This earth ritual facilitates the release of not-yet-manifested energy and the birth of a new vision. Earth energy in this cosmology is about nurturing, abundance, welcoming, and home.

As you do this ritual, allow yourself to freely ask for the nurturing that you need in your life. Ask the great mother to provide the abundance needed, regardless of what that is: for some, the abundance is primarily financial, while for others abundance is love, community, friends, good health, or a sense of well-being.

Allow yourself to expand the definition of each of these intrinsic energies! Welcome yourself into your own life! Welcome your perceived successes and your perceived failures as wisdom-building, energizing, and fueling aspects of your life! Welcome yourself home to a place of welcoming, a place of nurturing, and a place of abundance!

Invite the Energy of the Earth

Begin the ritual by finding a place in your home where you feel safe, secure, and held. If this place does not exist where you live, it is a key that modifications need to be made in order to create this space. This would be ritual preparation. As you create this space, realize that the ritual has already begun.

Light a candle, preferably one golden or yellow in color. Call on the energy of earth—the energy of the great mother, the great nurturing one and provider of all things—to be present. Then, write in your journal or on a tablet the aspects of each of the intrinsic energies you would like to manifest. Really focus on the creation of what you desire as opposed to the things that are contrary to these intrinsic energies.

Each day this month sit with your list and meditate. Visualize each aspect materializing in your life. It is not your job to know how, it is only your job to focus on its completed state. As you tune your vibration to the manifestation of these things, you create the electromagnetic field that will begin to attract these things.

Focus & Trust

If you would like to energize your meditation in a more profound way, you can drum the energy of your creation into the list, sing the energy of your creation into your life, play your guitar, your flute, your violin . . . whatever it is that you enjoy, whatever activity fills your soul! Dance around the list vigorously, calling in the energy! This is a potent way to amp up the energy of creation! Most of all, have fun doing it.

Remember: what we focus on, we feed! By writing down the things you desire to create, you actually take them from the dream world, or the world of thought, and bring them into physical form in this dimension. This is the first step of manifestation.

Trust the ancestors that they hear you and are responding to your plea. Trust the earth, the great mother, knowing that she hears your voice and is creating the synchronicities “effortlessly and delightfully” to occur in your life.

The more joyful energy that you put into this, the more attractive it is for these things to be around you. May good fortune and the fulfillment of your dreams manifest for you!

This summer’s Advanced Shamanic Training Workshop was about combining the shamanic technique of drumming and journeying with the beautiful nature that was present on the island of Kauai.

First Time Drummer

The man on the left had never played before!

One afternoon, we went to a beautiful pavilion located right beside the ocean. There were lava rock cliffs just beyond the pavilion that made the drop down to the water take your breath away. We took our drums to the pavilion, called upon the power of the ocean to lead us in the rhythm, and began to play.

What I love about the djembe is that it brings the best out in people. There is something about the magic of the drum that reaches deep inside one’s soul, and brings to the surface the rhythm that is often stored deep within. Some of the people in the class were proficient drummers, while others were just starting. In fact, for some the workshop was their very first experience drumming.

We had two visitors from the United Kingdom: a Scottish couple that were delightful. The husband had never played a drum before, yet when the magic of the djembe touched his soul, he began to drum and kept perfect time with the rhythms that we were doing and engaged deeply in the magic of this powerful instrument. He began to drum, at first tentatively, but soon he began to engage with the drum more vigorously. His rhythm was beautiful: it was strong and powerful. It was beautiful to see the smile on his face . . . and the shock on his wife’s face as the rhythm began to take over!

Dancing with a Movie Star

As we drummed some of the people in the group decided that drumming wasn’t enough. The dancing then started! Tanis put down her drum and started dancing. This movement then began to inspire others, and as the sun set the energy of the drumming increased. Soon Danny joined in on the dance!

Danny dancing to the drums!

Danny had facilitated our hike to Makaleha falls earlier that day. He is a wonderful tour guide for any of you who are heading to the island. He has been a son of Hawaii for many years, born here, raised here, and he happens to be a bit of a movie star! When Danny was 10 years old, he was in the movie Blue Hawaii with the famous Elvis Presley. I actually rented the movie to verify his story.

