One Heart One Spirit by Jan Michael Looking Wolf Reibach

” ~Northwest Music Company

Scroll Down for biography and story of the amazing healing path of Looking Wolf!

Looking Wolf CD Recordings (All available here at CD Baby):

2007 Breath Maker

2007 DVD - Instruction and TEchniques of the Native American Flute

2006 Spreading Wings

2006 Tribute to the Flute Makers

2005 A NEW DAY

2005 DVD - Tribute to the Native American Flute

2004 One Heart-One Spirit

2003 Native Blues

2002 Peaceful Journey

Multiple Award winning flutist:

2007 Independent Music Award (IMA) Finalist for Best New Age Song

2006 Just Plain Folks Finalist for Best Native American Recording

2006 Independent Music Award (IMA) Finalist for Best New Age Artist

Two-time Native American Music Award (NAMMY) Nominee

(2006 Best Music Video)

(2004 Best Blues/Jazz Artist)

Three-time Best Native Flute Nominee by ISMA (2006, 2005, 2004)

2006 Best Spiritual Recording Nominee by ISMA

2004 Best Blues/Jazz Album Finalist by ISMA

This is the brief bio of Jan Michael Looking Wolf Reibach, a multiple award winning native flute recording artist and performer. Looking Wolf is a member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and resides close to his reservation in Western Oregon. He is a 40-year-old Kalapuya Native with Irish decent who is committed to the path of the native flute…. A path of healing…..A path of PEACE.

In spring of 1994, he suffered two large strokes from a very rare unknown genetic enzyme disorder and had blood clots pass through his heart and cause bleeding in the lungs. As a result from the strokes, he was paralyzed on the entire left side of his body. He received a miraculous healing and recovered 100% from the strokes.

Since then, Looking Wolf has become a well-known Native Flutist with seven CDs and a DVD distributed internationally - earning national recognition. Some highlights are: His CD, A New Day was a finalist at the 2006 IMA (Independent Music Awards) in the New Age Category. He also received three nominations for Best Native Flute Recording from the ISMA in 2006, 2005 and 2004. And, nominations at the 2006 and 2004 NAMMYS (Native American Music Awards). His music is frequently used on soundtracks for movies and videos.

Native Flute music by Looking Wolf is featured in the motion picture TILLAMOOK TREASURE that will be released into theatres in 2006! He also has a part in the movie as a native flutist! In the modern day scene, Looking Wolf is playing on the beach with Floyd Red Crow Westerman (from the movie Dances with Wolves). For more information about the movie go to www.tillamooktreasure.com.

Recording artist, performer, teacher, songwriter, and flute historian, are all descriptions of Looking Wolf’s involvement with this ancient instrument. He plays 7 other instruments and has been a musician for over 20 years. With a wide range of styles, he travels from pure solo traditional flute to complex contemporary compilations with multiple instrument accompaniment and vocals.

Looking Wolf performs many times a year at various events. Large concerts, festivals, personal appearances at schools, and non-profit fundraisers. He has played at over 300 shows, including concerts with GRAMMY Winner Mary Youngblood and at the Salmon Festival, where Carlos R. Nakai also appeared, .....Looking Wolf and his band performed at the 2006 Flute Quest with Robert Mirabal, Gary Stroutsos, Ron Warren, and Jeff Ball. He has also played for the Oregon Governor, the EPA, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Federal Government Agencies, Tribal Leaders at the Oregon Tribal Summit, ONABEN, and a 7,000 person environmental conference in Portland, Oregon.

He appears both as a solo flutist/speaker and with his band, which includes acoustic guitars, world drums, vocals, and of course native flutes singing most melodies.

Looking Wolf performed a solo flute concert for nearly 1,000 in attendance in Albany, Oregon. After playing and sharing about his healing, hundreds of people expressed that they were touched by the music: “Creator often seems to speak to the hearts of many through the native flute. It is an amazing instrument of peace.”

In 2005, he founded the Spirit Mountain Flute Circle. About monthly, native flute players and their families meet in McMinnville, Oregon and share the flute. “We sit in a circle, that represents equity and respect….it doesn’t matter how long a person has been playing or what they know…..in a circle, we are all equal, every song is good.”

He teamed up with Tim Yett, an outstanding musician with Cherokee heritage. They recorded the CD Breath Maker with the Axis Media Label in 2006. The CD is like mixing acoustic contemporary rock with Looking Wolf’s flute melodies. “This project took the flute playing to a whole new level, and still maintained the spirituality and natural beauty of its sound.”

Even with all the success musically and the emergence as a nationally known performer, Looking Wolf maintains a focus on family and healing. For years, he studied the indigenous principles of “One Heart”, and now his life and music are founded on them.

When not performing, Looking Wolf instructs native flute classes at Oregon State University where participants learn about the origins and history of native flutes from North America. This is the first class of its kind, making history and helping promote native culture. He also teaches “Native American Music”, a course that offers a look at the roots and journey of music of Native American people.

