Making a Flute

Michael Cornelius

For more than 20 years, Michael Cornelius has been making traditional Chickasaw flutes. The length of the flute and the spaces between the holes were based upon the body of the player – a flute would be as long as his forearm and the spaces were dependent on his fingers and hands, making each flute a custom work of art.

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Michael Cornelius is a flute maker who specializes in crafting traditional Chickasaw flutes he constructs from river cane.

How Flutes are Made

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Michael Cornelius describes how flutes are made.

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Chickasaw culture keeper and flute-player Michael Cornelius tells the well-loved story about how the flute came to the Chickasaw people.