Gareth

20-year-old Native American flute virtuoso, Gareth Laffely announces the release of "Voices of the Guardians", the follow-up to his highly successful CD entitled, "Sky Before the Storm", which earned him the #2 spot on Billboards New Age charts right behind Enya’s “Dark Sky”, making Gareth the youngest musician to reach #2 at 17 years of age. He was awarded the prestigious "Rising Star" Award from the Native American Music Awards for his debut CD, “The Journey”. “Voices of the Guardians” is a collaboration with Emmy award winning producer/composer Lance Bendiksen, and features award winning Native American actor Wes Studi. The project was recorded at George Lucas’s Sky Walker Sound in California with SkyWalker Symphony. This musical art piece features ancient wisdom from Native American Elders and tribal leaders such as Chief Joseph, Cherokee Beloved Woman Nancy Ward, Chief Seattle and Sitting Bull, among others. Their words echo from the past - being brought to life by the unmistakable voice of Wes Studi where they weave within the sweeping instrumental compositions of Laffely and Bendiksen. Gareth’s music is featured on nationally acclaimed NPR radio program Hearts of Space, as well as Music Choice's Soundscapes channel. His music video’s have been featured on GAC, (Great American Country Network) and also FNX Broadcasting, (First Nations Experience). Recently featured in the Feb/March 2018 issue of Cowboys and Indians magazine, as Generation Next - Gareth was praised for inspiring fans and raising awareness of his culture. Gareth recently composed the soundtrack to the documentary film, “Their Last Ride”, dealing with issues that face both wild and domestic horses. His music video for the film has been nominated for an EQUUS film Festival award.

Lance Bendiksen is an Emmy Award winning composer/producer whose resume includes scoring films about the West and also composing and producing the soundtrack to the National Forest Service documentary film, “The Greatest Good”. Bendiksen has also worked with noted recording artists Sarah McLachlan, the Fray, and the Cowboy Junkies, among others. He's performed solo piano concerts throughout the US, includingCarnegie Hall. Bendiksen is currently working on the film score for the Peace Corp documentary, “A Towering Task”. This anticipated film features a wide range of celebrities including Angelina Jolie and former president Jimmy Carter It will be aired by PBS and distributed through Netflix. Bendiksen currently holds deals with Sony Studios and Atlantic Records, and holds numerous broadcast, composer and arranger awards. He works as part of a production team that holds multiple Grammy Awards and platinum albums to its credits.

Wes Studi ‘s powerful character portrayals have forever changed a Hollywood stereotype. He has been in Academy award winning films such as Dances with Wolves and "Magua" in The Last of the Mohicans, established him as one of the most compelling actors in the business. Studi has appeared in more than 80 film and television productions, including Academy award nominated, Geronimo: An American Legend, and The New World. He has also appeared in films such as Being Flynn, Avatar, Comanche Moon, Heat, Streets of Laredo, Mystery Men, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, and Seraphim Falls. He also brought Tony Hillerman's "Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn" to life in a series of PBS specials produced by Robert Redford. Other films he has appeared in are A Million Ways to Die in the West, the television series Hell on Wheels and Penny Dreadful, as well as his newest movie Hostiles with Christian Bale and Rosamund Pike.