At the age of twelve, Craig Chaquico’s young world came crashing down, literally, when he and his father were in a serious automobile accident involving a drunk driver. He suffered two broken arms and a broken leg. Through music, Craig found a way to cope,’ in fact thrive, through the ensuing wheelchairs, crutches, physical therapy and corrective shoes.
Four years later, Craig Chaquico embarked on a 20-year career as lead guitarist for one of the world’s best known rock bands of the 70s and 80s, the Jefferson Starship. He turned his talents to smooth jazz in the early 90s when his wife, Kimberly, became pregnant with their son. His latest recording, Panorama, is topping the smooth jazz charts, but he hasn’t let all of his success go to his head. His dedication to sick and injured children continues to this day, and he makes it a point to visit as many hospitals as possible while on tour (usually leaving one of his guitars as a gift!).
http://www.musictherapy.orgAs a decades-long Artist Advocate for the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA), Craig likes to bring the healing powers of music to wherever it may most resonate when he is on the road playing concerts. In this case, it was Reno, Nevada, while in town performing at the Nugget Casino Resort in June 2016. He met, and jammed with, the Note-Ables — a group of professional musicians who shatter the stereotype that people with disabilities have limited talents and abilities. In addition to being professional and crowd pleasing, the group’s activities have also increased the visibility of people with disabilities and added to the dynamic arts community in the Truckee Meadows.
Craig also had the opportunity to visit the Renown Children’s Hospital and brought the Beamz and his guitar along to engage and delight patients, their families and the hospital staff in both a group and a private setting.
“Craig, along with Founder/Director Jessica Anne Baron (on his left), and other members of the GITC Team at the NAMM 2015 GITC Breakfast.”
Please enjoy this new GITC video from Craig Chaquico as he discusses parental involvement in music!
http://www.guitarsintheclassroom.org/2015/05/craig-chaquico-joins-gitc-artist-team/
Craig Chaquico Joins the GITC Team as their Newest Artist Advocate!
ry jazz/new age guitar great Craig Chaquico, formerly of Jefferson Starship and Starship will provide support and hands on musical assistance for the non-profit’s mission to bring musical learning into every classroom.”
– by Jessica Baron, Founder/Executive Director of Guitars in the Classroom, 06.01.2015
ALSO AT CRAIG’S NEWPORT BEACH SUMMER CONCERT SERIES SHOW:
“…GITC conducted a Live auction, including a Craig Chaquico signed guitar, that brought in $6000 to GITC programs!”
Artists Join GITC as Advocates and Supporters!
“The last few months have seen some magnificent artist advocacy happening through concerts, live events and social media from our superstars. Cody Lovaas finished up five school concerts just before school ended for the summer including one at our Title I for the Arts pilot school, Normal Heights Elementary and one at our Turnaround Arts school, Luther Burbank Elementary. And Brent Paschke, guitarist for Pharrell along with GRAMMY award
winning fingerstyle master Laurence Juber (formerly of Wings) helped GITC founder Jess Baron co-teach an all-day workshop for K-5 music educators in Los Angeles Unified School District. Then in July, original Jefferson Starship, Starship lead guitarist and acoustic jazz wizard Craig Chaquico got busy educating fans about GITC on radio, television and stage… and just did a great concert, during which GITC conducted a Live auction, including a Craig Chaquico signed guitar, that brought in $6000 to GITC programs!
We are excited to partner up with these passionate GITC artists to expand kids’ musical horizons. Thank you, Cody, Brent, Laurence and Craig and your managers for teaming up with us and our volunteers to make it all come together!
Laurie and Dan Decker (left: Lemon Grove Teacher of the Year and GITC faculty trainer) staffed our outreach booth at the Hyatt Newport Beach Concert Series with guitar hero Craig Chaquico headlining (who played an outrageously inspired show!) Craig holds the guitar with Carey and Luciano Cameron whose donations will help GITC start four new programs in California, Oregon and North Carolina this fall!” (GITC Summer 2015 newsletter)
Thank you for making the 2014 Craig Chaquico Hearts and Vines Benefit Concert such a huge success!
Besides all of the memories from that gorgeous sunset and starry night at Wells Ranch, including music, gourmet cuisine and the finest Oregon wines – you can take pleasure in knowing that every dollar raised offers life-changing services for families victimized by domestic violence.
Hearts & Vines, Community Works, and Dunn House Shelter provide a safe refuge and support services for women and children to help them escape from domestic or sexual abuse, stalking, trafficking, and date violence.
Strengthening lives to change community, changing community to strengthen lives.
The Gift of Music… Instruments Donated… Patient Steals Show!
Magical things just seem to happen. Most of the time they happen when you least expect them, almost never when you are looking for them. They just happen. If you were at either of the Craig Chaquico appearances in Sacramento on Saturday, June 3rd, you know exactly what I mean.
