If you are still around, maybe you want to
know a little bit about me…

My name’s Toby and my primary
interests are music and finding a way to fix this damn
place that we share. There is an epidemic of hate, destruction, selfishness, and lack of tolerance on the spread and we need to find
the anti-venom.

If you haven’t guessed by peaking at my
email address, I’m currently going to the University
of California in Davis. Well, actually, I’m taking the year off
to see if Engineering is really where I want to be.

My girlfriend, Tami, and I have been together
for a little over 5 years now... of course,
that was following almost 4 years
of dealing with long-distance.
She just graduated from the University
of Oregon in Eugene in Social Work and
got to move down to Davis with
me this fall!
Here's our picture…

…On RastafarI…

I used to have a blurb on how RastafarI has
recently influenced my life. In the past 2-3 years RastafarI and various aspects of the African diaspora – my conclusion is that I believe quite strongly in it as a movement
but am unable to grasp it as a religion. It is unfortunate
that our fearful society relates RastafarI only to marijuana (a plant
that although over 2/3 of folks admit to smoking is condemned)
If you are interested in getting your entire world view tossed
around and enlightened about the tragedy of colonialism and
down-pressors in every community find some information
on RastafarI…
As of recently I have found great strength, happiness and
empowerment in the words of great Rasta leaders as well as in the
musical expression of Reggae, Roots music. I have also begun
to dread my hair, or rather let it dread itself, as an outward expression of my ties to the natural world and in objection
to the eurocentric values (although, I myself am of European descent) that plague most of this world.

…On Festivals and Alternative Education…

Two years ago I volunteered for a 3 day festival
here in Davis called the Whole Earth Festival… this year it is May 11^th, 12^th and 13^th. Also, this year I will be co-directing the festival. So, if you want to help out or just want more info… PLEASE email me… WEF has been around for over 30 years now and focuses on alternative education through music, speeches, workshops, hands-on activities, over 70 education booths, 150 hand made craft booths and much, much more. The point is
that WEF has greatly changed my life and opened my eyes
to our need to live in a sustainable manner. At the festival, we sort all of the waste and end up diverting over 80% or the waste from
the landfill. Things that I have learned from this Festival and others like it are what influenced me to do everything that I can do at my home to conserve energy and other resources as well as search for simplicity…

…On Music…

So, there’s not much to say about this category, except that

I could talk for weeks about music, so I will encourage music inquiries to be sent via email. I try to check out as much live music as possible. I’m a big advocate of small/public/local radio. And I wish that I could play every instrument. My real background is on trombone, but try to pretend on a array of percussion instruments. I can only play something like 10 chords on a guitar and can jam for a bit on a harmonica. But really, I just love music… it seems to be the one universal language that is going to create unity amongst the masses. The more spiritual or political (yes I know, the can be polar opposites) the better. I love reggae, underground hip hop, Indian Ragas and plain old jam/groove/funk/psychedelic/jazzy/bluegrass/rock…