Eric Garrison is a singer/songwriter whose original contemporary music and treatment of traditional material reflect a deep appreciation of both genres. Eric has been hailed for his ability to “create melodies which prove that traditional American music ain’t dead yet.” (Stamford Advocate, CT) Eric’s third solo CD, “Looking for Egypt,” featuring Garth Hudson and the late Rick Danko of The Band as well as Rex Fowler of Aztec Two Step, Bob Franke, John McCutcheon, and a stellar array of Woodstock-area session musicians- garnered national radio play and rave reviews from all quarters. His collaborative release with fellow SummerSongs instructor Mae Robertson, “Sweet Dreams of Home,” has received awards from several leading parents’ organizations promoting family music.
Eric is an alumnus of the Kerrville New Folk Contest and the Falcon Ridge Emerging Artist program. He was featured in the 1998 Folk Alliance Convention’s Folkrawl in Memphis and the 1999 Nashville Entertainment Association’s Extravaganza. Two of his songs have won awards in the pop and folk categories of the Washington Area Music Association’s annual songwriting contest. Since 1992, Eric has taught classes in performance, songwriting, sound reinforcement, and recording at the Swannanoa Gathering, where he is the founding coordinator of the Gathering’s Contemporary Folk Week and Performance Lab week programs. He has taught at a number of other festivals and workshop programs, including the Virginia Highlands Festival and SummerSongs. In addition to his live performance and recording credits, Eric runs the Carriage Barn Folk Concert series in New Canaan, CT, and has extensive experience as a producer/engineer and owner of China Moon Productions, a Connecticut tape-based recording studio specializing in acoustic music.
