Vir McCoy Bio

from Vir McCoy

VIR MCCOY

Musician, Producer, Composer, Lyricist, Vocalist, Theater, Author
Born 2/15/67 Venice, California

www.virtunes.com

Vir McCoy has written and recorded over 200 original songs on 20 albums in several musical genres including Children's, Rock, Funk, World Tribal, Hip Hop, Electronica, Devotional, and New Age Comedy. He founded the award-winning world music band Hamsa Lila, whose “Gathering One” Album reached #2 on the CMJ world music charts. He has appeared as a guest on several studio albums, including Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead and Beats Antique. Vir has also created and recorded on soundtracks for film, television, and the web. He has toured the U.S. and other countries playing with several acts including Mickey Hart, Hamsa Lila, and yoga teacher Shiva Rea. He has shared the stage with Bassnectar, Michael Franti and Spearhead, The String Cheese Incident, Beats Antique, MC Yogi, ALO, Dave Schools of Widespread Panic, Bernie Worrell of Funkadelic, Karsh Kale, Lynx, Airto Moriera of Miles Davis, and The Yard Dogs, to name just a few.

In addition to his solo project and Hamsa Lila, Vir also plays in the children's band Kid Kaleidoscope, The Dogon Lights, and Radio Devi, who are both currently working on studio albums. Vir is the creator of the Youtube comedy hit “The Man From Marin” and is working on a comedy album after a tremendous fan response. Vir is also working on a devotional album of love songs called Desert Fathers.

Vir McCoy is an accomplished composer, writer, arranger, producer, mixer, guitarist, and bassist, in addition to playing the Sintir or Guimbri, the camel-skinned, ethnic bass of Morocco as well as other stringed world instruments. He also plays a unique Bass-hybrid instrument he designed and had created called the Ark-Bass. Vir has created and produced musical and theatrical events that focus on healing such as the “Chakra Opera.“
Vir has also written “Ephram Fomp and His Big-time Sandals,” a children’s book which he made into an audio CD with voices and including music and a theme song. Vir is also nearing completion on a book “Liberating Lyme,” documenting his healing from Lyme Disease.

Vir McCoy’s creations are a synthesis of styles and sounds that uplift the people and places which surround him. When performing live, Vir is a “Cosmic Muse,” tuning in with what a crowd needs in the moment, and can weave between styles and genres to best suit the occasion. From “Funk Therapy” to New Age Comedy, from Children’s to Devotional, from Tribal Fusion to Rock, Vir will best choose the style and sound for the event. Uplifting, Inspiring and Hilarious are words that people use to describe his work.
Music History
Vir McCoy grew up in Venice Beach, California where he was continually exposed to music from the womb throughout his childhood. Vir's father, Dave McCoy, is an accomplished professional jazz musician and Vir's mother, Kasandra Clemente, is an accomplished Mexican-American singer. The eclectic influence and creativity of Venice Beach set Vir on his way into the musical arts at an early age with drums as his first passion. At age 11, the family moved to a farm in Oregon where the sounds of the outdoors and the wild influenced Vir greatly. A deep interest in sound and tonal quality developed at this time and piano became his prominent mode of expression. A few years later, they moved back to Southern California where Vir attended high school and picked up the guitar. His high school band The Mushroom Helmut, which featured Vir as a guitarist, writer and vocalist, was very popular in the surrounding areas. Vir's love for theater also emerged during this time. He attended U.C. Berkeley where he formed the musical group "Compost" with the "rot and roll" motto. Vir immersed himself in the art and music scene and picked up the electric bass during his studies.
After a brief stint in Arizona working as a biologist, he formed a group called Sasquatch that toured the Southwest opening up for well-known acts such as Fishbone. Vir relocated back to the bay area in 1997 where he cofounded the Jingletown Gallery in Oakland, an artist and musician's venue. In additon to his own project, "The Church of You," Vir immersed himself into the recording arts and appeared as a guest on many local albums at the time from Hip hop to Pop. During this time, Vir toured the Western U.S. with his band and produced and released 3 albums as "The Church of You" on the Insiduous label between 1996-2001. In 2001, his love of children’s music prompted Vir to produce and co-create "Kid Kaleidoscope" a kid’s music and puppet project. Vir became interested in world music and formed the group Hamsa Lila, an award-winning act also featuring Ian Herman, the one time drummer for Sting. Hamsa Lila has headlined the Fillmore in San Francisco and won "Best World Music Band" of 2003 in Bay Area.
Hamsa Lila toured the United States, opening for acts including Femi Kuti and The String Cheese Incident. Vir also recorded and toured with the Mickey Hart Band in 2011 and appears on the album “Mysterium Tremendum.” Vir toured with Steve Kimock as well. In addition, Vir has done soundtracks for yoga videos and health-oriented projects as well as recording projects, including a soundtrack for GTV, an alternative T.V. show. He also worked for Sustain Lane producing "Gorilla in the Greenhouse," an ecologically-oriented, web-based, animated children's show with producer Ralph Guggenheim of Pixar. Vir currently is part of Green Theme Generator, a collective of musicians to co-create green-oriented jingles and them songs. Currently Vir is working with Radio Devi, the next incarnation of the members of Hamsa Lila and The Dogon Lights, an African “band of gypsies.” He is also working on “The Hottubbers” album, featuring the local hit "Man from Marin," and a devotional album called "Desert Fathers.”
Youtube links:

