Joseph FireCrow
“You can teach someone how to play the flute, but you can’t teach them how to make it sing.”
A Northern Cheyenne Nation Indian, Joseph FireCrow was born on the Crow Agency in Montana in March of 1959. Growing up on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, FireCrow began making and playing flutes when he was 18 years old.
Taking a hiatus until the early 1990’s, FireCrow re-kindled his love of the NA flute. At this time, he summoned the courage to quit his job at a power plant in Billings, MT and began playing again; producing several recordings.
Described as “a humble, caring, compassionate man, whose smile and laughter is what people remember most,” FireCrow conducted flute-making workshops, presented and played at schools, universities and powwows. He often donated his handmade flutes and his music library to Operation Music Aid for veterans suffering from PTSD, to assist in their recovery through music therapy.
Throughout his life, FireCrow earned top honors among his peers in the Native American Music Awards (NAMA) Organization. Recognized for his work with the Billings Symphony, he took home the NAMA award for “Best Instrumental Recording” for Parmly’s Dream in 2005 and was the 2006 recipient of NAMA’s “Flutist of the Year” award for his work on Red Beads.”
His incredible craft as a Native American Flutist earned him a reputation that reached beyond the NA flute world. He played on the soundtrack of the Ken Burns documentary Lewis and Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery, as well as collaborated with Steven Spielberg on Into the West. FireCrow even won a GRAMMY in 2010 for “Best New Age Album” (Prayer for Compassion).
Joseph FireCrow passed away in Winsted, Connecticut on July 11, 2017 at the age of 58 after many years of battling a lung disease.
You can view his website here: http://www.josephfirecrow.com/
Awards:
1999 Telly Award, Elfie’s Eye/Creator’s Prayer (Fire Crow)
2000 Best of Short Takes, Today’s Librarian (Cheyenne Nation)
2003 NAMA Songwriter of the Year (Legend of the Warrior)
2004 Flutist of the Year, Indian Summer Music Awards (Legend of the Warrior)
2005 NAMA Best Instrumental Recording/Parmly’s Dream 2005 (Signature)
2006 NAMA Flutist of the Year (Red Beads)
2010 Best New Age Album, 52nd Annual GRAMMY™ Awards (Prayer for Compassion, David Darling)
2010 NAMA Flutist of the Year (Face the Music)
2010 Artist of the Year (Face the Music)
2011 NAMA Song/Single of the Year (Out of Many, We Are One)
2013 NAMA Best Flute Recording (Night Walk)