Bill Hughes: Native American Flute Making

Six of Bill’s flutes were played in the Opening Ceremony of the 2002 Olympics. His work is displayed in the Native American exhibit in new Utah Museum of Natural History.

“Each flute has its own voice and calls out to people in different ways. I believe the true purpose for the flutes is healing. What could be better: beauty, art, and healing all in one thing.”

Bill never tires of making Native American flutes. “I’ve made about 10,000,”  he reports, including six for the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Two Japanese drum troupes use Bill’s flutes in their performances all over the world. “Flutes are one of the few instruments   that an ordinary person can make and have real music come out of it. I love the faces of those who play their first flute.”

Bill grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana. After earning degrees from Southwest Seminary, he trained in Pastoral Counseling and completed a Ph.D. in Family Therapy from BYU. His interest in making native American flutes began after heart surgery ten years ago. Prior to his early retirement, he worked in mental health with a focus on troubled youth, families, and men’s issues.