Hamsa Lila: www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjtG8NvY-6s
Man From Marin: www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQUUFg6p0aE
2 Second Healing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmuqL51bek0
The Mickey Hart Band: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewGu6X3UvHs
Wavy Gravy 75th Aniversary with Mickey Hart, Steve Kimock, Dave Schools (Widespread Panic) and Dave Brogan of Alo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxQHUwg82Y&feature=player_embedded#!
Steve Kimock Band: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xF-wKpwrc0s
String Cheese Members, Karsh Kale, Lynx, Eoto: vimeo.com/13797213
The Dogon Lights: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq-SIQzrypg
Sound Explorations: www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2fABoYOMbQ
Ephram Fomp: www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjZtNEiElXI

Articles and Interviews:
Vir McCoy on Hamsa Lila: www.taosmusic.com/News/world-jamming-an-interview-with-hamsa-lila.html
Interview with Mickey Hart: www.gdhour.com/music/MHart-gdh_110802.mp3
With the Mickey Hart Band: www.dead.net/blair’s-golden-road-blog-mickey’s-dynamite-new-band


Album Recording Discography The Mushroom Helmut - Self Titled- Independant- 1990 Compost- Self Titled- Independant- 1992 Sasquatch- Self Titled- Independant- 1995 The Church of You- Self Titled- Green Sun 1997 The Church of You- Freedom from the Known- Insidous- 1998 The Curch of You- Obis Neh- Insiduous-1999 Kid Kaleidoscope- Insiduous-2001
Kid Kaliedoscope 2- Look Inside- Independant - 2008 Hamsa Lila- Self Titled- In The Pocket- 2002 Hamsa Lila- Raw Live Treats Vol 1 and 2 - In The Pocket- 2003 Hamsa Lila- Skin- In The Pocket-2003 Hamsa Lila-Gathering One-In the Pocket-2004 (reached #2 chart position on the CMJ world music charts in 2004) Hamsa Lila- Inx Remix- In The Pocket-2005 Hamsa Lila- Live In Santa Cruz- In The Pocket – 2006
Hamsa Lila- Raw Live Treats 3 - 2012
Hamsa lila- Auroura- 2013
Radio Devi- Radio Devi-2009 Evan Fraser and Vir McCoy- Yakaruna- 2012
Vir McCoy- Hits from the Hot-tub 2013
Vir McCoy- Desert Fathers 2013

Notable Album Contributions
The Mickey Hart Band- Mysterium Tremendum- 2012
Shiva Rea- Yoga DVD (music)- 2013
MC Yogi- Pilgramage- 2012
Beats Antique- Tribal Derivations- 2007 Foxgluv- Flame and Fortune- Cyberset- 2004 Blane Lyon- All People- Independant- 2006 Gathering The Tribe (with Bassnectar)- Interchill- 2006 DJ Zeph- Sunset Scavenger- Wide Hive- 2004 Sasha Butterfly - Live in Maui - Independant- 2005 Tina Malia and Shimshai- Jaya Baghavan- White Swan Music- 2005 Soundtracks/ Film First Time Caller- Independant Film - 2002 Stretching For Life- Dynamic Fitness-2000 GTV soundtrack - Televison show - 2004 The Hemp Show- Theatrical Show with Music- 2003 Gorilla in The Greenhouse- Sustain Lane- Theme songs and episode creation 2008 (with Ralph Guggenheim of Pixar) Green Theme Generator -A jingle and theme song company- 2008 All songs BMI.
Websites:

www.virtunes.com
www.virmccoy.com
www.hamsalila.com
www.dogonlights.com
www.kidkaleidoscope.com
www.ephramfomp.com
www.radiodevi.com

Quotes:
“Vir McCoy and Evan Frasers Album –"Yakaruna is a mystic rhythmic dive that is incredible for the flow of yoga or any love journey of life". - Shiva Rea

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about

Vir McCoy

Vir McCoy has created music in many different genres including World Fusion, Rock, Electronica, Childrens, New Age Comedy, Soundtracks and Devotional Music. He has played and recorded on many albums such as groups like the Mickey Hart Band and Beats Antique. Vir co-founded the group Hamsa Lila who's album reached #2 on the CMJ world music charts. Vir was born in Venice Beach, Los Angeles, Ca. ... more

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