Dawn Avery facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dawn Avery
Avery in 2019
Background information
Occupation(s)	Composer, cellist, vocalist, educator
Instruments	Cello

Dawn Avery, whose Mohawk name is Ieriho:kwats, is a very talented musician. She is a composer, a cellist (someone who plays the cello), and a vocalist (singer). She is also an educator, meaning she teaches others.

Dawn Avery has worked with many different musicians. She is very active in helping to keep Native American languages and cultures alive. She does this through her music and by teaching as a professor. Dawn helps preserve musical traditions by leading workshops and taking part in traditional ceremonies. Her music is a mix of traditional Mohawk sounds, classical music, and even modern styles like downtempo. She is recognized as one of the top Native American classical musicians.

Dawn Avery's Musical Journey

Dawn Avery works hard to preserve indigenous language and cultural preservation. She does this as a musician, a teacher, and by participating in Longhouse ceremonies. She leads workshops and creates projects as part of the Native Composer's Project. Dawn Avery is from the Turtle Clan.

She has a special degree called a doctorate in ethnomusicology. This means she studied music from different cultures, especially Native American classical music. Dawn Avery is also a professor at Montgomery College. In 2012, she was named Maryland Professor of the Year.

Music and Spirituality

Dawn Avery's interest in sacred music led her to explore how music and spirituality are connected. She has led meditation groups and spiritual music performances. She has shared her music at places like the Esalen Institute and the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies. She also performed at the Milan Sacred Music Festival and in Mexico City.

As a leader of meditation and creativity workshops, Dawn has worked with famous healers. These include the Dalai Lama and Hilda Charleton. Her album Rapidly Approaching Ecstasy: Music for Movement and Meditation features world music beats. It also includes a track for guided visualization. Another album, Alchemy: Music for Meditation, has songs where Dawn plays cello and sings with other world music artists.

Collaborations and Performances

While Dawn Avery performs by herself, she has also worked with many famous artists. She even received a Grammy nomination! This was for her work as a singer and cellist on Grover Washington's album Breath of Heaven in 1997. Other artists on that album included Luciano Pavarotti and Sting.

Dawn has traveled the world playing different kinds of music. She has played Delta blues with the Soldier String Quartet. She has also performed Persian funk with Sussan Deyhim. She even performed opera with the New York City Opera Company. Dawn has toured with the North American Indian Cello Project. In this project, she performs new classical works by Native composers. She has won awards for her classical music from places like Duke University and NYU.

In 2023, Dawn Avery performed a new piece called Sacred World – Onenh’sa. This was at the University of Michigan. It was a special indigenous soundscape work.

Dawn Avery's Musical Creations

Dawn Avery's music is very diverse. She explores many different styles. In an interview, she shared that she has been influenced by classical music, world music, rock, and jazz. She also mentioned musicians like Ludwig van Beethoven, Coltrane, Pink Floyd, and Sting.

You can hear Dawn Avery's music in several award-winning films. These include Basquiat and Tadpole. Her music is also in the Smithsonian's artwork Always Becoming. Her most recent project is 50 Shades of Red. This project combines music, dance, film, and ritual. It has been called a new style in Native American music.

50 Shades of Red

This album was first shown to the public on October 18, 2014. It was part of a showcase at Montgomery College. The show was an hour long. Dawn Avery also included a traditional dance to her Down Tempo Native American music. The main idea of the album is love. It explores many different kinds of love, from romantic to spiritual. Some popular songs from this album are "Strawberry Field Forever, My Heart Is Strong," and "My Life with You."

Our Fire

Her solo album from 2012, Our Fire: Contemporary Native American Song, received many nominations. These were from the Indian Summer Awards, New Mexico Music Awards, and Native American Music Awards.

Our Fire features modern Native American songs, choral chants, jazz, and cello music. Dawn Avery sings in English and Mohawk. She also plays the cello. The album was nominated for Best Songwriting of the Year by the Native American Music Awards (NAMA). Grammy winner Larry Mitchell played guitar and produced this album.

Alchemy

This album is made for meditation. It was created to help people find inner peace. It also aims to help them feel renewed energy.

True

The album True features music from around the world. It includes influences from Africa, Native America, Brazil, Mexico, and Greece. In this album, Dawn Avery sings in many different languages. This piece shows her many styles from various cultures. It includes voice, percussion, cello, and guitar.

"Sarabande" or two worlds

Dawn Avery performed a piece called "Sarabande" from Bach's Suite No. 5. She played it on solo cello. She also added her own improvised singing in a traditional style. A Buffalo drum line, created by Avery and performed by Steven Alvarez, was also part of it. This piece was later performed as "two worlds." It shows how different musical styles can exist together without needing to fully mix.