It goes something like this: when Danny was 10 years old, he and his friend were at the Cocoa Palms Hotel. In it’s day, it was the place the rich and famous stayed during vacation. When Elvis Presley was filming Blue Hawaii, this was one of the primary places where filming took place.

Danny and his friend were playing at the Cocoa Palms and saw the film crews. They got the brilliant idea that they would like to be in the movies, so they ran home and put on their aloha shirts, then snuck into the filming area where they took position right beside the bridge where Elvis Presley was married to his wife in the movie. If you watch the wedding scene, as Elvis walks up to the small arched  bridge, on the left side of the bridge you will see a couple of boys: one with a blue shirt on—which is Danny—and one with a red shirt—which is his friend.

So we got to spend time with the movie star!

Drumming Inspiration

Dolphin woman Charlotte drumming.

Inspiring the fun dance done by Tanis and Danny, Elsa drummed her heart out that night. Not having much drumming experience, I was so pleased to listen to her gentle rhythms as she began to allow the power of the drum to resonate through her body. She was such an inspiration on this trip, and really held the space for magic to occur.

We also had the dolphin woman, Charlotte, with us. It was so interesting, because my friend Naoka  is really connected to the dolphins. When I met Charlotte a few years ago, she had dolphins tattooed all over her body! Needless to say, she and Naoka hit it off well. Charlotte had a blast that evening drumming to the ocean and holding the inspiring energy connecting the drum to the dance!

Stay tuned to read more about my fantastic Healing Drummer adventures this summer in Kauai!

As I browse through my photos of my summer experiences, fond memories fill my mind. I have been home for just a few days and miss the island terribly. On my last evening on Kauai we had a traditional going away party, typical of how I conclude each of the workshops that I facilitate. Or so I thought it would be typical!

Island Energy

What a way to end the Advanced Shamanic Training workshop!

We started off at the octagon, which is in the Kahuna Valley. The energy in the valley is potent. It is at the base of the Makaleha Mountains, and from the valley you can see thousand-foot waterfalls pouring down the sides of the steep cliffs above. It is like being guarded on all sides by old wise warriors. The feeling of safety and ancient wisdom fills the air.

After taking in some much-appreciated beach time, we met back at the house to prepare for the going away party. Thanks to the women staying with me, the house was clean! In a matter of moments, salads were prepared, and what is known as “Toby’s juicy chicken” was on the barbecue along with a couple of racks of ribs.

As usual, the fun began right away as the additional participants arrived. I was quite thankful to have John Dumas and his beautiful wife Kana there. We also had the pleasure that evening of having the kava master of the island attend: my friend Gary Mack showed up with a cooler full of kava, so we indulged in this traditional Polynesian drink as the food was cooking.

Polynesian Beverage Kava

Toby and Gary drinking kava.

Kava is a traditional Polynesian drink. What we were drinking that night came from the island of Vanuwatu. It’s an interesting drink, coming from a plant related to the pepper family. It has a sedative and anesthetic property. With a rich, earthy flavor, what you drink is made from the roots of the plant. The kava we were drinking that night was prepared on the island, then sun-dried untill it became a powder. This powder was then mixed with water, producing a wonderful-tasting kava drink straight from the land of its origin.

Great thanks to Gary for bringing this wonderful beverage to all of our gatherings, and for providing me with a personal supply that I am now enjoying very much in Park City!

Spirit of the Aloha

After the kava, the food was consumed vigorously. Once it was gone, the drums came out! John manned his didgeridoo and flutes, giving us a powerful healing melody. The drums followed this melody to create a magical effect in the room. As the drums echoed off the walls, those who were listening could not help but start moving. And as John wandered through the room, connecting with each person by vibrating the drone of his didgeridoo into each one’s heart, the joy of the island expanded (a result of this can easily be seen on the faces of Danny and Tanis in the photo as they hijacked the cacao while we were playing).

Danny and Tanis pre-sampling the dessert!

