Arvel Bird
In the fast-paced, crazy world we all live in today, everyone needs to find ways to unwind and chill out. Some of us turn to exercise, and that does indeed calm the nerves, while others pursue hobbies, play on the computer, party, or flop on the couch and watch TV. But the one pastime that has been soothing souls for centuries is music.
Classical, New Age, folk, country, Celtic, Native American, fusion, jazz, blues – you name it, there’s a style out there that can help any of us relax. Just take your pick, or mix them up a bit. Talking of which, what if you could find one artist who embodies all of the above rolled into one perfect package?
If you’ve never heard of him, you’re not alone, but you’re certainly in for a treat when you hear violin virtuoso Arvel Bird take center stage – whether it’s in your living room, your car, or live on stage, this natural performer will blow you away with his unique and flawless talent. And while he’s very well known, respected, and awarded for his work in the Native American and country music worlds, he’s not so recognized outside of those arenas. Of course, he’s hoping to change that.
So who is Arvel Bird? Today’s master of the fiddle grew up in Utah. His maternal Shivwit Paiute family all hailed from the St. George area, and his father was a Mormon of Scottish ancestry. His mixed heritage influences his music at every turn, and gives him a voice like none before. Arvel himself describes it best: “I never wrote just one type of music, it always felt like a blend of all the styles that I love. A recurring feeling that permeates every piece I write can only be described as ‘tribal.’”
However, the Native American influence that weaves through his work doesn’t dominate it. If you like classical music, you’ll love Arvel (check out tracks such as Red Tail Hawk from his signature Animal Totems CD). If country’s your bag, you can’t go wrong. Bluegrass? Boogie on down. Like to mellow out with some fusion and jazz? You’ve come to the right place. And on and on it goes. There’s something for everyone. He can also match any of our moods. Some of his fiddle jigs are so lively you’ll be on your feet dancing before you know it; while other pieces are so hauntingly peaceful you could meditate to them.
He’s a charismatic performer and expressive storyteller, too. All of his songs have meanings and messages, and when you see him live he tells their tales before he plays them. The stories are compelling and give vision to the music. He speaks of Native American wisdom, covering subjects such as the earth we all live on, and the animals we share it with. Other pieces offer insightful accounts of Native American history and traditions, some of which have great relevance for today. His Arvel Bird LIVE! CD came out as a result of audiences demanding an album with his stories on it.
But while we can sit back and admire what Arvel is today, getting to this point did not come easy, and he faced many challenges in his formative years. He knew his mother was Paiute, but she told him nothing about his Native American heritage. She herself had denied and rejected it just to survive growing up at a time of great prejudice. Although his parents were high school sweethearts, Arvel’s dad had a temper, made worse by the fact that he never felt he was good enough for his wife. She was never accepted by his parents, either. There were many arguments, and as a little boy Arvel always felt that he was treading on eggshells at home. He was small for his age, had low self-esteem, lacked confidence, and was terribly shy and introverted.
But there was one wonderful thing in the house – music! His parents both loved to dance, and encouraged their children to learn to play instruments. There was a fiddle in the house, and Arvel took to it. It became his refuge; he could retreat to his room to practice and escape into a fantasy world away from the struggles of his family.
Despite his difficult home life, Arvel showed early promise on the violin, but had more hurdles to overcome. He suffered repeated setbacks at school and university when teachers at school and later professors at university (he won a music scholarship to Arizona State) told him he wasn’t good enough. Their lack of foresight left Arvel feeling deflated and totally discouraged: “The very people who should have nurtured my dreams let me down,” he says.
If it hadn’t been for one guiding light, a private music teacher in Salt Lake City who Arvel studied with at first, it might have all ended for him right then and there. She saw his potential and encouraged him. Arvel says he’ll never forget her: “Mrs. Olea Kinke was in such high demand that I had to pass an audition just to take lessons with her. She told my parents that I had talent, and obviously saw something that I didn’t. She told me that you don’t have to be the best as long as you play with passion. That’s what people want to see, that’s what they will remember. She brought the magic of music to life for me. She also taught me about life and living, self-confidence, poise, walking, smiling, presentation, and, of course, performance.” Arvel never forgot what she said, and her words are still serving him well.
