čnaq’ymi (lone eagle) is an Indigenous musician, storyteller, and educator dedicated to preserving and sharing the rich musical and cultural heritage of his people. In addition to being a traditional singer in his Spokane tribal community, lone eagle is a north Indian classical vocalist who studied under Pandit Rajeev Taranath, his teacher of 30 years. As a performer, he emphasizes the spiritual and healing dimensions of music, weaving ancient practices with contemporary songs and stories that connect deeply with a range of audiences. lone eagle appears in the groundbreaking film, Rumble: Indians Who Rocked the World, which highlights the critical contributions of Native American musicians to multiple musical genres, including jazz, blues, and rock. In addition to his performances, he is a respected scholar in Indigenous studies and advocate for Indigenous cultural revitalization.

The Forest is a cooperative percussion ensemble featuring Gustavo Aguilar, Leah Bowden, Andrew Drury, and Michael Wimberly—four artists who possess deep experience with collective performing, improvising, and composing, all while in dialogue with a range of African, Asian and Indigenous diasporic practices, among other musicking approaches and philosophies. Based in Brooklyn, The Forest engages in collaborations, performances, and workshops with diverse communities through the development of newly composed works and the exploration of performance techniques in unconventional physical settings and acoustic spaces. The resulting sonic experience represents a cultivation of each members’ artistic vision, centering a unique perspective on musical form and play.