Virtual Campfire #44: Collaboration vs. Competition with Cassie Cichocki and Tomboyce Avenue

An adventure in progress, as we all are, Cassie Cichocki prides herself on her ability to create space for others to feel safe, supported, and secure. As a freelance writer and meditation teacher living in Nashville, she’s able to put life’s experiences, both good and bad, into words that allow people to feel understood, and gives others the opportunities to look at their own stories with curiosity instead of judgment.

A former blogger for Chicago Now, the online subsidiary of the Chicago Tribune, Cassie first went viral for a post about...tampons. Little did she know that her blog about being a self-proclaimed hot mess would quickly become a go-to source for people who didn’t know how to put their own experiences into words. Her current blog, solongasitiswild.com, is a space for fellow adventures in progress to show up exactly as they are. There’s no such thing as good vibes only in her world, and she wants people to live life as fully as possible, no matter what their history may be. Cassie lives by the words: “I see you. I hear you. I get it. Me, too”, and that comes across in her writing.

An advocate for making therapy accessible to all, Cassie is passionate about changing the narrative around mental health. When not working or volunteering, she can most often be found with a book in hand; logging miles, hiking mountains, and contemplating the musings of herself and others. (She also quotes her therapist way too often, but she’ll save that for the blog.)

with musical guest Tomboyce Avenue

Singer-Songwriter Nilda "DADA" Cantil Lampitoc aka Tomboyce Avenue is a full-blooded Filipino, born and raised in a Tropical Country of the Philippines, Island of Luzon. She now lives in San Diego, California and is working as a Medical Professional. Tomboyce Avenue highly believes that "MUSIC IS MEDICINE".

In July 2020 Tomboyce Avenue released TAKE ME BACK featuring Corrick Watson of THROUGH THE ROOTS, K-Skunk (Kaya Hall) Bassist of SENSI TRAILS/ Frontman of STRICTLY SKUNK and Maria Connors. TAKE ME BACK is a song Tomboyce Avenue wrote about how she feels as half musician and as a half medical professional with the current situation about the COVID-19 pandemic and about Black Lives Matter. The song was produced by E.N Young of Imperial Sound Recording Studio; Roots Musician Records and former Keyboardist of the band Tribal Seeds.

Tomboyce Avenue Band consists of Dada Lampitoc (Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar), Maria Connors (Keyboard, Trumpet, Vocals), Alex Bellafaire (Bass Guitar, Saxophone), Chris Dadey (Lead Guitar), Chris McDonald (Drums) and Daniel Hall (Percussions, Vocals). We are here to share as much positivity as we can through our music. The band often plays to open up for Filipino musicians touring here in USA. She opened up for Jireh Lim, Geneva Cruz, Shane Ericks, Carol Banawa, Juan Karlos, December Avenue and international artist Stephen Speaks.