ABOUT ERIC

 

Eric arrived in Virginia by way of Minnesota, where he was raised and educated.  He graduated with a degree in Piano Performance (95) from the University of Minnesota, and later went on to study organ at Augsburg College (2006-08) under the late Peter Hendrickson, which eventually evolved into study toward a Master of Music Education degree.

 

Eric has spent over 3 decades teaching, traveling/performing around the world, and serving in various music director and church music roles. His specialties include jazz and classical performance and instruction; and while his teaching style incorporates many traditional elements, he is anything but conventional. Eric's students will learn all of the fundamental building blocks of a solid music education, but he also incorporates improvisation techniques, composition, and contemporary chart reading skills to reinforce understanding and to keep his students challenged and engaged. 

 

Eric is a member of MTNA and the local chapter - the Charlottesville Music Teachers Association (CMTA).  Additionally, Eric is a certified Royal Conservatory of Music teacher and all of Eric's students have the opportunity and are encouraged to participate in The Royal Conservatory Music Development Program.

 

Eric has been the music director at Immanuel Lutheran Church (ILC)in Charlottesville, VA near the University of Virginia since 2012.  Under Eric's directorship, the church has established and maintains close collaborative relationships with the Charlottesville String Academy and the Youth Orchestras of Central Virginia (YOCVA), regularly featuring their young musicians and students in recitals and at services at Immanuel. Eric also collaborates with several, professional, classical musicians in the region, hosting recitals, concerts, and utilizing their talents regularly at ILC. In addition to his role at ILC, Eric teaches private lessons out of both his home and church studios, and several client's homes. 

 

Eric and his wife Sarah met as fellow music majors at the University of Minnesota over 30 years ago (how is that possible??). They make their home in northern Albemarle County in the Stony Point area. In his spare time, Eric enjoys spending time with his family which, in addition to his wife, includes a cool daughter (who's grown now, but occasionally opts to drop in on the empty nest now and then), and a menagerie of four-legged friends. He also enjoys playing a variety of other musical instruments (accordion, guitar, bass, percussion), exploring the great outdoors, fixing things, and learning about history.