All in all, it was a wonderful evening. Everyone was sent home with the magic of the island in their hearts, the rhythm of the drum resonating in their souls, with the beautiful drone of the didgeridoo grounding them firmly with indigenous energy, and the beautiful melodies of the flute inspiring their joy.

It was wonderful experience for all, made more profound than ever by my dear friends who brought the spirit of aloha in the authentic Hawaiian way.

Many of you know that I have done extensive training with Malidoma Somé and in my work with him have learned a lot about creating a space of fun and welcoming for the ancestors. When we do ritual, it’s usually in a very festive atmosphere. Good beverages, oftentimes a cigar, and always drumming!

I recently read an interview with Malidoma where he talks about spirituality and seriousness. Here is a small excerpt from the interview that I thought was very interesting, and definitely worth putting some thought into. Needless to say, these words of wisdom from Malidoma can come in handy in each of our lives!

Playful Spirits

Interviewer: Some people make an assumption, often unconsciously, that any spiritual practice worthwhile needs to be serious and somber. Can you speak to the role of play and fun and spontaneity in ritual work?

Malidoma: You must understand that the other world doesn’t know anything about seriousness. The issue at hand is that anytime I’ve had an encounter with the other world, and I mean that literally—we have little people in my culture that we call Kontomblé—every time you meet them, they’re playing around. They look like irresponsible people jumping around, finding you rather funny looking and serious. So it has led me to wonder: where do we inherit this solemn attitude, in fact, associated with the word “serious?” I tried to understand it by way of trying to find out whether there is an equivalent in Dagara of the word “serious”—there is none. There’s no word for “serious!” The closest word to it is literally translated as “red eye!” It’s funny! But this is as serious as it gets! Because “red eye” means you can’t close your eye, you’ve gotta keep it open, because you might miss out on something! So there is a direct connection between ritual and fun and also play. Where does it come from? We can see it in children whose world is all about play and the choreography of it. Why do we grow up and find this rather childish, as if childish is less important than solemn and serious? I really would try to do be more playful just to see whether in fact there is a greater chance of success than this seriousness.

The bottom line is the further away from the sacred a culture grows, the more serious and solemn they become. That simply suggests that the closer a community or a people get to the sacred, the more access to joy, playfulness, and a lot of laughter! So it’s up to us to choose. Modern culture seems to understand that. Even the corporate world understands that. That’s why they have such a time as “Happy Hour!” Every time, everyday between four and five is a happy hour where the drinks are cheaper, but it’s only between four and five. After that everybody’s back to seriousness—I’ve got a problem with that! The playfulness associated with work has been shrunk so much down to an artificial happy hour that you cannot even be playful or come close to happiness without the help of a couple of glasses of heavy duty liquors! That means the genies of laughter and happiness are becoming really thin, and we’re approaching the idea of laughter and joy from a serious deficit and that’s why we need the substitute of liquor in order to make that happen.

That being said, the fundamental piece is for us to look at ourselves from the perspective of the amount of joy that we’re willing to bring into our lives—how much of that is in there—and to raise the question that puts a balance between what we are able to achieve and the amount of joy that accompanies the initiative towards that achievement. Are our failures due to a rather pathologically seriousness given to life? Or are the things we fail to achieve associated with a deficit in joy due to too many repressions and repressed things within us that are blocking the channel of joy? These are pertinent questions that we should ask ourselves. We just can’t make a laconic statement saying, “Well there’s not enough joy; there’s not enough laughter; there’s not enough playfulness!” We have to associate that with our productivity, with our capacity to muster healing and transformation in our culture and see whether it is not the reason why we have an industry called “entertainment.” In other words, in order for you to laugh, somebody must be over there making a fool of himself so that you can giggle a couple of times! The point is that it’s revelatory of a deep apology that is keeping us away from each other, keeping us away from the healing power of joy and laughter. Anyway, I don’t want to be too serious about it! (laughs)

The Benefits of Random Laughter

Interviewer: Malidoma, as we come to the conclusion of our interview, is there anything you would like to share about what’s bringing you joy or passion or excitement currently in your work with spirit and with your teachings?

