Musicologists generally agree that we’re not likely to see noseflutes in symphony orchestras anytime soon. Anne-Marie Felicitas, founder of the Slappyfeatherwhistle Noseflute Ensemble of Alberta, Canada, however, would beg to differ.
Felicitas, a fast-talking eccentric with electric hair, founded her nasally driven ensemble four years ago “because no other instrument made me as passionate about music.” At first, the group was mostly made up of Felicitas’ younger sisters, who she “made join.” Their first gig was in a “boiling hot tent at a children’s festival, with an audience of about ten, all under the age of ten.” Their second gig was an infomercial for toilet paper. Humble beginnings for a humble instrument.
But what is this instrument, exactly? The noseflute, despite its current cultural standing, has a rich history, with roots in many nations. The instrument employed by Felicitas’ musicians is based on the traditional Brazilian style, a flute originally used to emulate birdsong in hunting. This style is distinct from most other noseflutes in its roundish, surgical-mask-type shape. Players hold the flute directly over their nose and mouth, blowing air through it with their nose and changing the embouchure with their mouths. “It can be tough,” explains Felicitas. “You have to blow really hard to hit some of the high notes. If you’ve got a cold it’s not pretty.”
Apart from hunting, the noseflute was once also popular as a courtship tool. The Hawaiian “Ohe Hano Ihu” flute would traditionally be played by a man for a woman he wished to woo. If she liked what she heard, their relationship could progress to the next level, if not, he would return home alone. This type of flute was also used by lovers to communicate in the night, and was therefore often banned by missionaries in the region. Unlike the Brazilian flute, the Ohe Hano Ihu is a more traditional long flute, made from bamboo. Despite being notoriously difficult to play and curate, this is one of the few styles of noseflute still being actively manufactured. “I ordered three online, from Hawaii,” Felicitas recounts, “when they arrived two of them had already cracked irreparably from the dryness. A week later, despite the special little humidor I made for it, the third one was cracked as well.”
There are dozens of noseflute types around the globe, with uses ranging from courtship rituals to funeral processions. (In Malaysia they were used to communicate with the dead.) While the history of the noseflute is impressively diverse, its current situation is increasingly depressing. “It’s disappearing,” explains Felicitas. “The modern world has no respect for this ancient instrument, and it is fast heading towards total extinction.” Hence the impressive persistence of her Kleenex-handy ensemble.
Despite lowly beginnings, Felicitas’ noseflute-preservation message has begun to spread, and with it, the popularity of her group. The ensemble soon expanded to eight full time members and several part-timers. (And that’s not counting the pianist, cellist, saxophonist or rainstick-player they cart around with them.) They have appeared on several high-profile television spots, recorded professionally, and preformed in some of Canada’s leading concert halls. So why the sudden appreciation of a long-dormant musical form?
“What we do is simple. We begin with an introduction to the instrument. A speech which I give, while the group does choreographed tableaux in the background. Then we pass Kleenex around the audience, in case anyone gets sprayed. Then we
play…. The audience is generally struck stupid. They can’t believe such beautiful, moving music is coming out of our noses. There’s almost always a gasp or two. That is why I love my job. I believe that no instrument capable of such beauty should be ignored by the musical world. My goal is to pursue this cause until the Noseflute is accepted into the pantheon of noble musical instruments. And I hope to educate as well as enrich the lives of people musically at the same time.
“Once a guy sent us an email after a show saying that he couldn’t stop crying and that we changed his life. We’re not sure if it was a joke or not, but we like to think not.”
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