A Music Therapist's Portrait: Christine Stevens, MSW, MA, MT-BC
A Portrait: Christine Stevens, Music Therapist, Author, Speaker
Interview by: Annalena Horl
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Christine, when did music interest you and when did you start drumming?
First of all, I thought I had no sense of rhythm at all. I almost failed the percussion class at college. But then a drum circle changed my life. I learned to play congas and improvise freely.
How would you describe your personal philosophy regarding drums and their magic?
For me, drums are a portal to musical expression. Their simple handling, their spiritual depth and historical significance, as well as scientifically proven evidence of their healing effects, make them an instrument of transformation, healing, prayer and fun.
When did you get to know the Kalimba Sansula?
That was during a national conference for music therapists. I tried them out and bought two of them.
How do you use the Sansula and what are the possibilities of using the instrument? What effect does the Sansula have on your students and listeners?
I use the Sansula in my healing drum groups, in which we practice the healing rhythm with every participant. These can be seniors, cancer patients or even companies. The sound of the Sansula is always calming and mystical.
Do you think the Sansula could be considered a “serious” instrument?
Of course!
About Christine Stevens, MSW, MA, MT-BC
It is said that Christine Stevens does not just teach drumming, but that her hours are a mixture of magic, fun and holistic healing processes. Christine Stevens holds master degrees in two areas: social work and music therapy. She works with people from all over the world in the form of drum and percussion circles and introduces the magical world of rhythm. She is the founder of UpBeat Drum Circles and has often been a guest on TV shows with renowned US channels such as NBC, PBS and KTLA. In addition, she worked as a speaker on the DVD project "Discover the Gift" and wrote "Music Medicine", "The Healing Drum Kit" and "The Art and Heart of Drum Circles". In her career, she taught and coached trainers from more than twenty-five countries in the HealthRythm program, in the evidence-based REMO group. Christine has worked with many Fortune 500 companies, but also with survivors of Hurricane Katrina, students at Ground Zero, and recently led her first percussion group in a war zone in northern Iraq.
Learn More about Christine at: UpBeat Drum Circles
Christine currently offers a course on the Shift Network: The Flute as Sound Medicine.
- Open your heart and expand your world through the transformative power of the flute
- Join us in a musical prayer and ceremony for peace, transformation & awakening
- Discover the flute as a tool for mindfulness, inner peace & heart-guided ways of being
- Discover how the flute can help you move through grief, fear, and pain
- Discover the flute as a gateway to healing, mindfulness & personal transformation
- Discover how the healing power of the flute can help you navigate difficult times
Blog posts
Explore our Earth (C-Major) Collection
Learn more about the Instruments of this collection and watch our bautiful videos
Explore our Air (A-minor) Collection
The products are already available and the videos going to be released Spring 2025
Explore our Water (d-minor) Collection
Learn more about the Instruments of this collection and watch our bautiful videos
Explore our Fire (G-Major) Collection
The products are already available and the videos going to be released Spring 2025
It is always a pleasure to speak to Gabriella and her customer service is top notch
this set is legit sounds like little angels 😇
I am new to the Monolina world but have been around stringed instruments all my life. I'm so excited about its possibilities as a solo instrument for use in Reiki, as well as in an ensemble setting. It helps me to meditate as well.
We have a full set of crystal bowls, and the low C monochord adds a wonderful depth to their sounding. I also find myself humming/singing over the low C drone in a quite natural way. Very happy with my new instrument.
I've wanted to purchase a Sansula ever since I first heard one, two years ago. I finally purchased one and upon receiving it was disappointed in it's sound. Customer service was extremely helpful and promptly replaced it. Couldn't have been a better experience. I highly recommend the instrument and the company is top notch.
Works well. Delighted to have the ability to tune my Sansula myself.
We Play well together has been a resource for instruments for, at least, 5 years. The quality of the instruments, customer service, kindness and expertise of the staff has been a huge bonus and blessing in our interactions. I am grateful for their service, friendliness and flexibility. thank you so very much VLamura
These mallets are super fun to use and I love the sounds they create. I purchased a pair of each set of mallets and I love them all so much, I'm planning on keeping the pair I thought I would send back originally.
