East Texas Quarterly Magazine Summer 2014 | Page 10

Imagine a mocking bird sitting by your window
trying to replicate the sound of a flute or a coyote
responding to the music resonating from your front
porch. These are just a few examples of a day in the
life of Rod Barger.
Barger, a former Justice-of-the-Peace and Jasper
County Commissioner, began playing Native
American style flute more than ten years ago as a
means of coping with the side effects of leukemia and
chemotherapy. Flute playing
has become a passion for
Barger. Now in his 70’s, Barger has
evolved into an accomplished
Native American style flute
player and one of the newest
recording
in
the
flute
music circle. “I do not claim
to be an Indian,” says the
Jasper resident. “That would
be an insult to the Indians. I am
just a guy who has developed a
passion for playing the flute.”
“I find playing the flute
very soothing. I practice six
to eight hours every day.”
According to Barger, he
spends the time practicing
in his former wood-working
workshop. “There are two
windows in the workshop,”
he explains. “I will be
practicing and a mocking
bird sits on the nearby rail. After
a while, the bird joins in the music and tries to mimic
the sounds of the flute. The bird is my
practice buddy.”

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East Texas Quarterly

“My whole family is musically oriented, so playing
the flute sort of comes naturally,” says
Barger. He says he began playing for friends
and small groups of people and eventually
several people encouraged him to record a collection