Taking his future into his own hands, and leaving everything he knew behind him (including his scholarship), Arvel then sought out renowned Hungarian violinist Paul Roland at the University of Illinois. He blossomed under the professor’s tutorage, and Arvel credits him with “taking me apart and putting me back together again. I knew how to play the violin but I didn’t know what music was.” With a new-found confidence, and burning with the desire to prove everyone wrong, he threw himself into finding out just what music really meant.
Arvel discovered other styles of fiddling while he was in the Midwest, including Appalachian, bluegrass, and Celtic. He not only loved the music, but was also transfixed by the artists’ abilities to play so passionately that they excited their audience. Remembering Mrs. Kinke’s words, he vowed that this was going to be his mission.
He never looked back, and over the next twelve years, he followed the music wherever it led him: folk in Kentucky, bluegrass in West Virginia, and country in Indiana. But Arvel was destined for bigger things, and by 1986 he had met Glen Campbell, joined his band, and began touring worldwide with him – a job he enjoyed for almost six years.
In 1991 he moved to Nashville to find further opportunities, learning and practicing other styles of music such as jazz and contemporary instrumentals. He met and toured with new artists on Curb Records, Arista, and MCA Records, as well as such great country legends as Loretta Lynn, Ray Price, Louise Mandrell, Clay Walker, Tom T. Hall, Ray Price, and others. He built and operated a recording studio, engineering and producing thousands of songs and hundreds of albums for clients all over the world.
But as exciting as this was for Arvel, his real dream was to record and perform his own music using the violin as a lead instrument – completely contrary to the Nashville view of the fiddle as a backup or side-musician’s piece. “This attitude just increased my desire to write and record instrumental music that featured the violin,” he says. By 2001 he began to make his dream a reality when he left Nashville to prove himself as a solo artist. He put everything on the line by selling his home and recording studio, buying a motor coach, and taking to the road.
The gamble paid off. Within six years he had made eleven CDs of his own music and one DVD. Early CDs earned several music award nominations, and in 2006 two of these albums – Arvel Bird LIVE! and Animal Totems 2 – struck gold in the Native American Music Awards (Nammys) and The Indian Summer Music Awards (Izzys) in the Best Instrumental categories.
Then, in 2007, he became Artist of the Year in the Nammys. The award was hard-earned and well deserved, and Arvel was ecstatic to get it. “I couldn’t feel more honored to have been voted Artist of the Year by the public AND the NAMA Advisory Board,” he said. “This award is not only for me, but also for all the Southern Paiute people who are often overlooked and forgotten. What I do, I do to bring recognition and respect to the Paiutes of today and our ancestors. Last year I fulfilled another dream when I performed at the Hard Rock Cafe in Hollywood, Florida, and won my first Nammy for Best Instrumental CD, but this trumps even that. I’ve known for a long time that I have the best supporting fans any artist could ask for, and I am so thankful. And now the Canadians have just honored me, too. I couldn’t be happier.” Kimberly Kelley, who heads his management team, says: “His popularity comes not only from his full-time touring and media schedule, but also from his incredible musicianship and easy-going manner on and off the stage.”
Considered to be one of the hottest Native American artists on tour today, where does our “Lord of the Strings” go from here? “Anywhere I want,” says Arvel. I’d like to write more music for movies and documentaries, something I’ve had some success with. I’m going after a Grammy, too! I’m hoping to win one for my upcoming CD. Its working title is Tribal Music Suite, and I feel it will be a life-defining musical work for me. Grammy-winning producer Tom Wasinger is producing it. My last two albums were collaborations, so I wanted to do another solo CD. It creeps me out, looking back, to think about what might have happened if I’d listened to all those teachers who underestimated the power of my dream. I don’t think I’ll ever run out of music to write. It’s not just what I do, it’s who I am.”
Arvel Bird is signed to Singing Wolf Records in Nashville, Tennessee. He is also the lead instrumentalist in the band One Nation, and plays with New Age group Ananeah. He is constantly on the road performing and making media appearances in towns up and down the country. Within the last month alone he has appeared on network television in Oklahoma, Atlanta, and NPR and XM radio. So watch out! The artist that could be described as “the best performer you don’t yet know about” is headed your way. Check out www.arvelbird.com and www.myspace.com/arvelbird for more information, audio clips, a discography, and an up-to-date tour list. Better still, go and see him live – you’ll be glad you did!
– Wendy Dunham
