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
I purchased a Zaphir chime a few years ago and it pairs perfectly with my Zenko. I saw the Koshis on sale and decided to take a leap a buy several. Huge disappointment for me when I compare them to the Zahpir. The Koshi feels hollow and lifeless to me compared to the Zaphir. Because it's lightweight, it can be easier to travel with, but that's also its downside for me. The cord, outer shell all feel more like a 'toy' than a durable, lasting, resonance holder. I may try to add some type of weight to help ground these chimes, not sure, but if I'd know how different this feels compared to a Zaphir I wouldn't have made this purchase. I don't think it's a 'bad' product, I think it's just not aligning with what I've experienced in another brand.
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!
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.
This is my favorite chime that I play before bed for a more restful sleep. I have noticed a little hum with beautiful overtones & undertones when moved around in a circular motion that I particularly enjoy. I can play this with my beloved Terra Tinka Tong or my beautiful Hokema B5 Terra Kalimba.
This is a lovely chime that I play with either my Hokema Terra B5 Kalimba or my Ignis Tinka Tong. The great thing about these chimes is that they sound great mixing & matching them with other instruments from WPWT.
I play these chimes for self care before bed for a more restful sleep.
This Kalimba is pleasing to the eye because of the cut & quality of the cherry wood. The size is perfect for small hands such as mine. I particularly love the Terra Tuning & fell instantly in love with this Kalimba that reminds me of a music box when played.
I also received the Aqua B5 Hokema Kalimba which is equally as beautiful as the Terra.
The Aqua Kalimba completes my Aqua Elemental Soundscape bundle. I cannot say how much I have loved jamming with my set.
This B5 Kalimba may be small, but its sound output is excellent & the tone is perfect. The B5 Kalimba can also be paired with the matching Koshi Chime & easily played. I think that I prefer the size of the B5 Kalimba & would highly recommend it for sound & ease of play.
Thanks & best wishes to the WPWT team.
All that I can say is that I love my Koshi Chimes. Each Elemental Chime is unique & complete in its own light tinkling playful sound & becomes even more beautiful in the complexity of two chimes paired together. I particularly enjoy the calming quality of Aqua & Aria. I also like the joyfulness & energy of Ignis & Terra as they are played together. I bought the Koshi Chimes because they were highly recommended for their durability & because they never go out of tune. I also like the earthiness of the color of bamboo. One day I might like to pair Koshi Chimes with a pop of color from matching Zaphir Chimes.
Now let me throw in the beauty of the B5 Hokema Kalimbas - Terra & Aqua as they are paired with their companion Koshi Chimes. I have small hands & can easily hold & play the B5 Kalimba as I am holding the chime of the same tone in the other hand. This is indeed as lovely as the Elemental Soundscape video.
I like to play the Koshi Chimes before I go to bed as it helps to empty my mind, offer relaxation & sounder sleep.
My thanks again to the WPWT team for providing yet another pleasant experience as I keep adding to my ever growing collection of musical instruments.
The packages arrived in a timely manner and packaged with care. The instrument had the richest tone and a divine frequency, I look forward to using this for sound journeys.
I was pleased with customer service & by the work ethic that this company has. This is my first kalimba that I have ever owned. It is easy to make pretty little melodies & pairs well with the chime of the same key, but admittedly the kalimba sounds louder & sweeter when held & played so it works better when these instruments are played by 2 people. Overall I was pleased with my purchase.
Customer service was yet again excellent. My question was answered promptly by email. Items were mailed promptly & in excellent condition upon arrival. I purchased my Aria Chime & was thrilled by its beauty & by how easy it was to learn to play. All I need to do is slightly move my arm to emit the best sound. Please do not sling your chimes from side to side as it will sound chaotic. There are instructional videos on Youtube that will teach you how to play your chimes correctly. I did purchase a companion Hokema Kalimba in the same key to play with the Koshi chime. The chimes & kalimba do sound beautiful when played together by 2 people. I personally feel that it would be better for me to play 2 Koshi chimes together as it is easier as my coordination is just so so so. I will be adding more Koshi chimes to my growing collection of musical instruments from WPWT. As always I am pleased with my purchase.
This case makes carrying my monalina so easy and I feel confident that she won’t get damaged.
Easy to set up and very sturdy