Joy Harjo

As a musician, Harjo has released five CDs, all of which won awards. These feature both her original music and that of other Native American artists.[28] Harjo's mother was a singer. Harjo learned to play the alto saxophone and the flute later in life.[28] She also sings and acts, frequently touring with her music group known as the Arrow Dynamics.[28] In 2009 Harjo won the Native American Music Award for best female artist. She has received several other awards (see below) for her music.[28] She began to play the saxophone at the age of 40. For her it fills the void she felt left by her singing voice. She had also learned that her paternal grandmother, whose surname she took when enrolling in the Creek nation, had loved the instrument from her years in Indian Territory before Oklahoma was admitted to the union in 1907.[29] Harjo believes that when reading her poems, she can add music by playing the sax and reach the heart of the listener in a different way. When reading her poems, she speaks with a musical tone in her voice, creating a song in every poem.