Expert Insights: The healing power of music

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Frank Waln is leaving a lasting legacy—one that bridges the gap between history, healing and advocacy through the universal language of music.

His journey from the remote Rosebud Sioux Reservation to becoming an award-winning artist and educator brought him to Western as an artist-in-residence this year. Waln is using music not only as a form of artistic expression but also as a vehicle for healing and education.

Raised in a large family on the reservation in South Dakota, Waln’s early life was shaped by both the traditions and hardships of Native American life. His family was rooted in ranching and rodeo, but he chose a different path when he was young.

“Growing up, I was one of the few in my family with a creative spark,” he recalls. “I found myself drawn to music, and that became my escape.”

His early exposure to the rhythms and stories of his Lakota heritage combined with his love of country, rock and hip-hop created his unique sound.

“Music comes out in everything,” he says. “From the sounds that shape the creative process to the way I teach—music is part of who I am.”

Waln recalls significant challenges of growing up in a place where the U.S. Department of Indian Affairs reports a more than 80% unemployment rate. "It was tough to be a kid on the reservation,” he says. “Success seemed out of reach for a lot of us. But I had a lot of support from my family, especially my mother, who was a teacher. That foundation helped me pursue something bigger.”

After graduating as valedictorian from his high school, he set his sights on higher education. He went to Creighton University, where he initially studied medicine as an effort to heal those in his community.

Becoming a medical professional was a prestigious and traditional choice for Waln, but one he reconsidered after his passion for making music grew stronger.

He then started down a different path at Columbia College Chicago, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in audio arts and acoustics in 2014. It was there that he began to see music not just as an art form but as a way to advocate for his community.

Waln’s music soon became a platform for addressing injustices faced by Native communities. Songs like “Wild Fire” parallel relationships with controlled burns; some things are destroyed to make way for new life. “Oil 4 Blood” protests the canceled Keystone XL pipeline, which would have disturbed reservation lands and water reserves in North Dakota and South Dakota.

He says he uses hip-hop to amplify Native voices and call attention to Indigenous peoples’ resilience and resistance to colonialism and violence throughout history.

“I treat my music the same way I treat history: It’s not static,” he says. “History is living, breathing, just like music—not in the facts of what happened in the past but how we look at it and how it is represented.”

Through his work, Waln seeks to decolonize both history and the music industry, intertwining his Lakota roots with modern hip-hop to tell stories.

“For so long, Native culture has been treated as something ‘closed off’ or ‘extinct,’” he says. “But I wanted to change that perception to show that our culture is not just surviving but thriving in new ways.”

At WMU, he is teaching a “Indigenous Music, Healing and Activism” course, which is taken by students from music and various other majors.

“I want my students to understand that music can be a healing tool, especially when seen from an Indigenous perspective,” Waln explains. “Music isn’t just entertainment; it’s a way to process trauma, to connect with our histories and to heal.”

He says he enjoys sharing knowledge as well as connecting with Indigenous students on a personal level. "I know how isolating it can feel to be a Native student in a predominantly white institution. My goal is to help them realize that their stories matter and that their voices are powerful."

Waln’s efforts also extend beyond the classroom. As part of WMU’s Native American Affairs Council, he has helped develop events for Indigenous Peoples Day and other initiatives aimed at raising awareness about Indigenous issues. “What we’re doing at Western is ahead of the curve,” he says. “We’re not just talking about Indigenous history—we’re living it. I’m proud to be part of that.”

As an educator, artist and advocate, Waln’s work is a reminder of the power of music to heal, connect and inspire change. For young Indigenous artists and activists looking to make a difference, he offers this advice: “Follow your passions, whatever they may be. It’s not always going to be easy, but the work you do is important not just for you but for your community and for future generations.”

He says he’s dedicated to using his success for the greater good as his career continues to grow.

“Music is my way of showing the world what’s important to me. It’s my way of fighting for my people and my community. And it’s my way of helping others heal, just as I have.” ■