From California to Jamaica to Paris to Spain and through Europe, to Africa, to Mexico, to his home on beautiful Maui, musician/multi-instrumentalist/composer Levi Huffman exudes

the irresistible polish of a globe-trotting gypsy musician. Levi’s music reflects his travels and the influences he has absorbed from those experiences, and his lifelong passion for music.

He has been playing a musical instrument of some sort from the age of 4 years old with piano lessons,

to the oboe in Jr. high and high school. In high school he picked up and fell in love with the guitar.

His guitar became a “best friend”, and a refuge during tough times.

Self-taught on the guitar he started playing in clubs “moonlighting” while going to college as a pre-med student trying to please his family who were not bullish on a music career.

He made the huge decision to drop out when the pull and love of music became too strong.

“To thine own self be true” and “Follow the path with heart” became lifelong mantras.

One fateful day providence whispered in his ear. He bought a “one-way” ticket to Paris, France. He didn’t speak French, he didn’t have a hotel reservation and he had very little cash.

With a naïve desire to stay for 3 months he took to the friendly skies with his guitar, luggage and

a tourist book called “Let’s Go France”.

He ran out of money in no time and was on his own. At the end of the cash he was flirting with homelessness in Paris,

but he strongly felt that “If I’m going to suffer as an artist, it might as well be in Paris, France. It was a good choice, a good decision.

Levi started out “street busking” on the boulevards and Metro halls until he wandered to a magical street on the Left Bank of Paris called the Rue Mouffetard, where luminary writers like

Ernest Hemingway hung out. He got an audition at a charming little restaurant on the Mouffetard

called Pronobis which became a “home base” for he and his music

and his life would never be the same.

From there Levi learned to speak French fluently and through the exposure, got gigs throughout Paris and at a ski resort in the French Alps called Avoriaz, to a windsurfing resort in the South of France called Cap Coudelaire. He did music for a film short through Polydor

Records which played on the big screen to being an actor on the big screen in a major budget

French film called “Le Grand Carnival”, to radio commercials including one for the US movie,

“The Color Purple” which played countrywide in France.

He wound up living in France for 5 years.

Levi returned to California where he attended the Musician’s Institute in Hollywood and graduated from the Guitar Institute with the honor of “Most Improved Guitar Player”.

Jennifer Batten, who was Michael Jackson’s lead guitar player on his world tours, had won the same award at G.I.T. when she attended. At his graduation ceremony, she presented Levi with a brand new guitar. He took, and takes, that honor to heart

and has worked hard on his art ever since.

His wanderlust has taken him to places and spaces from the poorest and most earthly and

gritty scenes – dive bars, biker bars, street busking – to literally the mountain top at a luxury ski

resort in the French Alps for 4 entire ski seasons. Levi has shared the stage and/or opened for many musical luminaries including Sammy Hagar, Stephen Stills, Michael Anthony of Van Halen, Peter White, Michael Paulo, Jazz In Pink, Ivan Najera, Mombo Hernandez, Norton Buffalo and others.

Levi has written music for shows on PBS. He has appeared as a musician on PBS

(California Heartland) and has made countless tv appearances and radio appearances around the

world. Levi’s music is eclectic, reflecting his love and passion for music with heart.

“Like you reading this I bet, music touches me at the deepest levels and when I feel heart

in it, I can find beauty in virtually any genre of music and I feel very lucky and grateful for that.

It’s like food… I love food from all over our planet.

I love people from all over our planet and I keep my ears, tastes and heart open for new experiences.”

Played With/Opened For

  • Sammy Hagar

  • Steven Stills

  • Norton Buffalo

  • Johnny Cola (Huey Lewis)

  • Jack Jacobsen (Huey Lewis)

  • Howard Leese (Heart)

  • Michael Anthony (Van Halen)

Television Appearances

  • PBS – California Heartland (archive shows: 701, 707, 722)

  • PBS – Trees

  • Univision w/Ivan Najera

  • Culture Connection