East Coast Chant was created in May 2008 by Tonia Pinheiro.
Tonia Pinheiro (tone-ya) is a seasoned and inspired vocalist, facilitator, intuitive healer, and Ascension Path practitioner. All of the East Coast Chant healing rituals and many of the chants are Tonia's original creations.
Ukumbwa Sauti is an accomplished percussionist, educator, and shamanic healer/seer who creates inspired acoustic and electronic rhythms, environments and sound atmospheres.
Mark Nathanson's musical studies began with piano at six, drums at ten and attended The Cleveland Institute of Music at eleven for theory and drums. He studied drums and percussion with Mike Clarke, Bob Wiener and Percy Jones at the Drummers Collective in NY and holds a performance diploma from Berklee College of Music ‘92. Mark has toured internationally with Broadway productions, R&B legend Big J McNeely, and even ran away to join the Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. Circus. One of his highlights was a tour to Brazil with the Broadway revival of The King & I. His music appears on a CD sampler produced by Spiritual Circle Cinema for their film makers. He performs in the Boston dance community and is a self taught finger-style guitarist and composer. He is currently studying the music of silence and stillness and wishes all a safe trip from the head to the heart.
Joel Cohen is a cello virtuoso with deep musical roots and a broad musical palette. He was a founding member of 3-time Grammy-nominated Quartet San Francisco. Joel lives in California and joins us when he's on the East Coast.
Paul Rodriguez is a warm, talented, inventive guitarist who produces many voices and moods with his guitars, and textures with his voice. Paul helped launch ECC in 2008-2009 season.
OTHER SUPPORTERS
Michael Kopel is a sound healer and retailer of crystal bowls, tuning forks and other fine instruments through Omnivos Therapeutics. Michael graciously agreed to record the first session of East Coast Chant on July 25, 2008 at Outpost 186 in Cambridge MA. It is through Michael that I got my yummy crystal singing bowls.
Jonathan Wyner is a sound engineer and founder of M Works Mastering in Cambridge MA. Jonathan is a fellow True Story Theater actor with Tonia and offered his recording services to the East Coast Chant session on August 9, 2008 at The Arlington Center in Arlington MA.
Laurie Douglas is Tonia's organizational guardian angel. She has volunteered to be in service at the ECC info table and most importantly, helps me gather and pack up all my belongings. Packing up at the end of a session is a personally daunting task for me. Because I'm in such an altered state by the time we're done, it takes an exceedingly long time for me to it (break down and pack everything that was used on the altar and on my "things" table, not to mention my microphone, stand and cords) myself. Laurie packs the same way I do . . . ahh!
Maria Flessa is an ECC fan and volunteers to greet people as they arrive, and sells ECC CDs. She also loves me [Tonia] and put me in touch with the Nubian Writers Group with whom I happily meet to write out the stories that are in me to be told.
J.J. Kelleher is my sweetheart and muscle man who helps me carry, load, unload, set up, break down, reload, and bring back home all of the things I have to bring to an East Coast Chant session. Without him I would be a much older and achier woman.
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
Learn more about East Coast Chant at http://www.EastCoastChant.com