Malidoma: What I do brings me a deep sense of peace inside. The core of what I understand as joy is a deep inner peace, the kind that is really hard to put in words. It has less to do with random laughter and superficial socialization; it has to do with a deep sense of joy experienced whenever change in the right direction is seen in a person in whose life I have intervened. The truth is I derive tremendous pleasure in it, and I think that this is something that everybody should be entitled to. This is radically different from entertainment—I’m not entertained by that, I’m overjoyed by it! At the same time, I can sense the pull to grief and I take that as a sign that my heart is not closed, and that I derive joy! It is the contribution to the sense of peace, which for me is authentic.

I stay in this work, regardless of its turmoil and the fact that, as I said in the beginning of this session—that I hear more bad news than good news—but I stay in it simply because one healing at a time is proportional to a massive influx of joy and peace inside of me. This is something that I see being needed by most everybody in this field who end up taking what they’re doing too seriously and as such become a prisoner of very bad weather that they’ve chosen to lock themselves into. People say my lectures are too funny; that whenever I start teaching something, every minute I’ve got to add a little joke in it—I can’t help it! Just don’t take things too seriously! It is true we’re all in pain, but sometimes you laugh at pain, and pain gets panicked! You start looking at pain with the strange eye of the clown and the pain says, “Usually this is not how these people behave!” And then the pain wants to go somewhere else!

It is important to realize the healing aspect of this whole thing. For me, after gauntlets of 15 years in this work, I realize the best healing for me is humor, to stay within the field of humor. I think this is something that people should entertain. Let’s get together and crack ourselves up with all kinds of things, because in the end, it is this inexplicable sound coming out of our throat chakras that sends a message to all—that which wants us to look so weighed down by the bad news, that it can then enjoy watching us. The minute we’re cracking up in front of it, then we start creating tremendous discomfort in it. And that’s a show of our capacity to heal each other, as opposed to waiting for some kind of salvation agent to come down with a basket full of it to toss around—that doesn’t work. Or if it works, only a few benefit from it and the rest are left even hungrier than before. So for me this is what I’ve ended up embracing because my own salvation, my own well-being rests on that. And I hope it can expand sufficiently to affect as many people as possible. Contagious laughter is healthy!

Thank you, Malidoma, for your words of wisdom!

Tori on the djembe

Some of the time here on the island spontaneous occurrences present themselves. One night, my friend Terry Kingen was visiting me with his daughter, Tori, and she spotted my drums lined up along the wall. Being very curious about this, she asked to hear what they sounded like. What came from that was about 3 hours of a wild drumming jam session!

Tori had never drummed before in her life, and it was so amazing as she began to play and the rhythm touched her heart. Her hands began to move and she picked up every single rhythm we played that night perfectly!

Terry was laying down the basic beat, holding the steady foundation, as I ripped it up a bit and helped Tori focus on the rhythms. Another friend of ours from the island was playing along as well. It was so fun to feel the vibration in the walls of the house, and see the joy on the faces of not only those of us who are playing, but Terry who was watching his daughter coming to such joy.

Magic Desserts Complement The Rhythm of the Drum

Drumming jam session at Toby's Hawaii house

Another joyful experience of this evening was the  unexpected visit by my friend Danny Hashimoto. Danny had been on an outing to the beach and stopped by the house on his way home . . . once again loaded with his magic desserts and sweet delights!

I will say it was also a bit distracting watching Danny pull these amazing treats from his cooler setting them beautifully on the counter awaiting our consumption. But we drummed on, laughing, smiling, getting into the rhythm of the drum, the rhythm of community, and the rhythm of the island. The drumming continued until everyone’s hands were so sore they couldn’t feel their fingers. There was so much laughter and fun.

Kauai: The Island that Creates Community

One of the things that the island does is creates community. People come together, and even if they have never met each other, they become instant friends. In the same way that the island welcomes everybody to its magic, that magic seems to draw everyone to each other. And the spontaneous merging of energy occurs. Family occurs, community occurs.

