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. 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.

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 qualities of music, weaving age-old practices with contemporary songs and stories that connect deeply with a range of audiences. In addition to his work as an artist, he is a respected scholar in Indigenous studies and an advocate for Indigenous cultural revitalization.