Biographical Information

Journeys With Sound has presented its programs and workshops to tens of thousands of children and adults of all ages and backgrounds in schools, libraries, museums, hospitals, parks and venues throughout the Northeast.  They have performed at the Caramoor Center for the Performing Arts and the Forest Park Bandshell in NY,  and have appeared at over 40 libraries on Long Island.  Museum appearances include the Long Island Children’s Museum, the Staten Island Children’s Museum, the Bruce Museum (CT), and the NY Hall of Science.

Schools they have appeared at include George Washington School (White Plains, NY), Greenwich Country Day School (CT), Lincoln School (Wyckoff, NJ), Garden City M.S. (Garden City, NY), Holy Cross H.S. (Flushing, NY), John J. Daly School (Port Washington, NY), P.S. 9 (Brooklyn, NY), I.S. 5 and I.S. 61 (Queens, NY), Brooklyn Friends School, The Dalton School (NY), and Shady Hill School (MA).  

Darius Kaufmann performs on a wide range of world wind and percussion instruments.  Trained as a classical musician, he found himself drawn to the magical sounds of bagpipes, didjeridoo and eventually flutes and drums from around the world.  As an educator, he has taught for the N.Y. City Board of Education and the Bank Street School for Children, and has been a visiting artist at The Dalton School in N.Y.  He recorded with Tom Chapin on the Grammy-nominated children’s CD “Around the World and Back Again” and has appeared on numerous T.V. shows, including the Tonight Show and NBC Today.  His music has been aired on National Public Radio and on WBAI’s  “Healthstyles”, and the sounds of his glass harmonica were heard in the Academy Award-winning film “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”.  “I am delighted by the opportunity to share these magical sounds with children and adults, and to watch them open to new worlds within their own minds and hearts.”

Ron Pizzi studied shamanic journeying with Lynn Andrews and with the Foundation for Shamanic Studies, under the tutelage of Michael Harner and Sandra Ingerman.  He has taught classes in Core Shamanism at The Golden Seed in Brookly, NY, and for 10 years led shamanic drumming circles in NY.  In 2001 he began sharing his extensive world instrument collection with the general public.  Ron currently performs on percussion, didjeridoo and singing bowls, bringing the powerful sounds of his instruments to audiences throughout the Northeast in his programs with Darius Kaufmann and “Journeys With Sound”.  His continuing passion is to share sacred sounds with others to enable them to have their own wondrous experiences.

Tony Mercurio performs on singing bowls, didjeridoo and percussion, as well as being a guitarist, singer and song-writer.  “Honoring Music and Spirit…I have been doing this all of my life.  I wish nothing more than to see great peace and joy for myself and for those in and around my life.  Namaste.”