John Rainer, Jr. was raised at Taos Pueblo, New Mexico at the home of his grandparents which is a stones throw away from the stream that flows thru the middle of the village. The stream is lined by cottonwood trees and, at dusk, men would come to the stream and sit on a rock to play their flutes. As a family, the Rainers would enjoy sitting on their porch and listen to them. Over the years to follow, Johns' father would tell people that John, as a child, would always toss his head to the side to try and hear the flute players a little better.


Woodie Crumbo

There was a man who's flute playing was very personal to him whenever he played, who resided at the Taos Pueblo for a time. John recognized this trait early on while watching this man always sit in the same chair and always play the same flute each and every time. John would quietly open the mans front door and sit down by his side - never to exchange words but only to listen. This man would play and play and, when he put his instrument down and was done, John would simply leave.

This is an experience that John will always remember because, as this man played, John would observe his flute and could almost taste the wood of that instrument as he played.

The mans name was the late Woodie Crumbo.

This experience was the beginning to the foundation of John's love for the traditional Native American flute.


Doc Tate Nevaquaya

Back in 1974, John Rainer, Jr. had been teaching at the Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. During this time, he attended the National Indian Education Association Conference in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. While there, John had gone to dinner with a good friend ... Carnes Burson. As John and Carson were waiting to be seated at the restaurant, Carson said... "Look, there is Doc Tate Nevaquaya." Doc Tate was a world famous Native American flutist and artist.

After John was introduced to Doc, Doc took them outside where he had Native American flutes stored in the trunk of his car. He showed them the various instruments he had with him, and also played some of them for John and Carson. From that moment on, John became a different person. Because of Johns' experiences as a young child with Woodie Crumbo and the men who played their flutes by the stream at dusk at the Taos Pueblo, and after meeting with Doc Tate, John developed a great interest in the Native American flute and all it represented.

Since that time, John had various opportunities to study the native flute from Doc Tate and he believes it was more than coincidence that Carson introduced him to Doc back in Oklahoma City in 1974. Doc played the flute with much love and with much expression. John tried to emulate his style as he has always felt it a great blessing to have learned from him.