"I have the greatest respect for the creative and spiritual presence that exists in the art and scholarship of Dr. Dawn Norfleet. As a composer, flutist and singer her vision is unique, and quite comfortable with its unpredictability."
- James Newton, flutist, composer and conductor

"Dawn Norfleet is a bona fide renaissance woman. A brilliant scholar whose work knows no boundaries, she also possesses a voice as lovely as silk and a mastery of the flute that would make Eric Dolphy smile. And it all comes together in her original compositions. She is one of those artists not to be missed…."
- Dr. Robin D. G. Kelley, critic and author of upcoming book, Thelonious: A Life

I learned my first lesson about the power of music as a young child. My Texan grandmother was a church organist with a home-grown, booming mezzo-soprano fit for a Wagnerian opera. She would have me play flute for special services, or loan me out for events at her friends' churches. I'd play the only Gospel song I knew, "Amazing Grace" usually unaccompanied, because those weathered pianos were often missing teeth or were painfully out of tune. When I'd finish, I'd notice tears in the eyes of the old church matrons. At first, I was dismayed, but the women assured me that the tears were happy ones, touched by the simple soulfulness of my youthful expression. Years later, after all of the music training and theories, there were times I felt I'd all but forgotten about the ability to move souls through that mysterious highway of the Spirit. I hoped I still had this ability somewhere! Since returning home to Los Angeles from New York City in 2001, I've been seeking to regain that connection.

I believe that I have been given a unique gift from God not only to create music, but also to create different kinds of music that can touch people in unique ways. Many times, I've been asked if I consider myself to be a flutist first "OR" a vocalist. But just as one can still breath while dreaming, and walk while listening, music is also multidimensional. Creative expression is not limited to one outlet, nor should it be. My music -- whether jazz, classical, or "other" -- is the result of being open to the various traditions that speak through me. True creativity is without boundaries.