CREATIVES

Kayatta Patton Composition, Music, Other, Vocal My name is Kayatta Patton. My stage name is Kayatta and I have a ton of other names that are too many list. I am an educator, poet, song writer and lyricist. I grew up on the west side of Oakland with my mother and sister. My first exposure to music was at the expense of my grandmother Nana. She'd play Bobby Blue Bland while the kids played in the yard and the adults played spades and smoked cigarettes. I remember those days like yesterday and though Bobby Blue Bland was amazing I had a thing for rap and r and b. It spoke my love language. Maybe it was the beat or the way words were stitched over the beats. I'm not sure exactly what the connect was but it shaped and became the sounds track of my life I first got my feet wet trying out for the band in the 3rd grade. Back then schools actually had programs where we could take the instruments home. I chose the trumpet. That was the mustard seed that would fueled her artistic inspiration. Over the years I worked diligently and challenged myself musically and artistically. In doing so I was able to hone in on the craft and become comfortable in my skin. The lyrical execution is profound and passionate with heaps of soul and raw emotion. Rooted in hip-hop and spoken word, raspy authenticity, and a knack for engaging the audience. My work ethic she has enabled me to evolve from just being an MC to an all around artist. It is simply honey in the form of words.

Carlos Henrique Pereira Creative Sonoma Grantee, Music Award-winning composer, acoustic guitarist and pianist rooted in Brazilian music with a refined style and a flavor all his own.

Maxwell Pierce Music, Recovery Fund Grantee Maxwell Pierce is a professional session/gigging bassist from Los Angeles with 17 years experience and a graduate of Musicians Institute.

PRXZM Composition, Music Nick and Emma began PRXZM in 2013. They started creating music together in their dorms, and the electronic music scene took notice. Their signature sound is comprised of Nick's soaring, melodic synth progressions and Emma's pure, honest lyrical musings. Daniel Urquhart brings another level of genius to the project on guitar. Beautifully refreshing and ripe with emotion, PRXZM never fails to draw listeners in and keep them there. Now, 5 years and a few big tours in, the band has grown a loyal fan base. They are heading out again this summer on a US tour, as fresh as ever, looking forward to sharing their new EP “High Desert” with the world.

Puffinhorn Composition, Instrumental, Music, Vocal Puffinhorn is a duo of Mike Campbell - (guitar,trumpet, ukelele,vocals) and John Paul Norris - (acoustic & electric bass, bass uke, vocals). We perform a mix of original & classic folk-rock, blues & jazz. The amount of each of these genres will vary depending upon venue & event. We are also available as a trio with drums for dance parties. Our venue specialties include restaurants, coffee house, private dinner parties festivals & wine events. We are self contained with our own sound & lighting systems and can provide music and sound levels  appropriate for any occasion. .

Steven Radice Composition, Illustration, Instrumental, Music, Other, Painting, Technical, Theatre, Visual Arts, Vocal Are you smiling?  Is it fun?  That's what I look for in my art, in my life.  I want to play.  I want to share.  In music or visual art, I offer the joy of my heart. And yes, I've won the awards, endorsements, audiences and whatever.  That's nice, but Love is what matters.  Smile, dance, live the life.  Balance.  Enjoy.

Barbara Railsback Music, Recovery Fund Grantee, Vocal Barbara has been singing in Sonoma County for the past 20+ years. She started caroling with the SRJC caroling group, and shortly after formed her own group, The Figgy Pudding Carolers & then the Silver Belles Caroling Group. She has performed on stage & in various groups from musicals, opera, rock bands, gospel, and her favorites, an early music & jazz group both being a cappella . She studied music and completed the voice program both at Santa Rosa Junior College.

Ricky Ray Composition, Instrumental, Music, Vocal Ricky Ray is a Blues singer/songwriter born and raised in North Carolina.  His musical influences are from four major musical eras; Southern Rock, Texas Blues, Motown, and the Stax sound of Memphis.  Ricky performs fresh versions of established popular songs that bring an expressive style of soloing based on fluid, rhythmic guitar and soulful vocals.