Danny Hashimoto and Toby Christensen

One of my dear friends, Malidoma Somé, from Burkina Faso, West Africa, talks often about how people in the village will spontaneously unite, just to enjoy each other and bring the rhythm of the drum or the song of the voice or the sound of the Balaphone to the people in the village. It is wonderful to experience these kinds of spontaneous events in a world where most things are planned and organized. I want to especially thank Danny for bringing his magic to our party and making a fun, spectacular time even more dynamic and spectacular!

I hope that next summer many of you are here on the island for the workshops that I will be offering so that you, too, can experience the magic of the island, the spontaneity of community, and the true feeling of aloha!

Stay tuned for more adventures throughout my visit to Kauai!

I’ve recently released a new album called Tribal Medicine. This CD features healing rhythms that are intended to restore listeners’ hearts and souls as the sensations of the healing drum infuses the body.

Tribal Medicine offers inspiration through tribal connections. I’ve been told over and over again that while experiencing the album, a sensation of being present at an ancient indigenous ceremony often comes over listeners. It’s a powerful experience to feel the wisdom of African, Native American, and Eastern shamanic healing traditions through healing rhythms!

African Djembe Drums

Each track on Tribal Medicine supports a particular energy and offers different rhythms and sounds that, collectively, make the album a powerful healing experience. Let me tell you about my intentions with the opening track of the album, “Call of the Ancestors.” In the Dagara cosmology that my work is based on, the ancestors are those who have come before us, whose blood runs through our veins. Because we are part of them, they have a vested interest in our well-being. So they are the ones that we call to when we need help.

The chanting in “Call of the Ancestors” brings to mind a person in great need calling upon the ancestors in a language that is beyond words. It is a language of emotion and raw spiritual energy, calling for the ancestors’ help and guidance in life. The voices overlaid on the track are from different cultures: African, South American, and Native American voices all calling to their ancestors for healing of their minds, bodies, and spirits, as well as the world!

Listen to a sample of “Call of the Ancestors.”

Call of the Ancestors

Tribal Medicine features me, Healing Drummer Toby Christensen, on djembe drum and percussion, and the talented Rebecca Holt on vocal toning. Skilled artist Carolina Woodrich shared her stunning original artwork for the album!

To purchase a copy of this healing rhythms CD, please visit my shop. I invite you to engage your body, mind, and soul with the powerful rhythms of Tribal Medicine. Enjoy!

Terry Kingen and Toy Christensen in Hawaii

It was so fun watching Guy and Terry jam on those old dusty acoustic guitars. We started teasing Guy about how he emulates Jimi Hendrix so well and how I want to learn how to play the Guy Johnson “Monkey Finger” lead guitar. Guy informed us that for him to really cut loose would require the electric guitars. So he broke his Stratocaster out of the case and handed Terry a beautiful Gibson SG, and the following video emerged.

Although Guy’s voice is completely trashed, you will get the Jimi Hendrix-like flair that he has. And Terry’s no slouch either! This particular kind of music is not his preferred style. In the future, I will post some videos of Terry playing his rockabilly music ,which is his featured spotlight!

We have this fantasy looming in the world of “possibilities”: that I will move to Seattle and we will start a blues band. Who knows?

Here is the video that occurred when the acoustic guitars got put away and we turned on the amplifiers and pulled out the electric guitars.

As you watch the video, you’ll notice that in the middle of a guitar solo, Guy decides he needs to adjust his amplifier. So while playing the guitar one-handed, he gets up out of his chair walks over to the amp, and never missing a lick, makes the adjustment and comes back and sits down just in time to sing the next phrase of the song. You’ll notice towards the end of the video that he does it again standing and moving over to adjust Terry’s amplifier.

Everyone Has a Light to Shine on The World

Guy Johnson

I really want to drive home the point that any time we create an environment of joy, celebration, encouragement, and support, we are shining a light in the world. I would love to have all of my friends gathered in this basement on this night to feel the magic that was flowing in the air. It didn’t matter that we were not in front of a crowd. It only mattered that we were together: friends sharing who we were (and are) at our core, being with each other. This brought such joy and happiness to each of us, I continue to lie in the beauty and powerful energy of that evening.

