by Jason AnkenyFlutist Mary Youngblood was born in Sacramento; half Seminole and half Aleut in origin, her decision to begin studying the flute broke with Native American tradition, where the ancient instrument is historically the province of men. Just 38 days after receiving her first flute, she turned professional, concurrently studying vocals, guitar, and piano as well; later working as a session singer, Youngblood's big break came when she was featured in the PBS special American Indian Circles of Wisdom, subsequently appearing on an audio cassette release with the same title. In addition to completing another PBS documentary, Healing the Water, in 1998 Youngblood issued her debut solo album, The Offering, on Silver Wave Records. Heart of the World appeared a year later, followed by Beneath the Raven Moon in 2002, Feed the Fire in 2004, and Dance with the Wind in 2006, all on Silver Wave.