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“After the first month of airplay, WOODLAND MOONS is in the #2 spot on the global Zone Music Reporter Top 100 Radio AirPlay Chart for September. “   Review by RJ Lannan. Reposted by permission. Original Source Moon Light like you’ve never heard it.  I thought I would get simple songs. Native American flute is a quiet, personal instrument. What I did not expect from MarciaWatson Bendo’s new release Woodland Moons is a Magnifcat of mellifluous music. This album features a surprising balance among muted orchestral instruments and Marcia’s humblewooden flute and her vibrant piano. And the title. Woodland Moons. We know the blue moon and the harvest moon and of course we have the super moon. From Marcia’s music we learn ofthe moons of the Woodland people. Every one of her track titles is a name for a full moon. Let’s explore and learn. Fallen Leaves Moon has a classical, Baroque structure as do many of the tracks, but the contemporary feel is lurking in the background. The tune gives me the sense of being in a forestcathedral in which Marcia’s flute is a pipe organ. The sound reaches for the heavens, but the tunereaches for the heart. Both succeed. The vivid leaves cascade from towering trees to form a carpet on the forest floor. As in the melody, there is movement and color. The moon is high and the berries are ripe for picking. According to Algonquin traditions the arrival of the Strawberry Moon in June is the time for celebrating Earth’s first bounty. Marcia’spiano and flute tune with multiple harmonies is quietly beautiful. The tune is a little sad, but in a charming way. Midsummer Moon has pronounced classical roots and echoing flute throughout. The feel is modern day symphonic, yet the subject is as old as man’s awareness of the seasons. The balanceof orchestra and flute is delicate, but divine. The song has a little piano interlude that is clear, refined, and wholly unexpected. The tune itself is like finding a symphony orchestra in the middle of some vast forest playing for the wildlife that lives within. It reminded me of Debussy’sSyrinx for its ethereal qualities. In February, when the snow covers the earth like a clean, silvery blanket we have the Snow Moon. Marcia’s tune is clear and crystalline. It is the miraculous music that forms as a delicate crust on all things overnight. The next day the sun rises in a rich, blue sky and the day is one of sparkling jewels. That and more is in Marcia’s delicately introspective song. Crane Moon, or the Choctaw’s Hask Watallak, is a March moon. It is a spring moon, a warmingmoon. You can hear the crane’s lonely call in the opening notes of Bendo’s song Crane Moon. And like the spring, the melody goes from cold, cloudless skies, to warmer days. It is easy to forget that this is not classical music, maybe something featuring Jean-Pierre Rampal perhaps. I think it is the phrasing, the juxtaposition of theme and orchestration. Once again, I stand in the cathedral of the earth, an aural witness to nascent beauty. The Winnebago call the November moon Little Bear Moon. Bendo’s tune is light andwhimsical, a caprice that sounds like a calliope. Perhaps this bear is a dancing bear, but you cannot deny the lightheartedness in the tune. The impressions of classical music came at an early age for multi-instrumentalist Marcia Watson Bendo. The vibrations of strings and the air movement of woodwinds caught her attention and she decided that music would be an important part of her life. That and maybe being a scientist. At age seven it was 88 keys, and through the years, violin, the clarinet, and the Native American flute. Recently she learned to play the harp. It is that never ending curiosity and desire to learn that has inspired her continued pursuit of a long career in the music industry. Woodland Moons, with its classical roots and natural, earthy elements is one of the finest flute albums I have heard of late. Sergei Prokofiev would have been proud to know Marcia Watson Bendo. Her music, contemporary and ethnic, would be easily transformed into sonatas for any age. Highly recommended.
New video titled, "Forest Moon". Watch below and/or subscribe to Marcia's YouTube Channel. New Age-World Instrumental Debut Album! Marcia Watson Bendo - “Woodland Moons’’
Marcia Watson Bendo is a multi-talented artist that is accomplished in many disciplines including the violin and a large selection of Native American Flutes. Picking up a woodwind changed her life and her music. Woodland Moons is her tribute to that instrument. In her own words, the artist explains what her music stands for…. “I strive to artistically create music that resonates with people by expressing an emotion, an image, a story, or reviving a memory.”
This Wonderful Native flute premier debut album “Woodland Moons” truly sets Marcia’s delightful playing apart from all the others, the plethora of instruments she plays on this marvellous release…is just something very special - the perfect introduction to a new talent you’ll be hearing much more from in the future…
Take a musical journey into the heart of the night on “Woodland Moons”, Let Marcia’s lilting flute melodies, enhanced with piano, superb orchestrations, and gentle rhythms, whisk you away, dissolving your cares from the day's stress. Featuring flawless mixing and mastering by the renowned Trammell Starks. Marcia’s music gives the listener a sense of “connection” that many other players just can’t realize, no matter how much musical education or experience they may have, and the songs she has created here are as rich in diversity as possible… one of the best examples of that broad range is the “heavy” sounds you might expect with a tune titled “Big Bear Moon“… it’s not hard (at all) to imagine woodland encounters with a lumbering, furry creature… and yet, there’s a gentleness about the piece that makes it very attractive for the long term… this one will be getting a lot of replays – I wouldn’t be at all surprised to find this composition being nominated for and winning an award. Of the 12 aural adventures Marcia offers up, her mastery at “weaving” various instruments into a full-blown orchestral experience makes her stand apart most enchantingly and this musical maestro has delivered a very delightful debut album indeed, you’ll want to hear this album…more & more. 
The impressions of classical music came at an early age for multi-instrumentalist Marcia Watson Bendo. The vibrations of strings and the air movement of woodwinds caught her attention and she decided that music would be an important part of her life. That and maybe being a scientist. At age seven it was 88 keys, and through the years, violin, the clarinet, and the Native American flute. Recently she learned to play the harp. It is that never ending curiosity and desire to learn that has inspired her continued pursuit of a long career in the music industry.
Marcia’s formative years were spent playing the violin, during which she performed with the Tulsa Philharmonic Orchestra, The Tulsa Opera, and The Tulsa Ballet strengthening her classical roots. She went on to perform with notables such as Sammy Davis Jr., Doc Severinsen, and Ella Fitzgerald and with conductors Skitch Henderson and Arthur Fiedler. She continued her career as a free-lance violinist playing with Tom Jones, Don Williams, and she appeared in an Osmond Productions concert on HBO television. 
Bendo picked up the Native American flute in 2011 and her career changed. She began composing for the flute and piano, honed her recording skills, and composed an album called Woodland Moons that featured flutes accompanied by light orchestral elements.
Marcia lives each day to focus on her music. Her joy in the journey, She gauges her success not on celebrity, but in the potential exchange with her listeners. It is the little things that she appreciates; learning new material and breathing life into her music. Her current music embraces several genres such as classical, traditional folk and World genres with unique instrumental textures not typically heard in Native American Flute recordings. What gives her the most pleasure is connecting with her listeners on many levels, both musically and spiritually. She has many goals for her music, but on a personal level, she believes it’s important to be informed about evolving issues affecting the music industry, artists, and creators. She hopes that the technology which allows people to create, record, share, and collaborate with others worldwide will retain the human element in its evolution. 
Marcia Watson Bendo has delivered a gem of a debut album, it culminates a career in music perfecting her craft with some of the biggest names in the music industry…now showcasing her many unique talents with the world.
We really hope that Marcia continues this journey…the world now has a new, very bright musical star! PhaseGlobalRadio.com proudly presents Marcia Watson Bendo and her debut album Woodland Moons, it’s now available via the links below.
New Review by Phase Global Radio. Re-posted. Archive is here.
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