So shine your light! Let the world hear you, whether it’s in your shower, your basement, or in your car. Sing, dance, play an instrument, drum, be poetic . . . Whatever it is that brings joy to your heart, take time each day to do it. Share it where ever you can, and realize that it is bringing the energy to the world. That is the important part, not how many people see or hear us.

Begin to create vortexes of joy everywhere you go, and please share your stories.

Three friends 30 years later!

As I travel around and talk to people, my primary messages is about people shining the light in the world. Most of the time people hear me talk about this, but think about me standing up on stage in front of a large group of people teaching or playing my drum. But on my recent trip to  Seattle, something occurred to me. We can shine our light in the world where ever we are and through whatever it is we are doing.

The story goes like this: a couple years ago I reunited with some old friends. They were friends that I had played music with back when I was nine years old. We played together all the way through our high school years. I moved to California right after high school and lost track of my friends. Then, 40 years later . . . okay, that’s just not right! 30 years later we reunited in the most fantastic way. Every time I go to Seattle, I get together with my friends Terry Kingen and Guy Johnson. They are both phenomenal guitar players, and they are both uniquely different. It is an absolute joy to play with them because they both bring such tremendous talent to the world in their own unique styles.

Guy Johnson

Guy Johnson

At 10 years old, Guy Johnson had an old Fender Stratocaster. He was a tall, lanky kid with fingers about a foot long that could move like lightning. Guy had a profound love: Jimi Hendrix. And at 10 years old, Guy could play a lick-for-lick and note-for-note any Jimi Hendrix tune.

I remember when the Led Zeppelin II  album was released. On one of the songs was a very fast and technical guitar solo done by Jimmy Page. I remember little Guy Johnson putting the album on the turntable, putting the needle on the album, and then by hand turning the record slightly slower than 33 RPMs. Each note of the guitar solo was very apparent at the slower speed, and after listening to it three or four times, Guy turned the stereo off, picked up his guitar, and played the solo note for note. It was absolutely unbelievable.

At that time I didn’t know anything about “channeling.” But now I realize that Guy had the ability to tap in to certain energies and literally channel them through his guitar. He really used to piss everybody off because if he heard it, he could play it! Anything!

Terry Kingen

While the rest of the world was listening to Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and the Beatles, there was Terry  Kingen. While we were in the garage jamming out blues licks, bending strings within the blues box, and trying our best to be rock ‘n roll stars, Terry was studying with the most masterful teachers in the Seattle area. He was listening to the great jazz maestros. He was emulating Frank Zappa, John Cole Train, Capt. Beefheart, John McLaughlin and the Maha Vishnu Orchestra.

Terry Kingen

Terry was on the outer stratosphere of another galaxy compared to all of us. The difference between Terry and Guy was that Guy could play it, and Terry could tell you every single note of it and how it relates to every other  note and how that related to the chord progression that was holding the space for the solo to occur.

Simply said, Terry was, and is, a musical genius! He is my guitar teacher and mentor. His gift is that he can take his complex knowledge of music and put it into very simple terms, so that even a guy like me can understand.

Discovering Joy in Guy’s Basement

I’m so grateful to have these men in my life. Terry, Guy and I had a wonderful, spontaneous experience on my last trip to Seattle. Terry and I went over to Guy’s house, picked him up, and went out for a burger. After dinner, we went back to Guy’s and slid down the stairs to the music room where Terry and I picked up a couple of old, dusty acoustic guitars. That’s when we went into an amazing blues jam.

Me, being the newcomer at the guitar and not being in the same league as those two, chose to pull out my iPhone and take footage of this masterful, spontaneous combustion of music. And it occurred to me as I was listening with a feeling the joy that filled the room as this great talent was expressed that we bring our light to the world whenever we shine, wherever that is. I realized that in the basement of Guy Johnson’s house was a vortex of great joy created by three friends getting together and sharing their gifts. No spectators, no recording. Just three open hearts connecting in a beautiful way to bring the gift of music to the world.

Setting an Example for Shining Light Into the World

Every time we open our hearts and step into the place of joy and passion, we are shining a light in the world. We are creating a vortex of joy that brings good energy to the planet.

