Morning Classes
All New for 2026
Classes are open to all students with tuition/registration.
Please Note: Students registered as a 1st Time Flute Player or Beginner level
will meet with their instructors for the entire week of morning classes.
Please Note: Students registered as Intermediate I and II - Advanced will rotate each day
between all of the morning classes listed below. Your class topic will remain the same,
but the instructors will adapt it to the various skill levels.
On the 4th day all of the student levels will be working together with all of the instructors.
Newbies Welcome
Level: 1st Time Flute Player
With: Shelley Morningsong & Fabian Fontenelle
I am so honored to teach and give guidance to our students who are brand new to the Native American style flute! I strive to keep a very relaxed atmosphere as I teach.
There’s something so special and almost spiritual that happens when one begins to bond with this instrument. As you play the Native American style flute, it delivers the songs of your heart and soul, it is a healing instrument.
As part our class, I also love to take my students to visit the other workshops, upon permission, that are taking place so they can get a feel for what could be a next step for them on return to our beloved flute camp!
There is so much to explore and learn here at Solstice Flute Camp. I feel that our class is just the beginning of a beautiful musical journey. I love being the door, so to speak, that can give you a good start, encouragement and welcome to our new, incoming flutist’s!
This year at Solstice Flute Camp 2026, my husband Fabian Fontenelle will join me in teaching! Fabian will provide traditional hand drum to inspire you and teach how to play with drum rhythms. Fabian is a beautiful addition to this class as he shares traditional storytelling and drumming that align with the history and spirit of the Native American style flute.
We look forward to spending quality time with you as we learn how to hold the flute, play it and create songs.
Flute Magic for Beginners
Level: Beginners
With: Rona Yellow Robe
Let your heart take a deep breath and your spirit sing! In this uplifting beginner class, Rona Yellow Robe invites you to discover the joy of playing the Native American style flute — an instrument that speaks the language of the soul. With warmth, fun, and gentle guidance, Rona will help you explore the flute’s beautiful basics — scales, finger patterns, breath, and little flourishes that make your melodies dance. Along the way, you’ll awaken your own unique sound and begin to create Spirit Songs that flow straight from your heart. Come as you are — curious, playful, and ready to learn. Rona’s welcoming approach makes every note a celebration, and every session a step deeper into creativity, confidence, and connection.
Viva Expression
Level: Intermediate I and II - Advanced
With: Suzanne Teng
Sharing our personal stories can have a powerful impact on healing our souls. In this class, we’ll each share a story of an event/time/moment in our lives that had a profound effect on us. We’ll then play our flutes and follow the emotions that arise, letting them guide our music. Suzanne will assist you through this process, showing how she developed this method over the years, and sharing how, by playing her flutes this way, she discovered not only her authentic musical voice, but career success as well!
Rhythm Mastery
Level: Intermediate I and II - Advanced
Kalani Das
Participants will explore facets of rhythm, including “rhythm modes” that will unlock expressive potential by providing more options when creating music, both in composition and improvisation. We will explore a variety of rhythmic relationships and find new freedom and potential in the music we make. These skills will help us become better musical partners, as we become more tuned into the ways we create and develop relationships through music.
Presence While Playing
Level: Intermediate I and II - Advanced
With: Joe L Young
We’ll explore how presence, awareness and intention with our flute playing helps us create deeper, more authentic connections within ourselves, with our music, and with one another.
Afternoon Sessions
All New for 2026
Afternoon Sessions are open to students, of all skill levels, with tuition/registration.
The Joy of Fluting & Drumming
with Suzanne Teng & Gilbert Levy
Come have fun playing your flute along with a great professional drummer!
Gilbert will have his full world drum kit set up and everyone will get the chance to PLAY with him in this setting complete with microphones and an enthusiastic and supportive audience. Play a piece or improvise and don’t think of this opportunity as a performance, but rather a musical exchange and joyful experience.
Suzanne will give tips and guide the proceedings.
Bring any flute, any key, any size. World flutes welcome as well! ALL levels welcome - even our newbies can have fun playing their new notes with the drums!
Rediscovering Wonder
with Joe L Young
Think back to how it felt to try something new as a child, when curiosity came naturally and there was joy in simply exploring. There were no rules, no fear of mistakes, just imagination and discovery. Let’s bring that same openness to the flute. Try new fingerings, explore unusual sounds, improvise without worrying about right or wrong. Play with dynamics, rhythm, and tone colors. Let your flute become a tool for exploration, and reconnect with the joy of discovery. Whether you’ve been playing for years or recently started, your flute has something new to show you.
Rhythms of Life
with Kalani Das
Participants will tune into the rhythms we experience each day, from breathing to moving in different ways, and resting. By connecting to fundamental rhythms, we increase our ability to connect with our body and the spirit of life, as it manifests in our daily routines and rituals. We’ll create music alone, in small groups, and as a whole. Use this session to jumpstart your personal musical spa practice and inform your role as a musical guide for the healing of others.
Flute Fusion Story Circle
with Shelley Morningsong
In this afternoon session, students learn to tell a story using sound layers instead of acting. Small groups create “sound journeys” using Native American flutes, body percussion, breath sounds, and vocal textures. Your flute, your breath, and your imagination will do all the work.”
Activities
Activities are open to all students and their registered guests
Calling in the Directions Ceremony - New for 2026
Join us in this sacred gathering on Monday night for the Calling in the Directions Blessing Ceremony led by Rona Yellow Robe and Shelley Morningsong. Together, we will honor the land, the ancestors, and the guiding spirits of the Directions East for new beginnings, South for growth and passion, West for release and reflection, and North for wisdom and guidance. Father Sky for vision and manifestation. Earth for grounding and connections. Within for love and healing. As the fire glows and the stars shimmer above, let your flute sing its first prayer of love, healing, gratitude, and joy. Breathe in the beauty of the moment, and feel the circle of harmony awaken within you.
Soul Circle - New for 2026
Solstice Flute Camp instructors present an evening of healing music, stories, and guided imagery, designed to elevate moods, foster our childlike spirit of wonderment, and deepen our connection to the Divine. We will sing, play, and move together as we honor traditions and create new pathways for healing through intention-based creative play. Come with an A, D or E flute, ready for gentle movement. Recommended: blanket or yoga mat, pillow. Some percussion instruments will be provided.
Taylor Lodge - New for 2026
Located right in the middle of all of our activities, this cozy log cabin room with a vaulted ceiling, cathedral window, gas fireplace, and two outdoor areas offer a quiet respite during the day. This air-conditioned room has leather couches, a bar top area, small kitchenette area, restrooms, and space for tables and chairs as needed. It’s the perfect place to hang out when not attending daily classes and workshops. All students and their registered guests are welcome.
Afternoon Gatherings at Taylor Lodge:
All are welcome to gather in the afternoons, Monday-Thursday between Afternoon Sessions and dinner to visit, play, and listen to music at Taylor Lodge. We will have different guest hosts there each afternoon to get things going and will have some fun surprises along the way.
Student Trading Post
You are invited to bring your flutes, stands, bags, rattles and drums for sale or trade, limit 5 items. There will be an area in the Newell Activity Center to show your wares. Registered students will receive more information as we get closer to Camp 2026.