Album Notes

Swil Kanim, a classically trained violinist, is a member of the Lummi Tribe and grew up in the Bellingham, Washington area. He travels extensively throughout the United States, enchanting audiences with his original composition music and native storytelling.

His compositions incorporate classical influences as well as musical interpretations of his journey from depression and despair to spiritual and emotional freedom. The music and stories that emerge from his experiences have been transforming people's lives for decades.

Each year since 2003, Swil Kanim has been a featured performer at the American Indian Film Awards in San Francisco. In 2008, he performed at the West Coast American Indian Music Awards where he was presented with both the classical and traditional instrument awards; he performed for the Dalai Lama at Key Arena in Seattle at the Seeds of Compassion event; and he played at four sold-out events at the Smithsonian's Museum of the American Indian in Washington DC.

During a recent interview, Swil Kanim said the following about the "Works for the People" recording: "I played each piece of the album as if it was the only chance I had to record it. I was striving for the perfection in the moment rather than perfection in the eternal recording. I wanted to create that feeling that I was playing for the individual listener. Rather than have an album of individual pieces I would try to tie each track together considering the energy level of the preceding and following piece and the last piece with the first piece."

More information on Swil Kanim's music and performances is available at www.swilkanimfoundation.org.