Album Notes

Dr. Fernando Siles, originally from Peru, has been playing the quena, a native Peruvian wood flute, for over 15 years. Currently a practicing psychiatrist in the Dallas, Texas area, Dr. Siles has developed a unique music therapy called “visual imagery.” Results from simple relaxation to major psychiatric breakthroughs (help with anxiety disorders, lifting of depression, integration of multiple personalities), have occurred after listening to his original flute music.

As a result of these findings and a desire to share his music with more people, Dr. Siles decided to record some of these magical melodies. These early studio demo sessions later become his debut CD “Peruvian Soul,” which subsequently was nominated for a Just Plain Folks Music Award for New Age Album of the Year 2008-2009; and produced 2 number one hits on Sirius Radio Spa 73. Following this, his long awaited sophomore CD "The Flute Doctor" was just released in October 2010, and is poised to be another strong effort by the Flute Doctor himself, Dr. Fernando Siles.

Who is Dr. Fernando Siles?

Dr. Fernando Siles was born in Peru on October 21st, 1947 to Oswaldo Siles Baroni & Carmen Rosa Rouillon de Siles. He was raised there and received a Bachelor In Science and a medical degree from Cayetano Heredia Universidad in Lima, Peru, and swam on the Peruvian International Swim team from 1965 to 1968. He moved to the United States in 1974 and attended a post-graduate psychiatry residency program at Indiana University Medical Center from 1974 to 1977 and a one year fellowship in child adolescent psychiatry fellowship at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana from 1977 to 1978. He moved back to Peru in 1978 and began practicing Psychiatry in Lima Peru at Centro Medico Corpac, a medical center in Lima.

Siles moved back to the United States in 1980 and worked in Central Louisiana State Hospital for 4 years. In 1984, Dr. Siles moved to Texas and worked at the Terrell State Hospital in Terrell. In 1990 Siles worked at the Dallas County Mental Health Center. Later in 1993, Dr. Siles became a staff psychiatrist at Glen Oaks Hospital in Greenville, Texas. In 1996, along with his duties at Glen Oaks, he started his private practice by establishing the "Family Place." In 2004 Dr. Siles also started seeing foster children through various foster care agencies and residential programs.

He started playing the quena flute (native Peruvian wood flute) in 1992 as a back up musician for "Expresiones", a traditional Peruvian flute ensemble in the Dallas / Forth Worth area. He played with them from 1992 to 1996 and during that time gained valuable experience in performing while also learning to play various pan flutes and percussion instruments. In 1994 he started composing his first material & began using his flute music as a therapy tool in his private practice with some of his patients that same year. Most patients received some benefit and others had major breakthroughs as a result of his visualization exercises put to music. In 2004 he started recording and writing his first CD at Through It All Music / Studio 4940 in Leonard Texas with producer Kyle Shaffer. The CD is scheduled to be released July of 2007.

Is Dr. Fernando Siles a real doctor?
Yes, he is a practicing Psychiatrist specializing in Child / Adolescent Psychiatry. He currently is licensed in the state of Texas.

How do I hear / buy some of his music?
Go to the main page and click on any one of the songs listed.

How long has Dr. Siles been playing music?
For over 15 years.

Is Dr. Siles a real Peruvian?
Yes, he is both a Peruvian National and an American Citizen

Where does Dr. Siles live?
Dr. Siles currently resides in Plano, Texas with his wife Gladys

How do I contact Dr. Siles?
Go the the "contact" page and the information is there.

What is a quena flute?
A quena flute (in the Quechua language: qina, sometimes also written "kena" in English) is a traditional, hand-made wood flute from Peru and specifically from the Andes region. Made of bamboo or other native woods, it has 6 finger holes and one thumb hole and is open on both ends. To produce sound the player closes the top end of the pipe with the flesh between his chin and lower lip, and blows a stream of air downward, along the axis of the pipe, over an elliptical notch cut into the end. The older brother to the quena is the quenacho, which is basically the same but larger and produces a deeper / richer tone.

How do I book Dr. Siles for a concert?
Go to the contact page, call his number and tell them you would like to book him for a music concert. Make sure you tell them it's for music, otherwise they will think it's for his therapy practice.

What is "Ambient" music?
Ambient music is a musical genre that incorporates elements of a number of different styles - including jazz, electronic music, new age, modern classical music, traditional, world, and noise.

What is "New Age" music?
New Age music, is a style of music originally associated with some New Age beliefs but now referred to as it's own music genre. It has its basis in the work of various 1960s European and American electronic and acoustic musicians, and is generally characterized as being primarily instrumental and repetitively melodic in nature. Recordings of naturally occurring sounds are sometimes used as an introduction to a track or throughout the piece.

Partly due to some artists' open affiliation with various New Age beliefs, other artists and bands, like Dr. Siles, have specifically stated that they do not consider their own music to be New Age because of the "New Age" beliefs - although their work may be labeled that way by record labels, music retailers, or radio broadcasters.

New Age music is largely typified by modal and consonant harmonies, usually in conjunction with patches of sound effects or nature samples. New Age music includes both electronic and instrumental forms, frequently relying on sustained pads or long sequencer-based runs; and acoustic forms, featuring instruments such as flutes, piano, acoustic guitar and a wide variety of non-western acoustic instruments. In many cases, high-quality samples are used instead of natural acoustic instruments. Vocal arrangements were initially rare in New Age music but as it has evolved vocals have become more common, especially vocals featuring Sanskrit, Tibetan or Native American-influenced chants, or lyrics based on mythology such as Celtic legends. Very long songs, up to 20 minutes and more, are frequent and generally expected. Some of these characteristics also apply to the closely related genres Ambient Music and Space Music.

What is "visual imagery?"
It is a mental exercise that involves a person's own imagination to aid in relaxation, personal insight or many other potentially positive therapeutic results. It usually is done with a person's eyes closed and a facilitator (usually a therapist) who leads them to imagine places, landscapes, people, animals, things and / or many other mental pictures through the facilitators suggestion of those imaginary "scenes." The person visualizes, for example, that he is in the deep rain forrest of South America during a rain storm and envisions what animals, plants he may be seeing and what sounds he may be hearing.

Dr. Siles uses visual imagery with his patients along with his music. He tells them the place they are going and what it is like while he plays his flute to aid in relaxation. The combination of the music and the suggested imaginary place, can have a deep and profound impact on some and can be effective in generally relaxing, empowering and reducing stress in individuals. It can motivate them to make positive changes in their lives and sometimes even precipitate a personal breakthrough. It can open "windows of opportunity" for people who develop good visualization skills.

Is Dr. Siles planning on recording future CDs?
Yes, Dr. Siles is currently working on new flute songs that will be previewed on his website. This CD is being tentatively called "Rhythms of the World" and feature of mix of Ambient, Electronica & New Age music. Be sure to check it out so you can be one of the first to hear his new material!

What else does Dr. Siles do?

Dr. Siles has authored a book, "Improve the Doctor-Patient Relationship" [ISBN-10: 0933025416; ISBN-13: 978-0933025417], published in paperback by Blue Bird Publishing in August 1995. He also has been working for several years on a comic strip called "Masters of Nonsense" which features two main characters, one a janitor the other a medical intern, who use a lot of puns and misunderstandings of medical terms to achieve it's humor.

He has written over 30 anti-drug rap / and pop songs for children and adolescents warning them of the dangers of drug abuse. In addition he is writing a book entitled "101 Reasons Not to Do Drugs" that he plans on bundling with the anti-drug music.