Through his workshops and university courses, Looking Wolf has taught over 450 people how to play the native flute. From that experience and his native roots, in 2006 the Seven Directions Program was developed. Seven Directions is a mentorship program designed to educate a native flute player to the most highest level of instructor/performer/presenter, while helping reach their potential as a flutist and human being through the “One Heart” principles of unity, diversity, healing, hope, understanding, respect, and peace.

“To master the Native American flute is to understand its journey, the indigenous people who created it, and one’s place in the circle.”

An application to be accepted as a flute apprentice is submitted in the form of a personal letter that includes a brief history of the applicants involvement with the native flute, life experience, vision (what they hope to learn and goals for future), and why they should be chosen. From there, the flute apprentice completes a series of levels with established curriculum.

“I would like to thank my Tribe and my family for all their support over the years. Like with many other Tribes, our Elders persevered through some rough times and worked hard to keep hope alive. Now when I play the flute, it is my hope that the songs honor them and all living things. During the journey here, I have found that it is true that we are all related…It is important to respect all cultures, after all, everyone and everything is born to the earth and sky.”

Conaway Nika Tillicum (all my relations)

Jan Michael Looking Wolf Reibach

If you are interested in more information, Jan Michael Looking Wolf is available for interviews and appearances. Contact Cedarfeather Productions for scheduling and touring information - www.cedarfeather.com or by phone 503 474-0975.

LOOKING WOLF - a path of healing.

My name is Jan Michael Looking Wolf Reibach and I have a very rare blood condition named Protein Enzyme C (and S) Deficiency that is prone to Native Americans. This genetic condition is deadly, and until the early 1980's it was not detectable. Protein Enzyme C Deficiency is a thrombotic disorder that can result in most the human body filling up with blood clots. These blood clots, if undetected, will ultimately cause death.

In Spring of 1994, I suffered two large strokes from the disorder and had blood clots pass through my heart and cause bleeding in the lungs. As a result from the strokes, I was paralyzed on the entire left side of my body. I had titanium screens surgically implanted in my blood vessels and was in the hospital for over 64 days.

My faithful wife had stayed by my side and slept in a chair during this whole episode. It was made clear by every doctor involved that I was very fortunate to be alive. However, it was also made clear that I would never walk again or use my left side. I would stay paralyzed because the extent of the damage caused by the stroke was too extensive. There was an unbearable amount of pain in my un-paralyzed leg, caused from the blood clots damaging the tissue and a pulled muscle. I was on morphine and could not move it because of the blood clots. I would only sleep a short time, awaking in extreme pain. After about a week of this I decided that I had enough. I told the nurse that I would take no more morphine or any other drug for pain. "It is in your hands God!" I yelled. Two days later the pain went away. My wife and I prayed night and day through this time, mostly just thanking God for getting us through everything. Even the doctors called me the "miracle man". They asked my permission to do a medical journal on my condition. The medical team said that it is rare for someone to survive such a large episode of blood clots and a huge stroke. Even though I was thankful for being alive, I still did not have complete faith in the Creator. One morning, I started thinking about my son and all the things I would not be able to do with him. I was angry because I was still paralyzed and it looked like I was going to have to live in an assisted care facility. There was no way that my wife could take care of the baby, work a job, and take care of me. I failed understand why I did not die. I shouted, "I will never walk with my son or teach him how to run and play!" My wife said, " If you believe in the Lord anything is possible, after all, you are alive aren't you?" I replied, "I wish I wasn't. I will never walk again. The doctors are right!" I started weeping. I was tired. It had been over five weeks that I was in the hospital. Then my wife jumped up and said, "How dare you, after everything that God has done for you! Where is your faith? I know in my heart that you will walk again. You would not have survived for nothing." The sun was just starting to rise and the light was coming in through the window behind my bed, shining into the room. Her blue eyes were bright from her tears and reflection of the light. She picked up my paralyzed foot and started rubbing it. "You will walk again." She cried again, while holding my limp foot. A tear- drop fell of her face and landed on my paralyzed foot. At that exact time my foot started to move - first the toes, then up to the ankle. She ran out to the nurse station and they all hurried back into the room. By that time I could lift my leg up off the bed and bend the knee. "It's a miracle!" The nurse shouted. The neurologist performed an examination a short time later. His expression was one of shock as I lifted my left leg off the bed. The doctors could not explain the recovery in my leg. They called it a "fluke" and told me that it could go away. Another picture was immediately taken of my brain - it still showed a large area of dead tissue from stroke. With help from a physical therapist, I took my first step about a week later. I looked at my wife and said "Thank you for your faith in God. Thank you for your faith in me."

Since then, I have recovered 100% and am so grateful for every day. For the complete story, visit www.cedarfeather.com.

If you are interested in more information, Jan Michael Looking Wolf is available for interviews and appearances. Contact Cedarfeather Productions for scheduling and touring information - www.cedarfeather.com or by phone 503 474-0975. Press kits are available.

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