I remember that South Park episode, that was a good one! The boys joined the Peruvian pan flute craze and started a pan flute band of their own.
I heard a pan flute band live once, they were performing in a public square. I thought the music was pleasant enough, and a friend of mine even bought a CD. My only criticism is that a lot of it seems to sound the same, but I think that's true with many genres.
Pan flutes bring to mind Jethro Tull for me. Every time I hear a Jethro Tull song with a flute in it, I half expect to see fairies and gnomes jumping out of the shrubbery and dancing.
I love pan flutes. There is something eerie and beautiful about the sound. It also brings to mind the god Pan and the beautiful Robert Frost poem "Pan with Us". I've included a link to the poem below!
Rusty Messages: 1188 Registered: May 2018 Location: Kansas City Missouri
Illuminati (3rd Degree)
For me it always looked like those flutes resembled a rack of ribs. So I'd say eat em instead of playing them. I can take them in short bursts. But they invoke some swami type religious music vibe I can't take for an extended time.
The sound is soothing, and the essence of tradition it exudes makes me like it more. Although it appears simple, the music it can create gives an ancient feeling. I'd only like to hear it playing meditative and mellow sounds, though.
I really like pan flutes. I've wanted to learn how to play one for a while, but there are so many instruments I want to learn! I find the sound of the pan flute to be very soothing and calming. I like to listen to pan flute music when I'm falling asleep.