Ryan Richardson Film Office, General Services, Music, Photography, Recovery Fund Grantee, Visual Arts Rockin Ryan Richardson 🎸Guitar, Bass, and Drums, Hat Crüe 🎩🎩 📷📷Published Photographer Music Junkie Press Photographer📷🎥☕️👑📷📸😝🎩📷Canon Film Polaroid 📷🎩 FAMILY R'N'R COFFEE ☕️

Jewel Shield Artisan, Ceramics, Composition, Instrumental, Music, Other, Other, Teacher/Instructor, Visual Arts, Vocal Music is the Universal language of all people and creation. I am a lifelong Artisan with a deep love and appreciation for harmony and beauty.  The creative spark that leads me from within feels natural and familiar. It perhaps comes from an experience of many lifetimes being emerged in the arts and my ancestral lineage that includes many artists, musicians and teachers.  I have been a professional harpist, musician, artist, teacher and mentor since the early 1980’s.  I have a passion for creating and contributing more love, beauty and peace in the world through music, arts and compassionate teaching. I have a BFA in Studio Arts/ Ceramics with a background in Creative Arts Therapies and also Certifications in Sound, Voice and Music Healing, and Yoga of the Voice and Transformational Life Mastery Coaching. Although I have played and performed a variety of genres and styles mostly rooted in world and ethnic traditions, I am currently focused on my own creative compositions and contemplative improvisations on Harp, my primary instrument, as well as exploring and creating new music, instruments and sounds for healing.  I am a holistic and compassionate teacher and creative mentor. Primarily being a self taught musician, I love to empower my students and assist them in discovery of their inner guide and teacher.  Music is natural to everything, it is what connect us and  has powerful transforming and healing benefits. I currently perform ambient background for special events, receptions, featured performances, Sacred occasions and meditations, healing and magical SoundScapes. I also perform music as accompaniment for yoga, dance, chi gong and tai chi classes, poetry readings and other various events and collaborations. As a multi instrumentalist I play a variety of instruments, especially in my Sound Healing work, including Crystal and Tibetan singing bowls, Native American flutes, and zithers. I am now combining my experience and artistry, and working on designing instruments that anyone can enjoy playing and experience the powerful and therapeuticbenefits of making music.

Eki Shola Composition, Holidays Shop Local, Instrumental, Music

Born in London and given a Nigerian name by Jamaican parents, we later emigrated to New York in the late 1980s.

I feel that Jamaica is my cultural roots; London the place where I remember my childhood memories; and New York City the place that offered amazing gritty life adventures. For now, California is my current abode – a beautiful place with an abundance of glorious weather.

My main love is music and as a keyboardist and singer, I enjoy sharing my music with others. As a solo artist, I composed, produced and released my debut album, Final Beginning, on August 20, 2016. The album is a musical journey that fuses electronica, jazzsoul and classical.  I lost most of my new and unreleased music in the October 2017 wildfires however, I am happy to be currently completing three new albums that fuses chillhop, jazzfunk, and lush vocals. 

My other passion is writing. Unforeseen circumstances in 2011 triggered me to start writing again and I began working on a memoir. From the sorrowful depths and joyous occasions of grief, I drew from personal reflection and humor to help relay the importance of self healing through the most challenging of times. Unfortunately I lost the entire manuscript in the  wildfires but have started to rewrite it!   

Kenny Simeone Audio, Composition, Instrumental, Media, Music, Other KENNY SIMEONE from San Rafael, California, Now in Windsor, CA. I offer Songwriting, Recording, music production, Mixing and mastering and can create a song for anything.

Mitchel Slade Composition, Music, Vocal

Take a moment, and show the world what you got....

Music offers us a form of expression to help explore and give meaning to the otherwise predictable world.  

Born in 1973, Mitchel's musical training began with his first classical piano teacher in sixth grade. Her inspiration continued to push him forward into using music to express his experiences and journey.  His musical influences range from the 80's punk scene to bluegrass, and include the great song writers: Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Beck, Cohen and an endless list of poets, mentors, family, friends, and a constant supply of interesting people from around the world.