I have a set and love these so much. They are well made, and the sound is solid and carries well in small and large spaces. Highly recommend!
Wonderful instrument. It’s easy to travel with and well crafted. Customer service is wonderful as well. Very responsive. I am always impressed with the attention to customer service and care of the instruments. This instruments complement my crystal singing bowls and monalina nicely.
My G Monolina is perfect! Beautiful to play in a group, as well as on the body.
Absolutely in love, but should have ordered the bag! Ordering it now as it is was too fragile to travel with without the bag.
The instrument brigs such an amazing quality and super easy to play
I recently purchased a D Monolina. Meditative and meditative; a full immersion sound experience that simply wraps you in a beautiful feeling and sound. What an incredible instrument this is! I highly recommend purchasing one, or more, for meditation, relaxation, or sound baths.
This set elevates one’s instruments to the next level. Having all these components really sets one up for success and allows room for growth to grow into your sound practice.
The versatility that comes with having the leg extensions allows the player to be comfortable in a variety of ways while playing. The mallets add additional ways to play.
Tuning is a breeze with the template. When not being played or on the go with this monolina, the mats keep everything safe and the backpack makes it so you can take it to the studio or out into nature to play.
I can’t say enough great things about it, it’s a must have in the sound tool kit for sure.
The floor model sale price feels too good to be true for such a fabulous instrument. So easy to create varied, beautiful sounds. This is the 3rd instrument I've purchased from WPWT and they're always efficient, friendly and helpful.
My first experience with a Hokema Kalimba was at the gift shop of the Music Instrument Museum in Phoenix, AZ. I was blown away by the big, beautiful sound of those instruments, but I wasn’t ready to plunk down $200 for it.
Fast forward, I read about the Twin Kalimba and was encouraged by a review that suggested it was great for events. This particular person, evidently a musician like me, gave out ten of these during his shows and was thrilled by how the audience members enjoyed the experience.
So, given these two experiences, I had high hopes for the twin.
It is a sweet sounding instrument, but the sound is very quiet. The wood is solid so it doesn’t resonate like its higher priced solo cousins (that feature a resonator) or traditional kalimbas that have found holes.
So, I’m a little underwhelmed by the sound, but it’s still a great concept. Perhaps it will be fine and dandy when I share it with audiences. Let’s see!
Joule is an excellent teacher! Her lessons flow from topic to exercises with so much ease and class time is so enjoyable. Joule makes sure everyone's questions are answered before going to the next lesson. Before this training, I had no idea of all the many different ways to play the monochord. After this course, I now have so much more knowledge and I'm able to tap into my creativity with a deeper love and appreciation with this beautiful instrument.
I love the "water" collection and this chime is one of my favourite instruments (so far!). The D minor tuning is said to be the "saddest" key, but I find it soothing, ethereal, and utterly charming. The gentle tones of this chime bring gentle, meditative tones. Do yourself a favour if you can and get the matching Koshi chime. They sound absolutely amazing together!
Thank you for sending me the Hokema Sansula Deluxe. I am enjoying the unique sound as I relate it to similarly designed instruments in parts of Africa. It creates a beautiful sound world with which you can improvise and expand infinitely. I will be using the small ones for my gatherings. It's a beautiful instrument and as I explore and improvise with it, I'm sure I will find something new that I will want to share with you. - Kevin Nathaniel
Wonderful, perfect to play on top and bring my sansula basic everywhere!
E
Hokema - B9 Kalimba It’s my first Kalimba and I absolutely love how it sounds, such a magical instrument
Never got the delivery
Hi Dimitri ,
It looks like the tracking information indicates your package was delivered to your mailbox. Could you check to see if perhaps a neighbor might have picked it up by mistake?
If you still can't locate it, no worries at all—just let us know, and please provide a secure shipping address where we can resend your item.
Looking forward to resolving this for you!
Warm regards,
Gabriele
This is a very beautiful chime that I can play with my Aqua Zenko Element (432Hz), Aqua Tinka Tong (432Hz), & my Aqua Hokema B5 Kalimba (432Hz) with a little help from my friends. Of course, I can mix & match the chimes with other elemental instruments & be amazed by the way that the sounds blend perfectly.