I hope as you watch this video that you’re able to feel the fun that we had that night. Guy had sung for hours the night before and his voice was trashed, but it didn’t prevent him from shouting out the lyrics as best he could!

As you get caught up in the playful energy of this evening, please remember to bring your gift to the world. Shine your light into the world as often as you can! I hope you enjoy.

Toby and Guy Hanging Out After a Gig

In previous postings I’ve talked about the amazing joy that I have experienced reuniting with some old childhood friends with whom I used to play music. One of these friends is Guy Johnson. On my last trip to Seattle, I was able to spend quite a bit of time with Guy. He is a kindhearted person who takes good care of his family, works hard, and is one amazing guitar player! On a video posted at my website www.healingdrummer.com I show a video of Terry King, Guy Johnson and I in Guy’s basement, jamming on acoustic guitars and having an amazing time.

This kind of joy of spontaneous music is what has been such a wonderful element throughout my life. It occurred to me that afternoon that joy, connection, and creativity is not just a good thing when it is presented on a stage or before a large group of people. I thought driving home from that afternoon that if this was the last experience that I had in my life, it would be a great one.

Shining Your Light in Public or with Friends is all Good

The night after our informal basement jam, Guy was performing at a benefit concert to help a friend raise money for medical bills. The video below is one of my favorite songs of Guy’s. He has an uncanny ability to channel Jimi Hendrix—he has since he was about nine years old. It was so interesting to watch Guy as a young child listen to Hendrix play, pick up an old Stratocaster, and play note-for-note what he heard Jimi playing. Well, some things never change. Guy, in this video, shows his amazing talent and doing it for the good of the community that he is part of.

Spontaneous Footage

I was sitting at a table in the restaurant where the fundraiser was being held, and Guy begin the first few notes. I knew the song he was going to play and fired up my iPhone. Although it is not a professional film quality, I think you get the idea of how amazing it is to be in the presence of this gifted musician. You’ll notice that at one part of his solo in the middle of the song, he goes out into the audience where he plays his guitar with his teeth, a spoon from the table, and some mysterious object handed to him by one of the men at the table. Either way, Guy Johnson is a consummate performer and amazing entertainer. He knows how to win the hearts of the people he plays for.

Whether it is in the basement playing an old beat-up acoustic guitar, or on stage with a crowd of people, Guy always comes from the heart. It is my pleasure to share with you this video of my good friend. Please check out other videos of Guy Johnson on YouTube and, of course, at TobyChristensen.com.

Here we have Terry Kingen on the guitar Joel Bisset on the kit and I am on the djembe 

Joel Bisset laying down the steady beat!

I was just in Seattle and met up with a group of guys I have not seen for 30 years. I went to Elementary, Junior High, and High school with these gentlemen. As kids we played music together. We would spend hours in my parents’ basement playing Jimi Hendrix, Led Zepplin, The Beatles, Rolling Stones and who ever else was on the charts at that time. Guy Johnson was and is today one of the most talented and skilled rock guitar players on the planet. Terry Kingon is a masterful wizard on the guitar masterfully maneuvering his way through any style of music from rockabilly to Frank Zappa! Clearly, Terry is the most musically educated and diverse of the gang. Joel Bissett is one of those guys who is the embodiment of kindness and a true gentleman. He was always ready to help those of us who were up on stage, always picking up tips on playing the drums and guitar. He was never in the spotlight back then but he has become a fine drummer and excellent man on the guitar. And of course I cannot help but mention Paul Dragoo, Paul and I did not meet till High School but became close friends, as we played in bands together during that time in my life. It was through Paul’s continued connection with the other three men that ultimately lead to our reunion.

 
Reconnecting to these men is one of the greatest joys I have experienced in a very long time. Our hair is a little grayer; we all have a bit of age on our bellies. But jamming with these guys made my heart sing. After all these years, we have each held music as our love and passion. I had the opportunity to be on stage with two of them. Joel and Terry. Joel was on the drum kit and Terry was man handling a pink paisley Telecaster. And I was bringing the HealingDrum to a bar in Renton Washington! 

It was such a joy to play with these guys Terry and I could not do anything but SMILE