SonoMusette Music, Vocal SonoMusette recaptures the moody, melancholic sound and spirit of mid twentieth-century Paris. Featuring French singer Mimi Pirard, this classic Parisian ensemble of accordion, piano, guitar, upright bass, and drums combine to revive the enchanting and evocative music from this "golden era" of French chanson. This music has retained its power to charm and transport listeners, and SonoMusette taps that nostalgia with artistry in both vocals and instrumentation. Inspired by the great performers of that era, such as Edith Piaf, Jacques Brel, and Django Reinhardt, along with contemporary artists such as Zaz, SonoMusette brings bal-musette to the “moderne” era.

Paul Steward Audio, Composition, Instrumental, Media, Music, Other, Performance Art, Vocal Vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, award-winning performer and recording artist, Paul has resided in Sonoma County since 1997 and has been entertaining audiences all over the world with his own style of R&B/Rock/Pop. Winning the 2010 Nammy for Blues Album of the Year, the 2016 NorBay Award for R&B band of the year from the North Bay Bohemian weekly, among other awards, he has performed all over the USA and internationally with 8 album releases and recorded live footage. Learning the guitar when he was a teenager from his father and sharing the stage with him, Paul found a passion for music and excelled at it. Notably as the frontman of Twice As Good, also on record with artists Jacques Wilkens, Ras K'dee and Audiopharmacy. Paul's guitar style is a sweet and screaming melody reminiscent of B.B. King and a vocal style that is soulful like Bruno Mars, Jonny Lang, and Al Green.

Linda Stonestreet Composition, Improvisation, Music, Performance Art, Teacher/Instructor, Theatre, Vocal Linda Stonestreet is the founder of The Sing Project which seeks to seed circle singing groups in the north bay for the purpose of re-building and strengthening community. Born in California, she is mentored by Rhiannon in the vocal river traditions and conducts improvisational circle singing. She is a Singer-Songwriter with 40+ songs published. A former long time civil-servant in the State’s Natural Resources Division (Conservation Corps, State Parks and CalFire) she utilizes her expertise in State government and water issues to grow capacity in rural communities throughout California by her work with Rural Community Assistance Corp.

Eric Strand Music, Recovery Fund Grantee Eric Strand is one of the most passionate and dedicated drummers The Frequency has ever known. He is a dear and close friend. Eric and Ian Franklin first started making music together in various projects back in 2002. More recently Eric began playing with The Frequency in August of 2012. Their chemistry has ripened playing all these years together. Since age 15, drumming has been Eric’s core focus and passion. His thoughts become transformed into cohesive rhythmic energy, always pushing limits. He thrives on experimentation and new sounds. Born with a gift for timing and amazing dexterity, Eric brings inspiration to his audience, who are captivated by the depth and quality in all he plays. Delving into new technologies in sound creation, attempting to satisfy a never-ending thirst for perfection and diligently chasing the unique buzz of being able to create something new…. Eric Strand drums with experience, insight, inquisitiveness and dedication.   (Drums/Sounds/Backing Vocals)

