The Way

Awaykening made easy — and fun.

”It’s the most happening spiritual movement on the planet."
- Rev. Doris W Davis, Interfaith Minister

The Way is a healing multimedia world of interwoven art -- music, characters, videos, stories, comic books, products and more.

Humanity seems on the cusp of collective awakening and this divinely-inspired project is a bridge from the old paradigm to a new way.The playful content offers a gentle upgrade to our
operating system, calling us back to wholeness with truths we already know.Enlightened eras have existed before -- why not now?
Why not us??The Way is being created now -- peruse the site to see what's completed.

Introduction

Hello!My name is Drew Stiles. The content for The Way came to me during a mystical healing-awakening experience while living in Switzerland.I'd been doing intense inner work for many years, circumstances taking me within and developing me.Those years were like a long winter -- barren, desolate & seemingly lifeless. But under the surface, preparation for Spring was under way.Near the end of that winter, I heard terms like dark night of the soul and fires of purification as I finally saw the purpose of the path.The inner work bore fruit during a profound awakening, during which The Way was born.

Art Heals

With collective problems like poverty, war and crime, and with personal ones like depression, anxiety and addiction, we haven’t found lasting solutions.We introduce policies, laws, organizations, therapies, medications -- yet the problems seem to worsen.The Way addresses the root issue, which lies in inherited thought from thousands of years of misunderstandings, superstitions, and mistruth (along with great wisdom, too).As well-intended as outer fixes may be (like rearranging the furniture in a crumbling building) the solution is in the foundation.I studied our inherited operating system for decades in myself and others, resulting in small epiphanies and finally, a full-on awakening.The purpose of The Way is to share this liberation with others through a suite of Art.Art is able to bypass rigidly defended mindsets.
Art creates Movement.
Art heals....

"Art in its highest form is art that serves society and human development."
-- Harry Belafonte"Art is the highest expression of the human spirit”
-- Picasso"Art Is the most effective mode of communications that exists.'
-- John Dewey

The Magic Key

At the heart of The Way is The Magic Key, a 20 song Healing Movement by a mythical band from another dimension called Jayzeuss Guackamoley.The band, made up of the Four Elements - Air, Earth, Fire & Water Guackamoley - performs The Magic Key and stars in comics, videos, and live shows.Each song has a corresponding video and a comic book, creating a Video Series and Comic Book Series.There are also new products, including one that combines all the media in a fun Healing Kit.These media and products create an ever-expanding world meant to uplift & heal through ethical business and creative play.

People Are Saying:

'I'm joyous all the time. It's revolutionary... the most happening spiritual movement on the planet.'
- Rev. Doris Davis, Interfaith Minister, 86‘Been listening to 'Friend' nonstop last couple of days, truly a masterpiece.. I get choked up and cry when I hear it, it’s very special man, you’ve cracked some sort of code in the human spirit.’
- David @Hidden Guide Music‘The lyrics and music you share are so wonderful and joyful. Even if deep lyrically, it seeps with calm joy. Music does save.’
- Cherenez, Artist, NY‘The best music I’ve heard in 20 years.’
– @michaellynnmusic‘Seven Wonders is a #1 hit waiting to happen!’
– @paulamontondo‘I love it! Sharing it everywhere! You're such a radiant being!’
– Kathy Good, Artist, Author @kgoodart‘I had to come to your profile page today to watch this video again, I seriously love it!’
— Sara @sara.krishna.disney‘Just freakishly lovable. A+ Fabulous.’
— Joel @veniceamplified

My Music Journey

I started playing music in my teens, and in my 20s I formed & joined bands. We got deals and played iconic venues; we worked hard, attracted followings and had a lot of fun.In retrospect, those years served as my Apprenticeship.
By developing songwriting, singing, playing, producing, arranging and performing, I was being attuned as an Instrument.When the Awakening happened, I was a readymade Vessel for The Way.

Most of these credits & reviews are from my past.I'm not identified with my past, including my old music or with being “a musician.”I write, speak, draw, dance, perform and I create videos and graphic art.I'm more of an empty vessel for Life to express, a *** visionary artist***, as goofy as that may sound, and my job is to allow the invisible to become visible.The Way is a multimedia project, not a music project, and not related to my old music, though there is music in it -- new music.I include a Music Bio to demonstrate my ability to develop and popularize projects for collaborators and investors....

Television

Panasonic/Technics TV Commercial
Features Yummy, song by Drew StilesWWE Summerslam: Musician / Performer
Madison Square Garden / Pay-Per ViewWWE Wrestlemania: Musician / Performer
Boston Fleet Center / Pay-Per ViewIn The Mix, PBS: Features music by Drew Stiles...

