BIO: ETHAN WALKER
Ethan Walker began his musical career in 1966 as a drummer in local rock and roll bands. At the same time he was developing his skills as a guitar player. During this period he performed with the Fat Sow band in Oklahoma and Colorado. In 1970 Ethan joined the Fire Wind band as lead guitarist and flautist. With this band he had the distinction of performing at the Celebration of Life 3-day outdoor rock concert in Louisiana. This was very similar to Woodstock and other large outdoor mega-concerts that were popular at the time. Fire Wind then signed a recording contract with Gabriel Meckler who was operating Lizard Records in Hollywood, California. The band moved to Ojai, California to record an album and also play live gigs in the Los Angeles area. Gabriel Meckler had previously produced Janis Joplin, Three Dog Night and Steppenwolf with ABC Dunhill.
Walker then spent many years playing in local bands. With these he provided vocals, lead guitar, flute and pedal steel guitar. Having been interested in meditation and mystical reality from the age of 18, Walker eventually consigned himself to the musical expression of this path and began to write and record spiritual and devotional music. However his music is not new age. It is traditional folk-rock.
Walker performs most all instruments on his CD including keyboards. A master composer, arranger and performer, Walker’s material has most often been compared to Crosby Stills & Nash, The Beatles and The Moody Blues. He has also written three books available at www.devipress.com. The Mystic Christ relates the teachings of Jesus to Buddha, Krishna and other mystical spiritual traditions. Finding God’s Love explores the theory and practice of love and devotion as a spiritual path. Soft Moon Shining is a book of devotional poetry devoted to the Divine Mother.
As a practicing counter-culture hippie, Walker’s spiritual interests began in 1967. This was the result of several deep spiritual experiences that occurred at that time. This led to a study of eastern philosophy and religion and primarily Hinduism and Buddhism. From about 1978 until 1988 he was focused primarily on the practice of the Hindu Vedantic advaita path or the practice of non-duality and certain meditation and contemplation practices associated with that path. This was in accord with the teachings of Ramana Maharshi. In 1988 he met his current teacher, Amma (www.amma.org) and she advised him that practicing non-duality without devotion is like eating stones. He then began to do bhakti or devotional practices meditating on God in the form of the Divine Mother which he as continued to this day.
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