The Tahoes Composition, Instrumental, Music, Vocal For almost 5 years The Tahoes have traversed Northern California, from San Jose to Mendocino, bringing their unique brand of reggae-rock to hella stoked audiences everywhere.  Comprised of former members of The Conspiracy, Biting The Dog, Tin Circus and Fallout, The Tahoes’ fun-filled sets of skanktastic grooves are roughly 70/40 originals/covers.  (That’s 110% percent!) They’ve  played for huge crowds at the Sonoma County Fair, the Booneville Beer Festival, The Sonoma County Harvest fair and recently opened for national touring artists The Mad Caddies, Fishbone and The Aggrolites.   The Tahoes bring the energy with original hits like I Need You, Acorn, Break Out,  Sparkle On, 4:20 and the crowd’s favorite anthem, Hella NorCal. The Tahoes are Glenn Sauber [Lead Vocals], Joshua Bluegreen-Cripps [Trumpet], Darren Thompson [Vocals, Guitar], Joel Gieseker [Bass], & Micah Stoufer [Drums] It all started back in 1988, when Micah moved from Colorado to NorCal.  The son of an accomplished music educator/director/composer, Micah had music in his blood at the very beginning.  After logging valuable experience with children’s & church choirs in Colorado, he immersed himself in the music programs of whatever schools he attended here in his new home of Forestville in Sonoma County.  It was at this time he met and befriended Joel, his future Tahoe bassist!   Who knew 30 years later they’d still be doing this!? Joel played almost everything he could get his hands on growing up: tuba, trombone, bagpipe, recorder, pennywhistle and more.  That talent paid off when Joel was awarded a scholarship to UNLV to play tuba.  He later returned to NorCal and joined the ska band The Conspiracy, and toured with them for several years. Joel and Micah performed, competed and practiced their way through high school and some college years in Santa Rosa.  As for Micah, all of that experience came to a head with the dedication to his band in the late 90s - Fallout.  The entire band would ultimately uproot and head south to “make it big” in 1997 in L.A., only to come home a year later, with a failed attempt at rock stardom.  He would join the navy a year after that, and embark upon a whole new chapter in his life, teaching fellow sailors how to play electric bass and drums along the way. Little did Micah and Joel know back then, but they had already met and played with another future Tahoe:  Josh!  The skinny kid playing first trumpet in Prep Orchestra and Santa Rosa Junior Symphony was none other than the future Tahoe trumpeter.  Josh's legacy on the trumpet includes being a founding member of Tin Circus, the Producer of the Wednesday Night Big Band (one of the largest in NorCal) in addition to being a youth tutor and one badass DJ & KJ!  He also Produces and Promotes large scale and club events in Norcal (since 1999) with his Company, Bluegreen Productions.   Darren grew up in  Santa Cruz, CA and taught himself to play guitar by picking out the notes from his favorite albums. He began playing in bands at 19 culminating in his first gig at the legendary Stone on Broadway in San Francisco and was soon playing clubs all over the Bay Area  opening for legends in the making such as Nofx, Primus, The Melvins and Skankin Pickle.  After several years of playing in metal and punk bands, Darren moved to Tahoe to continue playing  music and chase a snowboarding dream. 8 years in Tahoe splitting time between an acoustic duo playing all of the ski resorts, a punk band playing all the parties and a metal tribute band playing the bars was good for rounding out his chops in various styles.  After meeting his wife and having their first daughter, he moved with his new family to Sonoma County to be closer to family.  After a short stint with the north bay punk outfits All For Nothing and The Stairwell Effect, Darren met drummer Micah through an ad on Craigslist placed for the “best 80s hair metal tribute band that never was:  Metalsnayke.”  The chemistry was instantaneous the moment they wordlessly played Ozzy's “Crazy Train” front to back. This partnership which would last 9 years (and is still going strong) and would eventually form the straight ahead hard rock band, Biting the Dog. Biting the dog toured all over California performing notably at Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, both the Phoenix and Mystic theaters in Petaluma and the Whisky A Go Go in LA.  The band eventually changed sounds and shuffled personnel, including Micah moving from drums to bass. They wanted to incorporate a horn section, so Micah called up some old high school buddies - including Joel - who would contribute wonderfully on trombone.  This configuration of players would eventually morph into The Tahoes. Glenn started out as a fan of Biting The Dog. He went to his first BTD show because his cousin, Beth, was dating Micah.  Out of family obligation and a desire to get out of house Glenn agreed to go out to a stinky bar in Sebastopol. He was blown away by Micah & Darren's talent.  As the years progressed, Glenn went to many BTD shows as a fan AND as a videographer. After the band broke up, Micah asked Glenn if he wanted to come mess around with him (now back on drums), Darren on guitar, and Joel now on 6 string bass. Glenn had never been in a band before. He had done many choirs throughout his life and had done theatre, singing, sketch comedy, stand up comedy, and acted in small roles on TV and movies, but never actually been in a band. They gelled instantly. After months of writing and exploring they finally settled on a sound, a mix of sublime, 311, Primus, Fishbone, Van Halen and a dash of Frank Zappa.  The only thing left was a band name. When the time came for Micah's bachelor party, South Lake Tahoe was the designated spot.  Soon “TAHOE” was the battle cry that was yelled when anyone was having a good time.  The name, and more importantly, the feeling stuck.  The Tahoes was born. Since then, they have been inseparable on every #TahoeTuesday and they text each other like 13 year old girls. They wrote many originals and learned covers that they all liked and started to play all around Northern California. They did shows in Sebastopol, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Novato, San Jose, The Sonoma county Fair and the world-famous Boonville Beer Festival. in 2016 they satiated their desire to expand their sound by bringing Josh into the fold. His unique style of playing added to what the group already built and really enhanced their sound. What makes the Tahoes so unique is that despite such a broad and eclectic variety of influences (hard rock,punk, fusion jazz, celtic music, prog rock, eighties light rock, r&b, reggae, etc. etc.) there is a cohesiveness to their set that is making new fans at every show.

