From the sand comes Tacatilee
Loosely translated Tacatilee is when it all comes together and creates something great.
Perhaps the very first known precursor word to the celebratory clinking of glasses.
Tacatilee!
Tacatilee is an upbeat, eclectic band from Southern California.
Songs range in style from singer/songwriter to rock to electric/dance with meaningful lyrics linking them together.
All songs are tuned to 432, believed to leave the listener in a more harmonic balance.
The Band is led by lyricist Sandy Toye on lead vocals, backup guitar and synth; Andrew James from the Linkin Park cover band In the End on bass; on drums; and Chris Vazquez co-founder of SoundLife on lead guitar.
Legend tells us a story of an ancient people who believed that when certain elements come together the seemingly impossible can be achieved.
On the sand and under the stars they sat around flames and revealed stories through songs. Whatever had happened, whatever was to come, this moment was grounded in the Earth, the Moon and the Sun.
Varied melodies would take them on adventures of both the past and yet to come. And while they were all so different, they felt suddenly as one.
Every being, by the end, amidst uncertainty and unknowns, felt a certain comfort in the harmony and the immense knowledge they were not alone. Though they differ on opinions, they could all agree that when things come together to create something great you can thank Tacatilee.
Tacatilee & 432
Energy is what makes up all life. Everything has a vibration. Sound waves can be tuned to synchronize with natural constants. Tuning A4 to 432 (also known as Verdi’s A), opposed to the current Western Tuning of 440, is in closer alignment to the mathematical principals of the universe. Since we are vibratory energy, this tuning provides a harmonic balance to our internal system, connecting us with the vibrations that surround us. While there is little difference in how the music sounds to the average listener, there has been studies (most recently in Italy, Jan 2019) that reveal a decreased heart rate among other health benefits on the listener of music tuned to 432.
California native, Sandy Toye is chasing an improbable dream once more in an effort to connect, to pay forward some good advice and in the hopes of making the world a little bit better place.
There is a part of me that wants to return to a time where family bonds were what made us happy. When the gatherings with our elders to hear them tell stories filled our hearts and souls as much as the screens and bling do now.
I have had some experiences in my life. Although not nearly as many as others. But I found peace in my anxiety and have successfully maintained meaningful relationships with truly great people. I spent the first part of my life turning an improbable dream of changing the way animals were treated under the law into a reality. I changed my focus when I was blessed with children. For me, raising my children was the most important job I would ever have. That has proven to be true. As such, I wanted to pass along to my children stories and wisdom the way it was done for me. I wrote to them, letters at first, even before they were born but that proved to make little difference. Then a friend of mine gave me a microphone for my birthday one year. I had been playing music on the piano and guitar for some time before but never thought about singing until then.
Music has always played a huge part in my life, in it’s unassuming break from reality. A type of mid moment mediation, that has the properties to restore and redirect. I hope my songs can help others in the way they help me.
It was a whole new world for me. In my head, I saw my songs telling stories, the concise and catchy way that my kids would want to hear, but all the while passing along the gist of what I was taught in those family gatherings all those years ago.
So here I am once again chasing an improbable dream of being a rock star so as to use this modern medium that will enable me to connect to the next generation in a way they can digest, allowing me to pay forward the blessings I was bestowed.
What I quickly learned was how much I loved to create music, to turn my stories into melodies and give them a heartbeat. I also learned that the songs I created were necessary reminders to myself about tactics and tools that I often forget to use. While my children still do not pay much attention to my creations, my friends have encouraged me beyond expectation, dubbing what I was calling my mid-life crisis, a mid-life calling.
I am forever grateful for this opportunity and hope my music will help others the way it has helped me.
Playing professional bass for some of the top artists in the world, Andrew is not shy to the stage. He rocks hard in the Linkin Park tribute band In The End and has performed on nationwide television countless times.As the musical director of the group, Andrew keeps it all together, between the various backing tracks, to making sure every last synth part is copacetic. AJ’s got our back.
For more info: andrewjamesmusic.com
An accomplished guitarist, Chris plays with the best of the best, touring all around the world and passing along his vast knowledge from both his formalized education at Berklee School of Music in Boston and his practical experience on the road to the next generation of musicians through his West Coast educational institution SoundLife. For Tacatilee, Chris creates the riffs that turn into parts that become songs. Using his vast knowledge and experience, he pushes musical boundaries riding off Blake’s beats, Andrew’s soulful bass and Sandy’s words.
Learn more at soundlifelessons.com
The rest of the tacatilee team
Drew Lawrence is a multi-platinum songwriter and producer. His song “Jar of Hearts,” co-written and performed by Christina Perri, was an international smash. Drew’s songs have been recorded by worldwide major label artists including Leona Lewis, The Backstreet Boys, Lea Michele, Shane Filan (Westlife), Stinaj, Jaira Burns and many more.
He has contributed songs to albums for Lindsey Stirling, Madilyn Bailey, Chris Jamison (The Voice) and Fedde Le Grand, which all charted on the Billboard Hot 200.
Drew is also a recording artist and tours the country with his group “The Dales.” The band is due to release its debut album this fall recorded by Grammy-nominated producer Jerry Streeter (The Lumineers, Brandi Carlile).
Drew began his career as a classical pianist and singer-songwriter, honing his skills at Berklee College of Music. He currently resides in Los Angeles.
Volleyball once consumed him, which is why training athletes became his passion but not nearly as much so as music. Craig Donen has been playing an instrument since before he can remember. Growing up with a grand piano, Craig started creating songs. With what could only be described as super-human hearing and natural knack for math, Craig creates music that rocks the soul while keeping the active mind engaged. Although his background consists more of guitar and piano, he creates and performs mainly on synths taking the electric genre to a whole new level.
Grammy award winning producer, engineer and mixer, Josh “Igloo” Monroy brings Sandy’s love for retro 80s to the table with an organic twist bringing the beats right into the millennium.
With a track record of 35+ Million Spotify streams for Indie Artists Igloo knows what he is doing.