Renowned musician calls Sanders County home

HOT SPRINGS - A man of great experience and knowledge gave Hot Springs eighth graders a very special treat this past week. Troy de Roche, owner of Songstick Gallery in Hot Springs, and world renowned Native American flutist, taught Candy Franklin’s Music Appreciation class about Native American flutes and how to build one.

In addition to having traveled the US and parts of Europe, de Roche is known for producing high quality Native American flutes in his shop behind his gallery across from the Hot Springs School. He sells his flutes right out of the gallery, along with other Native American crafts that his wife Liz and other Native American artists make.

De Roche has traveled to England and played at different venues across the country. He has been on radio shows, played in concert halls across the US, and loves to describe playing in front of 12,000 people in Washington. He has multiple records out, and has been recorded for television series and documentaries. Though partially retired, de Roche still plays at various smaller venues, and sometimes will travel. Most recently, in late April, de Roche will be traveling to Boston to play at Dartmouth College and in the First Church of Boston.

Despite his extensive career as a flute maker and player for over thirty years, de  Roche is humble in his demeanor, and without much or any remittance, he enjoys passing on his knowledge to individuals and youth. “They get interested in music and it takes their mind off of other things that I used to get into...,” says de Roche, describing how music allowed him to travel and to correct a path he was on. He talks about his past as a construction worker who drank and did drugs, but after an accident left him unable to work, he picked up a flute and began to play it. After relearning to play from his early years as a kid, he chose a different path for his life, and became a world renowned Native American flute player and maker, which he is known as today.

Franklin’s class of three had the privilege of working with de Roche for two days.

De Roche cut out rough flutes for them, and the decorative blocks, an eagle or other animals that attach to the top of the flute, and on Monday and over a Tuesday, the students sanded the flutes.

In addition to helping the students make flutes, de Roche played music for them and taught them the history of himself, his past, and the history of the Native American Flute.

On Wednesday, the students brought back their flutes to be finished over the course of an hour. Franklin herself was also given a flute by de Roche to work on. De Roche mixed together an all-natural beeswax mixture to rub into the pipes, and then mineral oil to work into the inside. Small adjustments were also made, and the decorative blocks were tied on. According to de Roche, the oil and wax prevent the wood from drying and help the flutes produce a better sound.

De Roche has been working on his flutes for so many years he says he can hear the sound produced and know how to tweak them to just the right pitch.

“It’s new to me to be making a real wooden flute and Native American music, said Raferty Samson, who then said, “This has sparked an interest.” Fellow classmate Jacobb Denny also said that he found a new interest.

“I think it is nice, because the music is soothing and easy to listen to,” alluding to de Roche’s music and the easiness of producing a soft sound with the flute.

Once the students finished their flutes, they began to play a scale that de Roche had taught the class two days earlier.

The group of three students sat on the floor of the small gallery and were trying to play together. Claire McAllister said that this class is, “A lot better than the other classes,” explaining how she enjoys the small class that gets to do activities, such as flute making.

As the students played their flutes together, Franklin said, “This a great group of kids, so I thought they should come over and take a class.” She went on to say, “They have gotten an interest.”

After the hour was up, the students and Franklin went back to the school, carrying their flutes in hand, still playing. Samson bought himself a leather pouch to carry his flute in.