He is a drummer, percussionist, producer, shamanic practitioner and transpersonal guide raised in Phoenix, Arizona, who became a professional drummer when he was 15 years old.
He worked in clubs in Los Angeles and Las Vegas as well as performing as a session musician. After doing a stint in Vietnam, where he also led a band, he returned to the US but began working in Nashville
His career as a musician since about the 1960s has seen him performing at many top venues in the US and UK and events such as The Grammy Awards and the CMS Awards. He has also played at The Grand Ole Opry and on programs such as Hee Haw and The Tonight Show.
He has a Ph.D. in transpersonal psychology and in 1988 he started using his music ability to enable him to create music for shamanic drumming circles, healing arts and Holotropic Breathwork workshops along with other workshops. He is also the creator of The Shamen’s Heart Program.
As a producer he has work on several CDs of solo material as well as in collaboration with other artists. In 1998 he released Helpers, Guides and Allies and he worked with Steve Roach on 2000’s The Serpent’s Lair. 2003 saw the release of Wachuma’s Wave which he collaborated on with Mark Seelig. In 2005 he collaborated with The Monroe Institute for the production of The Shaman’s Heart which included tracks using the insitute’s Hemi-Sync technology. The recording won the COVR 2006 Visionary Award for Best Inner Space/Mediation/Healing CD. The following year he released the meta music version of his Not Without Risk. After working with Steve Roach again Tales of the Ultra Tribe/The Shaman’s Heart II was released and in 2010 he issued Medicine Work with the didgeridoo player Rob Thomas.
During his career some of the albums by other artists he has worked on include The Journey: Destiny’s Child by Waylon Jennings, Nata Raja by Shiva Rea, Fever Dreams by Steve Roach, The Gambler by Kenny Rogers, Badlands by Eric Tingstad and RCA Country Legends by Dottie West.
Kenny Rogers recordings
The Gambler (Don Schlitz)
United Artists UA-X1250-Y (UAST-20122)
Sources:
- http://www.byronmetcalf.com/bio/
- http://byronmetcalf.bandcamp.com/album/medicine-work
- http://www.realitysandwich.com/beat_shaman_interview_byron_metcalf
- http://www.shambhalamountain.org/teacher/byron-metcalf/
- http://www.discogs.com/artist/Byron+Metcalf
- http://www.allmusic.com/artist/byron-metcalf-mn0000632456/credits