Native American Flutist Robert

Mirabal to Perform at Middlebury College on Oct. 9

Performance to Feature Native American

Dances

“My tradition has

nothing to do with my music. But at the same time it has

everything to do with my music … You look at me now and

I’m native Taos Pueblo Indian, but I speak in English. I

mean, I grew up listening to Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Miles

Davis, Theolonius Monk, Charlie Parker, all those homies. But I

also grew up listening to round dance songs, grandpa singing, my

culture singing: spring songs, rice songs, winter songs, deer

dance songs, buffalo dance songs.”

—-Robert

Mirabal

MIDDLEBURY, Vt.—Native American

flutist and composer Robert Mirabal will perform his brand of

music—one that embraces the artist’s tribal roots and

integrates rock, New Age, and other contemporary genres—on

Monday, Oct. 9, at 8 p.m. at Middlebury College’s McCullough

Hall on Old Chapel Road off Route 30. Mirabal’s performance,

titled “A Musical Journey of the Native American Experience from the

Ancient to the Modern,” will also feature Native American dances.

From 4:15 to 5:15 p.m., an open discussion with the musician and his

fellow artists will be held prior to the concert in the same

location. The concert and the discussion are free and open to the

public.

Mirabal has toured the world playing

his music in tribute to his tribe, the Taos Pueblo of northern New

Mexico. His compositions combine traditional and contemporary sounds

featuring his flute playing alongside strings, keyboard, percussion,

and vocals in his native Tiwa language. Calling his compositions

alter-Native, Mirabal continues to explore music from around the

globe and incorporate it into his own performances. Amazon.com

reviewers have described his music as inspiring, haunting, soothing,

and upbeat.

Mirabal’s recording label,

Silver Wave, hails him as a “Native American Renaissance man,” noting

his talents as musician, composer, craftsman, painter, poet, actor,

and screenwriter. His handmade wooden flutes have been displayed in

the Smithsonian. He’s written a collection of poetry and short

stories based on his native culture and he’s worked on several

educational and documentary films. Mirabal has received a National

Endowment for the Arts award and a New York Dance and

Performer’s award for composition.

Regardless of his venue, Silver Wave

says, Mirabal’s work “always stays true to his roots,” telling

stories about his homeland of Taos Pueblo, N.M. For more information

about his talk and performance, call the Middlebury College Center

for the Arts at 802-433-6433.

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