Craig’s first appearance that day was at the UC Davis Children’s Hospital, where the “Festival of Miracles” (a reunion of the hospital’s pediatric patients) was taking place. Craig was in town to perform at a benefit concert for Ronald McDonald House Charities that evening, and the chance to perform at the children’s hospital event was a welcome opportunity. Helping children’s causes is important to Craig Chaquico. He knows firsthand what it’s like for a kid to spend part of his or her childhood in the hospital.
At the age of twelve, Craig Chaquico’s young world came crashing down, literally, when he and his father were in a serious automobile accident involving a drunk driver. He suffered two broken arms and a broken leg. Through music, Craig found a way to cope,’ in fact thrive, through the ensuing wheelchairs, therapy and corrective shoes.
Four years later, Craig Chaquico embarked on a 20-year career as lead guitarist for one of the world’s best known rock bands of the 70s and 80s, the Jefferson Starship. He turned his talents to smooth jazz in the early 90s when his wife, Kimberly, became pregnant with their son. His latest recording, Panorama, is topping the smooth jazz charts, but he hasn’t let all of his success go to his head. His dedication to sick and injured children continues to this day, and he makes it a point to visit as many hospitals as possible while on tour (usually leaving one of his guitars as a gift!).
Craig took the main stage at the Festival of Miracles at 10:00 a.m. He entertained the families with several of his songs, and spoke of the role that music played in his life. The highlight of the morning came when he presented a beautifully sleek Carvin acoustic guitar (the same kind he plays) to the hospital’s music therapy program, and a set of Pacific Drums, donated by Drum Workshop, Inc., to a 10-year old Leukemia patient named Skyler Edwards. Skyler’s story, like Craig’s, is an inspiring one.
In early October of last year, Skyler and his family were making plans for the approaching holiday season. Skyler’s favorite holiday, Halloween, was just around the corner, and he was eagerly awaiting the chance to go trick-or-treating with his brothers, sisters and cousins. When the time came, however, Skyler opted to stay home. He had contracted an ear infection earlier in the week and explained to his mom & dad that he wasn’t feeling well. His parents, Ralph and Terri Colborn of Linden, California, took note. Skyler was prone to ear infections, but this one seemed to last a bit longer than usual.
In mid-November, he came down with another fever, and his mom took him back to the doctor. Strangely, by the time they arrived his fever had disappeared, and the doctor detected nothing unusual. Skyler was sent home to rest. The fever returned that night, however, prompting yet another visit to the doctor. It was the week of Thanksgiving, and the physician suggested that they wait until after the Holiday to see if Skyler’s fever would simply run its course. Though he was still sick, Skyler insisted that he felt well enough to make the trip to Lodi for Thanksgiving with his maternal grandparents, “Papa” and “Grammie.” His determination was fierce. His health, however, would continue to deteriorate.
On Thanksgiving Day, 1999, Skyler came down with a fever of 103.9°. By the time Terrie and Ralph arrived at Lodi’s emergency room, Skyler’s fever had spiked to an alarming 105°. Within hours, Skyler was on his way by ambulance to UC Davis Children’s Hospital in Sacramento.y 2:00 a.m. on the day after Thanksgiving, the Lodi ER doctor’s suspicions were confirmed: Skyler had Leukemia.
Ralph and Terri Colborn checked into Ronald McDonald House that day. During the next 37 days, they watched helplessly as Skyler fought for his life. The chemotherapy made him desperately ill and he battled recurrent fever, infection and weakness. He was unable to eat, and endured two bone marrow aspirations.
After several weeks, Skyler’s doctors believed that they were winning the war on his illness. Skyler’s family hoped he would be released before the New Year, but on Christmas Eve, Skyler was still weak from the treatments. Ralph Colborn promised Skyler “massive quantities of fireworks” on New Year’s Eve if Skyler would eat and get strong enough to go home. Ralph Colborn explains that on Christmas morning, Skyler awoke “bright eyed and bushy tailed,” and his recovery progressed rapidly from there. As his strength increased, so did his interest in music therapy.
Skyler, often joined by his siblings, spent hours playing the hospital’s musical instruments. According to Kathy Lorenzado, Music Therapist at UCD, Skyler was “a natural” on the drums. By New Year’s Day, Skyler was ready to go home.
Skyler’s road to recovery continued after his release from the hospital, but it was not easy. He had two more bone aspirations and suffered a setback after a cut on his finger became badly infected. He continued to fight on, however, and he wouldn’t give up his dreams of becoming a drummer. He was discharged from his last hospital stay on the morning of June 3rd, just in time for the Festival of Miracles. Just in time to claim his brand new set of star-quality drums.
