David Martinka
Gig Seeker Pro

David Martinka

| INDIE

| INDIE
Band World New Age

Calendar

This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

Music

Press


"Cd Review-Legends Of Time"

Solo Native Styled Flute by David Martinka
Running time: 59:02
Number of cuts: 19
Production: Mastered by Dan Haviland at Sweetgrass Studio
Cover Art: Eileen Whitacre

Over the past ten years I have listened to many musicians play the
Native American Flute and the Native Styled Flute. Few have played
with the heart-felt compassion of David Martinka. Each of his nineteen
songs is full of a soulful passion that takes its' listeners on an
endless journey through times past and times not yet experienced.
David presents his flute songs on Legends of Time with total solo flute
with the exception of a few seconds of thunder special effects in
Redbelly Lives III. It sounds funny for me to say that Legends of Time
is refreshing in that it is a total solo flute recording because it
really is returning back to what most flute music originally was, solo
playing without special sound effects. David truly has captured time
in Legends of Time.

David told me that his songs are inspired by nature and his personal
encounters as he journeys through life. He said some of the songs on
the cd were also inspired by the stories his mother told him of
relatives that had past on. He stated that his songs come from his
inner heart, not from composing with pen and paper or working out
melodies on the piano. He plays his flutes and the songs come forth.
Perhaps that is why I feel his playing style echos those of the early
traditional flute players like Doc Tat Nevaquaya, R. Carlos Nakai,
Kevin Locke, Brian Akpa, and Fernando Cellicion. David Martinka also
created two of the flutes that he uses on the cd which is another
reason I feel his songs touch one's inner spirit. He confided in me
that he really does not spend endless time trying to tune his personal
flutes in perfect pitch. Yet, the sound of his flutes on DMFLUTE and
One Day will touch the very inner primitive soul of its listeners.
There is something very magical and ancient sounding about David's
flutes and his flute playing style. He also credits flute makers Billy
Crowbeak, Dan Haviland, Raymond Redfeather, Scott Looomis and Colyn Petersen who's flutes he also uses on the cd.

Charles Littleleaf once told me that each flute song should tell a
story with a beginning, middle, and end. I feel David has naturally
mastered this idea with each of his songs. Like the art work of his cd
cover by Eileen Whitacre, each of Martinka songs will paint many
different images in the listener's mind as David creates a simple, yet
rich texture of sounds that will also trigger many inner feelings for
the listener. He uses a vast amount of embellishments, however these
embellishments flow so freely throughout his songs that they sound
fresh and original. Many of them take on gentle animal qualities as if
David is setting free the voices that the animals first gifted the
first branch to become a flute. Some of my favorites are DMFLUTE,
Legends of Time, Fire Fly, and Morning of the Bluebird, Where the
Heart Goes, and White Buffalo.

David is also not afraid to experiment with reverb and delays to help
create some haunting and soulful effects. He told me that, "Here we
have the simplest of musical instruments intertwined with the most
modern technical effects." Legends of Time demonstrates that David is
also a master of blending these two components together in such songs
as Air, Fire, Water; Hollow Bones, Land That Time Forgot, Legend of
Time, Morning of the Bluebird, Redbelly Lives III, She Is the Rainbow,
and Stands Alone II.

I asked David how he started his flute journey. He replied, "I was
searching for this bird that was making a call almost every time I was
in the forest. On the first time I was playing the flute in the
forest, the bird landed on a branch in front of me. This flute was
gifted to me by my mom when I graduated from college and so I think my
journey began. That bird was the Red-bellied Woodpecker."

Legends of Time is an excellent choice for those listeners who want a
totally solo flute cd. It is a very relaxing, peaceful, spiritually
tranquil and at the same time an emotionally uplifting cd. I am
thankful to David Martinka for not only creating his beautiful music,
but also for sharing it with all of us.
- John Sarantos


Discography

Cedar Church-out of print
Maple River-out of print
Legends Of Time-Available:CD/MP3 Download
Native Slovak-Available:CD/MP3 Download

Photos

Bio

David Martinka’s interest in Native Americans began while wandering through the fields of his Grandfather’s and Grandmother’s farm. Many artifacts were found and this sparked his interest at a very early age. "I was taught that the native people that used the land before us were strong people who loved the land. I am honored to have walked where they walked."

Upon graduation from college, David was asked what gift he would like for his graduation. His answer was a Native American flute. Thus began his career as flute player and flute maker.
The beauty of David’s playing comes from the heart. He uses nature as a starting point for his songs which give a relaxing and soothing feeling to the songs.

The Legends Of Time is David's first commercial CD release.
Here is what David said about the meaning of Legends Of Time. "The idea for Legends Of Time came from Dan Declark & Robert Wainio who have 2 stores in Michigan with that name. They try to give native artists from around the country a place to sell their crafts. It also came from my mom who keeps telling stories of relatives that have passed on. This was her way of passing on who they are."

David has performed at various locations in Michigan, Ohio, Georgia, Texas, and South Dakota. Some of his performances were at Borders, Legends of Time, Spa Prahna, and the Midland Mall. He has performed for weddings, school assemblies, and churches.

David also preformed at the 2006 Indain Summer Music Awards where his CD Legends Of Time was nominated in the Native Spirit category.

Here is what David said about his journey with the Native Flute. "I thought maybe I should say a few words about my journey with the flute. I was searching for this bird that was making a call almost every time I was in the forest. On the first time I was playing the flute in the forest the bird landed on a branch in front of me. This flute was gifted to me by my mom and so I think my journey began. That bird is the Red-bellied Woodpecker. I am so proud to carry on a Slovak family tradition of music. I also feel honored to play these flutes and grateful to the Native People of North America for creating a beautiful instrument.