Missourian Jay Hickman plays Amazing Grace on one of handmade Native American flutes in a presentation at the Callaway County Public Library Monday. Hickman, who has Native American ancestry, discussed how he first learned to make the flutes using only hand tools and traditional methods - save for the glue, for which he prefers Elmers. Each flute he carves has a unique sound based on the type of wood, size and other determining factors.
In addition to several flutes he has made over the years, Hickman also displayed several Native American tools and artifacts. Most of the songs he plays are his own. He calls his line of flutes "Spirit in Two Worlds," due to his connection to his ancestry and craftsmanship of the past and his living in a technologically modern time.