“Dear Joanne, what you are doing is of crucial importance to the future of this world.” – Pete Seeger
Native American musician and humanitarian Joanne Shenandoah is doing work of crucial importance: she is a Grammy Award winner and three-time Grammy nominee, and a founding board member of the Hiawatha Institute for Indigenous Knowledge, a non-profit higher learning educational facility that is based on Iroquois principles. She has also served as Co-Chair for the Attorney General’s National Task Force of Children Exposed to Violence for the Department of Justice. She has made eighteen recordings ranging from solo works to full symphony. Her audiences have included His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela and has performed at St. Peter’s Basilica, the White House, and Carnegie Hall. On Friday Nov. 3, she is scheduled to perform at Auburn Public Theater.
Shenandoah is back to performing after a couple of difficult years of serious illness, during which music and meditation helped with her healing process. Both music and meditation continue to help guide her path to healing in the present day.
Shenandoah is a central NY star, her family has deep roots in the region (she is a descendant of Chief Shenandoah, who co-founded Hamilton College); many music fans in the region who follow her closely are delighted to see her back on stage performing.