User:Kimkelley/Arvel Bird

Arvel Bird new article content ... Arvel Bird (born December 7, 1951 in Boise, ID), is a Native American Flutist/Violinist. His heritage is primarily Southern Paiute and Scottish (Clan Kennedy) with some Welsh mixed in, as well. His family moved to the Salt Lake City, Utah area shortly after his birth and at the age of nine, Bird began taking violin lessons from a well-known teacher, Mrs. Olea Kinke.

When his father was transferred to Arizona in 1969, Bird continued taking lessons and joined the school orchestra as Coronado High School in Scottsdale. He earned a music scholarship to Arizona State University in 1970, but it became clear that the professors were encouraging him to teach rather than perform. This sealed Bird's decision in 1972 to transfer to University of Illinois, Champagne-Urbana to continue his education and study music performance with the Hungarian Master, Paul Roland. By 1973 Bird joined the University of Illinois String Orchestra that was hired to augment string sections of other regional symphony orchestras.

As he worked to develop his own music style and a large and loyal following, Bird went wherever the music called him. It led him away from classical and towards Bluegrass, Appalachian, Folk and Celtic; from West Virginia to Texas and Indiana and back to Arizona.

Bird's return to Arizona in 1986 opened an opportunity for him to join Glen Campbell's band and to tour worldwide for the next six years. In 1991, he moved to Nashville and also toured with Loretta Lynn, Tom T. Hall, Ray Price, Louise Mandrell, Clay Walker, and others.

His dream to record and perform using the violin as a lead instrument – completely contrary to the Nashville view of the fiddle as a backup or side-musician instrument --began in 2001. The result was a fusion of both his Scottish (Clan Kennedy) and Native American (Paiute) roots that are uniquely his own and intricately woven throughout his songs.

Bird has released 17 CDs and two DVDs, earning him numerous music awards. A few of the most recent are: In 2010, Bird earned Best Instrumental Album at the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards and Best Traditional Instrumental at the Indian Summer Music Awards. In 2009, he took home top honors for Best Instrumental Album and Best Producer/ Engineer, with Grammy-winning producer Tom Wasinger and Nashville engineer Chas Williams, at the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards for Tribal Music Suite: Journey of a Paiute.

In 2007, he was voted Artist of the Year at the Native American Music Awards by his fans and peers and Best Instrumental at the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards.

During his years in the Midwest, Bird won the Indiana State Fiddle Contest four times while still perfecting a variety of musical styles.

His continuously evolving music is delighting audiences worldwide. His latest musical album, Ride Indian Ride, released in January 2010, is a departure from his more traditional cultural music, with an edgier blues/rock feel and a stronger, more soulful sound. Although based in Nashville, TN, Bird is permanently on the road, connecting with audiences the old-fashioned way… live. This is where Arvel’s emotionally-driven performance thrives, igniting concert venues, symphony halls, festivals and more, leaving his audiences inspired, transfixed and transformed.

Awards 2010 - Best Instrumental Album - Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards 2010 - Best Traditional Instrumental – Indian Summer Music Awards 2009 - Best Instrumental Album – Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards 2009 - Best Producer / Engineer – Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards 2007 - Artist of the Year – Native American Music Awards 2007 - Best Instrumental Album – Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards 2006 - Best Instrumental – Native American Music Awards 2006 - Best Contemporary Instrumental – Indian Summer Music Awards 2006 - Best Performing Artist – PowWows.com 2006 - Best Native American Band – PowWows.com

More information is available at arvelbird.com/media-kit and arvelbird.com/folkmusic/presskit.