The June 3rd concert was a huge success. Up-and-coming musician Steve Oliver opened the show. Emcees Lynda Clayton and Ken Jones (from Sacramento’s “Smooth Jazz” radio station 94.7 KSSJ) invited me to speak on behalf of RMHC, and it was the perfect opportunity to extend our gratitude to everyone who had made the day’s activities possible. I was describing for the crowd the events of the morning when I spotted Skyler Edwards. He was sitting front and center with his family, looking as if life held nothing but possibility. On impulse, I said, “Skyler, buddy, stand up!” and, with the enthusiastic help of his family, Skyler climbed onto his chair. The crowd erupted into a standing ovation that seemed to last for endless minutes. Skyler captured the audience’s collective heart by his courage and his shy smile.
By the time Craig Chaquico took the stage, he was already a hero. During his show, Craig, too, caught eyes with Skyler, and another ovation occurred when Craig pointed him out. Skyler walked onto the stage and enthusiastically accepted a set of drumsticks from Christian Poezach, Steve Oliver’s drummer. He then joined Craig’s band for the encore performance, and Skyler Edwards hit those drums as if he was born to.
So many magical things happened on that Saturday. Skyler’s mom describes that day as “truly the celebration of a very brave and well fought battle.” Skyler is in remission, and his prognosis continues to be very good. Family members have helped him accessorize his drum set, and he practices faithfully.
O.K. So maybe magical things don’t just happen. Perhaps they happen when people deliberately work to make them happen… not for selfish gain, but for the unadulterated joy that results when people give from their hearts without expecting anything in return.
Ronald McDonald House Chanties would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to the following for making the event of June 3rd, 2000 possible: Don Lombardi and Deanna Dunn of Drum Workshop, Inc., Jack’s House of Music, Carvin Corporation, The Radisson Hotel, Connie McKinley, Lynda Clayton, Ken Jones and everyone at Smooth Jazz 94.7 KSSJ, Norine Okano/Okano Productions, Steve & Gisela Oliver, Steven Hellon Photography, Karen Charney, Theresa Brown, Kathy Lorenzado and the Music Therapy Dept.of UC Davis Medical Center, and of course, Craig Chaquico, Ralph and Terrle Colborn, Skyler and his entire family.
It Started with an Autograph
After work one night, Lee Ohnesorge had gone two blocks when he was crossing an intersection on his motorcycle. Bang! A drunk driver runs a red light and hits Lee broadside at over 60 mph. It threw him 85 feet (and his motorcycle 247 feet) and he landed on a concrete median divider.
Amazingly, Lee lived! Tragically, his injuries were massive and he was left paralyzed from the chest down.
During the first three months, his recovery was slow and his spirits were understandably low. That’s when I met Craig Chaquico who was in town doing interviews for his new CD release.
As a limo driver, I was in a position to ask Craig for an autograph for Lee. Being a biker himself and also the victim of a drunk driver at age 12, Craig said that if I could arrange some transportation, he would go over and play a set for Lee in the hospital.
Craig’s set lasted 15 minutes longer than the concert he had just performed. Craig asked only one thing in return: that Lee get well enough to be able to make it to his next concert when he came back to town.
The inspiration and power to recover that was instilled in Lee that night was miraculous!!! After Craig’s visit, Lee’s recovery took off at a rapid. pace. It took him three more months for his arm to heal enough to be able to write. His first letter went to Craig to say “Thank you.”
As spring approached, Craig called to say that he would be coming in to town to do a show. He wanted to be sure that Lee could make it to his concert. When I visited Lee to tell him the good news – he had even better news! He was scheduled to be released from the hospital into a handicap accessible apartment the same day!
After 10 months in the hospital, it was time for a coming out party! I drove Craig to do another radio interview. This time he made a plea over the airwaves to find a Harley with a sidecar to bring Lee home. No luck.
We finally found a bro named Elmer to pick Lee up and take him to the show. It had been a long time since Lee had felt the wind in his hair. The smile on his face when he arrived at the concert was something that couldn’t be bought! Thank you, Elmer!
By Curt Hansen
Thanks to….
Elmer and the folks at Kokesh Motorcycle (Sidecar ride)
Derek Fessler and his Harley connections (for finding Elmer)
KCFE Radio 15.7
Fineline Nightclub – Minneapolis, Minnesota
Premier Limousine
The Courage Center
“Have Guitars – Will Travel”
Music, Medicine and Magic
http://www.allmusic.com/album/kksf-1037-fm-sampler-for-aids-relief-vol-5-mw0000024173
FOLLOW THE SUN… to Costa Rica
After Craig’s benefit concerts to rescue monkeys being electrocuted by the new jungle power lines, the power companies began insulating all the transformers.
click images above to enlarge †
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