Kari Loves the Nature - to see, smell, taste, touch, and hear the sounds of Nature Music is a blessing.

In 2023 she went to Denmark and Norway to immerse in Iron Age style bone and tree flutes thanks to a Viking Connection Apprenticeship. Here are her field notes on Patreon: BONES and TREES 2023

Her next Nordic sound immersion begins July 2, 2026 with the KVANN PROJECT!

Sound samples below from Live Performance June 2025 - Sacred Tones with Kari Tauring and Jack Tauring-Traxler
World Music Monday hosted by Other Country Ensemble. Recorded live by Scott Neiman (DubNemo Studios). Additional samples from recordings Ljos (2016) and Nykken and Bear (2013)

Kari and the Sheep Tibia Flute

01 Sheep Tibia Jeg gik meg ud

00:00 / 01:06

Jeg gik meg ud is a16th Century Danish tune with 18th Century lyrics. Kari learned this tune from her teacher, Aksel Striim, while making the flute you hear.

Song Translation:
"I went out on a summer's day and hearing

little bird songs touched my heart and stirred me.

In the deepest valley, between the nightingale and me

All the other little birds, they say things"

Lake Grass Flute and Swan Feather

02 Swan Story and 2 Lake Grass Flutes

00:00 / 01:39

This is the story about the swan who died so that Kari could make flutes from her bones. You will hear two lake grass flutes made from the lake where the swan once lived.

Lake grass flutes are very fragile. They must be soaked in water to make them playable. Kari's longer flute played a tune while Jack's two note flute sounds like a duck.

Nature instruments are unpredictable.

Swan Wing Radius Flute and Feathers

03 Radius Overtone Flute

00:00 / 01:20

Sacred Songs on the Swan Radius
Our most sacred tunes are played on a single tube, in nature tones. "Taps" is a ritual tune for taking down the flag as the sun sets and for honoring warriors who have seen their last sunset. To play Taps on a swan's wing brings to mind the Valkyrie in swan hide escorting the fallen to the other side.

Elderberry Tree Denmark

04 Elderberry Charm

00:00 / 01:09

Elderberry Charm:
“Mother Hulda, if you please, give me some of you and I'll give you some of me."

Photo of the Elderberry tree in Denmark and track photo is of the flute and PVC replica made from this tree.

Bored core style flutes - PVC and Elderberry Branch (2023)

05 Overtone Flute Duet

00:00 / 00:59

Overtone Duet - in this performance both of the flutes are of pvc. Kari plays the one she made in Denmark, pictured left. Jack plays one made in Minneapolis, 2025.

PVC flutes are consistent in performance settings where natural materials sometimes fail.

The Elderberry branch flute pictured above right is the one Kari made in Denmark.

2 Lake Grass flutes, 4 sheep tibia flutes, the knife, one swan radius flute, and 2 ulna flutes that Kari made in Demark, 2023

06 Vårfløyte/Spring Flute

00:00 / 00:24

From Kari's album "Ljos" (2016)

Kari is playing the PVC seljefløyte she purchased in Norway. This and her neverlur (birch wrapped lur) and prillar bukkehorn (fingered billygoat horn) were made by Magnar Storbækken (1956 - 2022), a master builder of Norwegian nature instruments.

Vårfløyte means Spring Flute. Some players refer to the plastic replica as spring flute rather than willow flute.

Photo below shows the seljefløyte made of true willow bark.

Sharing my flutes, Drammen Fjord, Norway 2023

07 Seljefløyte - 2009

00:00 / 01:28

From the album "Nykken and Bear" (2013). The poem and the PVC selje (willow) style flute you hear were created by Kari at North House Folk School in 2009.

Playing nature tones in the nature is a profound experience.

In 2023, Kari made this seljefløyte (willow bark flute) in Norway with her teacher Hans Fredrik Jacobsen.

Kari stored it in her Minneapolis freezer until letting it go in October of that same year. Though un-playable, it still maintains its shape and minty scent.

As far as we know, this species of willow does not grow in Minnesota.

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