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Betty Hensley
Hatteberg's People
Reporter: Larry Hatteberg
There are many different kinds of flutes in the world...so is a flute just a flute? Not when you are Betty Hensely of Wichita. Her collection of those instruments may be one of the largest in the world.
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"I just love it. I love the music. I love the sound. I love the many 'tone' colors.
When you visit Betty Hensley, she'll share with you a small portion of her massive flute collection. For our visit she put on display some of the more colorful ones. |
"In the world, it's one of the larger flute collections. It's over 400 and of course the collection does not include the modern family of flutes."
Betty is a teacher of flute, a collector, and perhaps the only flute historian you'll ever meet.
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"What I do with mine is unique in the world, playing the music of the culture and telling some of the stories and background."
In one room of her home, she has flutes from all over the world. Holding one, she plays it softly with a haunting melody.
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"This flute is signed by the maker who is no longer living. Sometimes called a 'courting' flute or the 'love' flute.
Betty has written extensively about the flute and is known throughout the world as a leading expert.
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Picking up another flute, she touches it like an old friend.
"I bought this from a street vender in India. It's just a never-ending detective story to figure some of these out. There is no end to it. You get into anthropology and just everything." |
She gives programs throughout the area on flute history and how it is part of the culture.
It is a lifetime interest.
"Well I started teaching when I was in high school and it's been going most of the time ever since."
It's basically my life's work." |
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