New Orleans Jazz Festival and an appearance with the London Mozart Players. Henries’s haunting melodies are gathered from a variety of Native cultures.

Henries has recorded music for film and television scores, and continues to work as a flute-maker, player, and educator. His recordings include Keeping the Fire (1999) and Voices (1993). It is his music that is heard on the PBS film Penobscot Basketmaker: Barbara Francis.

All of Henries’ flutes are hand-made, from a single piece of wood, using only hand tools and fire. He became interested in Native American flutes in the 1970’s, and he says it was in the 1980’s that he encountered a flute that set him on his way to becoming a flute-maker, learning by trial and error. An Algonquin elder, Anishnabe later confirmed the traditional origins of some of the discoveries Henries made. His music is inspired by the traditional perspectives of John Rainer, Kevin Lock, and Coyote Old Man. Henries will offer a demonstration of his flutes at the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor on Tuesday, August 5, between 4 and 5 pm.