Tag Archives: Sri Chinmoy

Finding Your Instrument

We recently received a message from our Kiwi friend Shardul that ran thus:

“Hi Martin,
The attached article was posted on a blog that has now gone the way of the dinosaurs, struck by the asteroid of disinterest. It is about my own experience and views on music, the importance of finding an instrument that suits ones nature, needs and abilities, and how I got started playing the flute – which is where you come in to the picture. Anyway, if you feel that it is a story worth telling, perhaps your blog would be a good home for my humble scribblings. I shall leave it in your hands to do with as you wish.
Kind regards,
Shardul.”

And so, we present…

Finding Your Instrument

Instrument bazaar in Morocco

Instrument bazaar in Morocco. Photo: Fez – themazzons

Have you ever noticed that some people seem to be blessed with the wonderful ability to get music out of just about any musical instrument they lay their hands on? (I have a friend who I swear could wring a tune from a damp sponge if he wanted to!) Then there are those of us who, though devoted music lovers, struggle to express ourselves even on one instrument. The later is my category – or so I thought.

“Music; the greatest good that mortals know, and all of heaven we have below.”
– Joseph Addison.

For those who are left in awe of the musically gifted creed, we may be doing them and ourselves something of a disservice. First of all, we have not witnessed the many hours of practice that these ‘fortunate maestros’ have put into their music training. Some survive on raw talent but most have to work hard at it. Secondly it is a fatal mistake to compare oneself to others – probably the numero uno inspiration killer – because we develop the ‘Oh, I could never ever be like that’ syndrome! We are all unique and carry within us the quintessential seeds of creativity. Thirdly, for those of us whose creativity-seeds are still in the early stages of germination, there is the thought that we may not yet have found our instrument – that divine implement that was made ‘just for me’, perfectly suits our personality and allows the creative outlet that we have always yearned for. There is truth in this – I know it for a fact because it took me some four and a half decades to find the instrument that I did not even know I was looking for!

So I write with the intension of encouraging kindred-souls who are still holding to the hope that they may yet get a chance to play the music that they hear and feel inside their hearts and minds. Here is my story …

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Martin Doyle Performs At The World Harmony Run

On February 25, 2010, Martin Doyle performed at the European launch of the World Harmony Run in Dublin at the invitation of the event’s organisers.

Martin Doyle and Gwenn Frin at the 2010 World Harmony Run launch in Dublin.

Martin Doyle and Gwenn Frin at the 2010 World Harmony Run launch in Dublin.

Sri Chinmoy

Sri Chinmoy at the 2006 USA World Harmony Run launch in New York.

Founded by global peace visionary Sri Chinmoy in 1987, the World Harmony Run is the world’s largest torch relay for international friendship and has passed through over 120 countries since its inception. In conjunction with Dublin European Capital of Sport 2010, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Emer Costello, launched the event in a gala ceremony in Dublin’s City Hall at 12pm.

From Dublin, an international team of runners began a 24,000 km journey that will last seven months and travel through forty-nine European countries, finishing in Moscow in September. At the same time, another Asian run will begin in Japan and travel westward through South Korea, China, Mongolia and all the former Soviet states to also finish in Moscow at the same time in September – a unique link between East and West spanning over 36,000kms!

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Martin Doyle, Sri Chinmoy And The Royal Albert Hall

Martin Doyle has not performed at the Royal Albert Hall, but he has been on the stage – and so have his flutes…

Martin Doyle presents Sri Chinmoy with a three keyed flute.

Martin Doyle presents Sri Chinmoy with a three keyed flute on the stage of the Royal Albert Hall.

On October 17, 2003, Sri Chinmoy offered a peace concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London and Martin Doyle went to see the Master perform. One of Sri Chinmoy’s students from New York had commissioned Martin to make a flute for Sri Chinmoy and he was invited to stay behind for a private post-concert function and an opportunity to present the instrument to Sri Chinmoy personally. It was a special order D flat three-key flute made of African Blackwood.

After the concert Sri Chinmoy remained on the stage while his students – several hundred in number that had come from all over the world to be at the concert – were seated in the auditorium. Martin assembled and presented the new flute to Sri Chinmoy and the Master played it for a while. He was very pleased to meet Martin and very grateful to him for the care and effort that went into creating the one-off flute. For his part, Martin was very honoured to have met Sri Chinmoy in such a way and commented that it was a unique moment in his life.

Martin Doyle watches as Sri Chinmoy tries the new flute.

Martin Doyle watches as Sri Chinmoy tries the new flute.

Audio tracks from Sri Chinmoy’s 2003 concert can be heard here:
Sri Chinmoy at the Royal Albert Hall, London »

The second event connecting Martin Doyle with the Royal Albert Hall was also a concert but not one that he personally attended. Two of his flutes were present though.

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Doyle Flute Featured On Flutewise

Flutewise article - click to see a larger version.

Flutewise article – click to see a larger version.

One of Martin Doyle’s recent accomplishments, an F flute made in Boxwood, was featured late last year in an article about Irish flute makers. The article is based on an answer to an email enquiry sent to the Irish flute repair expert Jon Dodd regarding recommended Irish flute makers – and was published by Flutewise magazine. From their website:

Since 1988, when Liz Goodwin founded Flutewise, our organisation has provided fantastic services to young flute players, their parents and their teachers. Throughout these 25 years Flutewise has been renowned for our vast number of fun events. Ranging from small events lasting a few hours to two day events for over 1,000 young players, Flutewise events have taken place both in the UK and in countries all over the world.

The ‘F’ flute was made specially as a gift for the spiritual musician and meditation teacher Sri Chinmoy on the occasion of the Master’s 76th birthday. It was a first-of-it’s-kind for Martin Doyle and, by all accounts, a beautiful flute with exceptionally sweet tone.

Jon Dodd is an Irish and concert flute repair specialist who lives not far from Martin Doyle in Knockliscrane, Miltown Malbay, County Clare. Click on the image above to see the full article as it appeared in Flutewise. Special thanks to Liz Goodwin of Flutewise for supplying the image.