2024 Flute Makers Competition

The Flute Makers Competition is an optional event for the vendors or anyone to enter into the competition. (Exception: Judges, Musical Echoes Board members and their immediate families are ineligible to enter the Arts Competition.)

There is a $20 entry fee. Each artist may enter only one item.

Flutes must adhere to the following rules:

• All flutes must be wood, cane, or bone. No recorders or PVC
• If the flute is made of bone, maker must certify with a written statement on the registration form in the “description” area, what kind of bone it is and that its possession does not break any State or Federal laws. Without this signed statement, the bone flute will not be accepted.
• All flutes must be Native American style, five or six-hole flutes
• All flutes must bear the image of a FLORIDA PANTHER OR FLORIDA PANTHERS – NO REAL FLORIDA PANTER PARTS ALLOWED.
• All flutes must have M.E. 2024 or M.E. 24 or Musical Echoes 2024 somewhere on the flute (not on the block)

The criteria for judging is as follows, with the first two categories more heavily weighted in the scoring:

• Tone quality
• Intonation
• Overall appearance and design
• Craftsmanship
• Creative use of the Florida Panther motif

Other guidelines:

• Cane flutes and bone flutes will compete side by side with wood flutes. There is only one division.
• Each maker can enter only one flute in the competition. If the presentation of the entry is a suite of flutes, then the maker must specify which one flute is to be judged.
• Each maker must present his flute in person.
• The winner of the 2023 Flute Makers competition cannot enter the 2024 Flute Makers competition.
• Judges, Musical Echoes Board members, and their immediate families are ineligible to enter the Makers competition.
• Any signature or identifying trademark must be covered. (use masking tape, or similar)
• Each maker must disclose on the registration form and 3×5 card, any decoration that wasn’t handcrafted specifically by him/her. (This will not disqualify anyone form the competition. We are gathering this information so that if the judges ask, we’ll have an answer readily available).
• The description detailed on the registration form shall also be printed (legible hand-printing is fine) on a 3×5 card that the judges will see along with the flute.
• All decisions by the judges are final.

Your flute and completed registration form plus a $20 entry fee must be delivered to the main tent between 9am and 10am, on Saturday, April 27, 2024. Your flute will be assigned an identification number at that time. Winners will be announced later in the day and awards will be presented at the awards ceremony. Each flute must be claimed by its owner, after the judging and display period is over. Musical Echoes is not responsible for flutes left in the main tent.

Everyone entering the competition will receive the exclusive handmade Musical Echoes pewter flute necklace.