Reviews

‘YUMMY will grab you by the ass and will not let go. Rating: 10 out of 10’
—Juice Magazine‘..the braying, bare-chested singer and bassist with a comedian's rubber face and the torso of an Olympic gymnast, Drew Stiles is part Iggy and part Steven Tyler, a consummate showman who knows how to work an audience into a laughing, sweating frenzy.’
—Jersey Journal'Not since Guns N Roses have I heard a more dynamic debut album. This New York band doesn't mess around when it comes to creating kick ass rock n roll. Yummy have outdone themselves with Elegante.’
—Rock N World'Raw and sexed up with "Back In The Saddle" era Steven Tyler-like vocals. After all these years, someone got it down.’
—Aquarian Weekly'Yummy's record twists, grooves, spits, slaps and rocks you mercilessly. I welcome anything that can bubble with life the way this record does. It jumps right out of the speakers.'
—NY Rocks...

Film

Desolation Angels
Music by Drew Stiles
Produced by Jonathan Demme and Barbet Schroder
(Award winner, Telluride and Toronto Film Festivals)Kingdom Come
Original score by Drew StilesRunaway
Original music by Drew Stiles
(Award winner, Austin Film Festival)Stick Fighter
Features music by Drew Stiles Produced by Menaham GolanThrowing Down
Features music by Drew Stiles
(Award winner, Hampton Film Festival)Nowhere Man
Features music by Drew StilesRevolution #9
Features music by Drew Stiles
(Award winner, Nantucket Film Festival)Free
Features music by Drew StilesThe Haven
Features music by Drew StilesDue Diligence
Features music by Drew Stiles...

MiscellaneousPanasonic/Technics National Ad Campaign
Features Yummy in Rolling Stone, SPIN, GQ, Maxim, Raygun, Details, Vibe, ESPNArt Core (Tooth and Nail Records)
ProducerMarriott Marquis Video
Features music by Drew Stiles...

SOME VENUES I’VE PLAYEDNortheast
Madison Square Garden
Boston Fleet Center
CBGBs
Brownies
Webster Hall
Wetlands
Nightingales
New Music Cafe
Coney Island High
Lions Den
Joyous Lake, Woodstock
Styleens, Syracuse
76Club, DC
Maxwell’s, NJWest Coast
Whisky A Gogo
Venice West
Electric Lodge
Penmar
Cinema Bar
Silverlake Lounge
Trip Santa Monica
Folk ‘N Soak Festival, Paso Robles CA
Santa Monica Street Fair
Venice Art Crawl
Mar Vista Art Crawl
Community United Methodist Church, Pacific Palisades
CS Church, Encinitas CA
Salvation Army, Santa Monica CA
KXLU
Radio Venice
…

When I started playing music, I didn’t take it seriously—I just loved playing, and songs came naturally. I formed my first band, Smoothbrain, in Nyack, NY.I didn’t know if anyone would like the music but by our 2nd show, we had a loyal following and we were on our way.Another band called Gin Gypsy asked me to join and we got signed to A&M Records, recording at Ardent Studios in Memphis with producer Jim Gaines (Stevie Ray Vaughn, Huey Lewis, Santana).Smoothbrain got a production deal with Shark Management and we recorded an album, too. And I was asked to contribute to Film, TV & Producing.After those bands ran their course, I formed Yummy, a power trio. I curated my best songs, wrote more, and we recorded Elegante, which I wrote & produced. That album deeply affected people -- many still have it in their Top 10, even Top 5, all time.We played all over and some highlights include us playing Madison Square Garden and Boston Fleet Center with WWE. And Panasonic hired us for a TV commercial performing my song King.Panasonic also featured Yummy in a print ad campaign in Rolling Stone, SPIN, Maxim, GQ, Raygun & more.These years with music were an Apprenticeship during which I was receiving a clear message: you’re not the entertainment. So I stopped music for many years to go within, which became a cocoon stage to understand the Human Condition better.During that time, I released a solo album of old 4track demos, which opened the door to Europe and landed me in Switzerland.I played a series of shows there, and a song of mine was on rotation on Swiss radio station Kanal K. I also got a spot in the top 5 of a song competition at Zurich’s Music Conference. The door opened, I stepped through and stayed in Switzerland six years.My real work there was the healing-awakening. Something about the Swiss stillness, the quiet, the mountains, the harmony of nature.. it was perfect for what was to come.When I had the '’healing,' music came pouring back like a waterfall of Light turning into songs -- uplifting, celebratory, fun — along with the rest of the content for The Way.It was truly a magical mystical experience, and the new work carries that essence.I took my old music down, gave away everything I owned, like a reboot, and came back to America and am in Santa Monica CA.I’ve recorded & released new songs and videos — the next step is fully producing The Magic Key with a great engineer in the right space.☀️🥑☀️...