In addition to their own solo careers, Kevin Village Stone and Lindy Day have recently partnered under their indie label Whispering Light Music in live performances, recording, and co-writing from their home base in Lake County California.
Lindy, originally from New York, is classically trained in multiple instruments and genres such as 19th century classical guitar and was previously performing in New York including Manhattan. Her eclectic playing styles also include rock, punk, and indie alternative.
When performing with Kevin, she performs a solo classical guitar set as well as modern acoustic/electric guitar duet sets while Kevin performs flutes, basses, and keyboards. Depending on the venue, their music can range from soothing backgrounds to high energy progressive rock/jazz/electronica fusion. They are also writing modern material for a new progressive alternative rock band to be announced in late 2012 as well as having just finished Lindy's solo classical guitar CD entitled "Cordoba Dreams".
Watch for the new Whispering Light Music website design launching soon featuring Lindy's own site with her detailed bio, info, photo gallery, performance schedule, pics and more. Photos courtesy of Jim and Faith at Eyes of the Wild and Michael Stempe
Being of Cherokee and Japanese ancestry and now living in Lake County, California, Kevin Village Stone - Kiwamura performs and records original instrumental compositions of Native American and Ecuadorian flutes over modern and traditional instruments. His work also includes the renowned "Whispering Light" series of meditation music CDs that have been gaining widespread popularity not only among the spiritually practicing public, but also among Yoga and Tai-Chi instructors, psychotherapists, Reiki practitioners, massage therapists, recovery groups, and other healthcare/well-being professionals.
A unique flavor of Kevin's music is that he writes and arranges it all himself and plays every instrument on the recordings. In concert, he has been known to play multiple instruments simultaneously and his sets, depending on the venue, range from meditative to smooth jazz to hard progressive alternative rock (view his musical influences). His main instruments of study are native flutes, bass guitars, keyboards, and piano following a twelve year career on jazz and classical trumpet.
"I do not consider myself to be a 'traditional' Native flute player although I know many traditional songs (inipi olowan, wocekiye olowan, and multi-tribal traditionals) that I play for myself and ceremony." says Kevin. "I leave that for those who are experts and have the historical background. The music I perform is a type of cross-cultural renaissance from inside me that uses every musical element I have learned and experienced. I am merely expressing what is in my soul and heart and hopefully others will join me in the journey. As with the Cherokee story of Sale Gugi Usti the turtle, I can only be what the Great Creator of All Things has made me to be and to honor all that conspires to love me everyday".
Kevin also performs native flute demonstrations, conducts both Native American and Japanese cultural presentations, and performs multi-tribal traditional storytelling at special events, public and private schools, and for various charities and museums throughout California. Through these efforts, Kevin was instrumental in creating the historical and cultural content for the online Native American Center at Loma Vista Farm in Vallejo, CA.
In addition, Kevin is a member of Suscol Intertribal and drums/sings at powwows and other Native American community events with Red Voice Singers (Lakota northern drum).
With elder permission, Kevin periodically leads drummaking classes and conducts a sacred "Ancestral Drummaking" workshop, a form of personal healing ceremony, as taught to him by a tribal elder.
Traditional Native American (Lakota) origin story of the flute:
A young brave was walking in the forest when he heard the tap-tap of a woodpecker. As he came upon it, it seemed to beckon to him. As the brave came to the tree he noticed the woodpecker had pecked five holes into a hollow branch and then flew away. The young brave broke off the hollow limb and noticed that when he held it to the wind, it played music. He thought, "surely this is a sacred happening".
He took it to a holy man and explained what happened and asked, "What does this mean?". The holy man said, "This is a gift from the Great Spirit. Go, play it, and win the heart of the woman who truly hears it."
To this day, a "courting flute" has the head of a woodpecker carved upon it.
Kevin also creates a variety of artwork such as feather earrings, feather fans, rawhide hoop drums, and his unique "Kanjiwood" based on an ancient Japanese artform of burning Japanese Kanji calligraphy characters into natural wood.
Due to public demand and recording, Kevin currently accepts only a limited amount of bookings for concerts, weddings, art shows, wineries, restaurants, in-store promotions, casinos, events, and private parties. For more information, click here.
His artwork and music can be found at various retailers and galleries in Northern California. For more info and images of his work, click on the "Art" or "CD/Discography" links above.
Check back often as the site is still under development and we will continue to add free full-length MP3 downloads, images of the flutes he affectionately calls "The Children", favorite quotes of indigenous wisdom, and much more. Wado!
“It is no longer good enough to cry peace.
We must act peace, live peace, and live in peace”.
Shenandoah proverb