George Thompson Audio, Instrumental, Media, Music, Performance Art, Vocal I live in sonoma.   I have a folk/americana/native american music show called coyote road for 15 years called Coyote Road on KSVY.   I play guitar, banjo and dulcimer and drums.  and really whatever anyone might hand me to play. play mostly in the living room or with friends but i have played gigs at times in my life. I'm currently on Sonoma City Commission for Culture and Fine Arts and run my own gardening business,  Shambhala Gardening Company ,  for 35 years.

Trebuchet Music, Vocal Petaluma, CA’s Trebuchet all met while attending music school at Sonoma State University, although it wasn’t until four years later in 2010 that its four members decided to form as an indie group. Now a veteran mainstay of California’s Northern Bay Area music scene, Trebuchet has evolved from a pop folk outfit, to Indie Rock darling. This shift in style has taken them from playing Napa’s Bottle Rock Festival and opening for country slugger Dwight Yoakam, to releasing one of KQED’s (San Francisco NPR affiliate) top 10 local albums of 2017, Volte-Face, and playing Noise Pop Festival 2019, San Francisco’s favorite indie music, arts, and film festival.   With reliance on an expansive dynamic range, Trebuchet employs lush 3 and 4 part harmonies as the connective tissue in the many musical genres that they traverse through the course of any single piece of work. 2018 saw the release of two passion projects in the form of That’s What Friends Are For and Spend Your Christmas With Us. The former being a collection of covers and remixes of Trebuchet songs by local and national artists (Judah Nagler of The Velvet Teen, Emily Whitehurst of Tsunami Bomb, Survival Guide) and the latter being a collection of original and classic Christmas songs performed by Trebuchet. Not showing any signs of slowing down, Trebuchet is currently working on their third full length album, titled It’s Fine, I’m Fine, to be released Q2 of 2020.

David Ward Music Orange County transplant to Sonoma County in 2012, studying Geography / Art History with a Museum Management minor at Sonoma State University. Primarily an after-hours musician and home recorder, I identify as a songwriter and love to play live. Now that I've played guitar for over ten years, my music has become more guitar-drive than anything else but keeping up with bass guitar, viola, piano, and trying my luck with live drums and drum production. For visual arts, I only dabble in my limited creations: I love to shoot amateur 35mm film but when it comes to painting and drawing I mostly do charcoal and conte work or just graphite drawings. Only in the past year have I begun to work a few times with acrylic paints, india ink, and paper collage as well as paper sculpture. Always looking for the next adventure!

Becky White Audio, Composition, Film, Instrumental, Media, Music, Photography, Video, Visual Arts, Vocal Becky White  (she/her) is a musician (vocalist, guitar & synth), music producer and videographer/photographer artist based in Petaluma, CA.  She has been a lifelong activist for social and environmental justice, and runs her production company MakeARTNow.org which is focused on creating media for a changing world.   Becky White has published four original CDs and has been performing her whole life. A dedicated student of music from diverse locations such as Berklee College Of Music, The Ali Akbar Khan College, and gamelan masters in the jungles of Bali Indonesia.  She also studied conservation biology and wildlife ecology, which has been a major influence In her music and support of social and environmental justice. Becky continues to learn and experiment with singing, field recordings, found and created instruments, vintage guitars, pianos & synths, computers, MIDI, and the study of indian classical music.  Along with various client projects, Becky records and produces music and videos for her band FIREKEEPER,  for her label and production company MakeARTNow.org. 

Cynthia Whitman Acting, Audio, Film, Film Office, Folk Art, Improvisation, Literature, Media, Music, Other, Puppetry, Talent, Theatre, Video, Vocal I’m a professional, union voice actor based in Sonoma, with 14 years of professional stage & screen experience. I am available for voiceover work in: - Commercials - Videos - Audio Books - Animation - Podcasts - Corporate Narration - E-learning - Apps - Video Games - Audio tours - Singing - Etc. I have a professional home recording studio with… - Microphone - Røde NT1 - Interface - Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 - DAW - TwistedWave - Computer - MacBook Pro - Headphones - Sony MDR-7506 Or, I am happy to record at any Bay Area recording studio of your choice. I am also a professional high soprano singer, vocal range G3-F6, with experience in musical theatre, light opera, & choral singing. And I am available to work as an on-camera actor for commercials, lifestyle-modeling, or scripted narrative films. I am a member of both acting unions, SAG-AFTRA and AEA.

Elizabeth Wolfe Music, Vocal Velvet Chamber is a rock n roll group, with shades of our various individual influences. Members have been in projects ranging from punk  rock to reggae, classical to barbershop, funk to prog rock, power metal to pop! Velvet Chamber's sound is provocative & hard driving in nature. This current rock project is laced with a blues touch, a little punk & maybe some old school metal too. There is a saucy, sexy, hard driving approach to the song writing. It's "music that bleeds as it heals" because of it's lyrical content. Darker subject matter is often brushed aside or glorified, but there’s a need to have light shed on it, let’s talk about it so that a healing can occur or an acceptance of our differences can happen.

Yuka Yu Audio, Design, Film, Film Office, Graphic Design, Media, Multi-Media, Multimedia, Music, Other, Production, Teacher/Instructor, Teaching Artist for Adults, Teaching Artist for Youth, Theatre, Video Hailing from Taipei, Taiwan, a city with a thriving nightlife that goes until the wee hours of the morning, Yuka grew up with the birth of the electronic music scene in Asia in the late 90s. Taiwan is a renegade democratic island that become independent from China. With a mix of Taiwanese, Dutch and Japanese, Yuka began DJ’ing while living in London in Camden Town, training under the London Sound Academy. “We need music so we don’t forget that there are places in this world that aren’t made out of stone. Like the Taiwan Strait between Taiwan and China, like the Berlin Wall between West Berlin and East Berlin, music has the ability to transcend any borders.” Yuka said. Her musical style is influenced by acid, psychedelic tunes and oriental rhythms. Immersed in a multi-cultural and conflicted atmosphere, her experience in Eastern and Western culture inspires her creation of music. Her first vinyl she bought in Berlin feature the 'jahyu', a tribel flute, where the string melodies slide effortlessly amongst a powerful roots-based dubstep beat, creating a unique sound full of flavour. While living in London, her musical career has brought her many gigs in London and Berlin, such as DJ’ing at Ministry of sound, The Cause, RoadTrip and The Workshop, Number 90, Factory 45, White Post, Vortex, Cafe 1001, Troubadour, Humboldthain Club, and Kaffee Burger. She has also performed at the One Love Heart Festival in Santa Rosa, Reeferpalooza in Sacramento, Thumpty in New York, and in New Orleans with the Dohm Collective. Yuka currently resides in Sonoma County and performs regularly in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Sacramento, Santa Rosa, and Sebastopol. She aims to build a global community, a Yutopia, welcoming people of all background, nationality, color, gender, sharing music and inspiration.