Biography
Eric Branner is a guitarist/instructor/author living in Seattle, Washington. He regularly performs and records as a solo classical guitarist, session musician, and singer/songwriter. He plays fingerstyle, blues, metal, rock, folk, primitive, and baroque through modern day classical guitar. He has performed at the Northwest Folklife Festival, toured the United States, and been a prizewinner at the Northwest Guitar Competition.
His studies began with local legends of the Shenandoah Valley, Michael Rhoads and Eric Hedrick. There he studied blues, folk, rock, metal, and bluegrass styles. He earned a Bachelor in Music from James Madison University in classical guitar studying under Keith Stevens. He moved to Seattle to study classical guitar with Steven Novacek at the University of Washington, and continued his classical studies with Michael Nicolella. He has also studied with about fifty other instructors such as Michael Partington, Jay Roberts, Curley Cook, and Mary Beth Felker. He has attended masterclasses with Manuel Barrueco, David Russell, and Ben Verdery.
Teaching music runs in Eric’s family. His grandfather was a concert classical pianist, a big-band leader, and a music teacher for over forty years. As an instructor, Eric founded the Blackforrest Music School in Seattle. He maintains a studio of fifty continuous students ranging from ages 5-65. Previously he has taught at American Music School, Holy Names Academy, and Shenandoah Academy. His philosophy of teaching is to meet each student where they are, and to inspire them to a life of studying and loving music. He has been a full-time instructor for over a decade, and his previous students have gone on to get recording contracts, study music at prestigious schools such as the Berklee School of Music, or become cool, well adjusted adults.
Eric is the author of The Blackforrest Guitar Companion. This is the first in a series of books created to accompany any player’s journey of learning the guitar. Design and photography were done by Erik Bell.
Thanks to the awesome kindness and generosity of his community, Eric plays Rockbridge and Ron Kirn guitars.
Aside from playing and teaching, Eric loves regular jam sessions with friends, and to go surfing in the cold waters of the pacific northwest. He lives with his wife Alyson, his children Edie and Huck, and a german shepherd named Cannon.
His studies began with local legends of the Shenandoah Valley, Michael Rhoads and Eric Hedrick. There he studied blues, folk, rock, metal, and bluegrass styles. He earned a Bachelor in Music from James Madison University in classical guitar studying under Keith Stevens. He moved to Seattle to study classical guitar with Steven Novacek at the University of Washington, and continued his classical studies with Michael Nicolella. He has also studied with about fifty other instructors such as Michael Partington, Jay Roberts, Curley Cook, and Mary Beth Felker. He has attended masterclasses with Manuel Barrueco, David Russell, and Ben Verdery.
Teaching music runs in Eric’s family. His grandfather was a concert classical pianist, a big-band leader, and a music teacher for over forty years. As an instructor, Eric founded the Blackforrest Music School in Seattle. He maintains a studio of fifty continuous students ranging from ages 5-65. Previously he has taught at American Music School, Holy Names Academy, and Shenandoah Academy. His philosophy of teaching is to meet each student where they are, and to inspire them to a life of studying and loving music. He has been a full-time instructor for over a decade, and his previous students have gone on to get recording contracts, study music at prestigious schools such as the Berklee School of Music, or become cool, well adjusted adults.
Eric is the author of The Blackforrest Guitar Companion. This is the first in a series of books created to accompany any player’s journey of learning the guitar. Design and photography were done by Erik Bell.
Thanks to the awesome kindness and generosity of his community, Eric plays Rockbridge and Ron Kirn guitars.
Aside from playing and teaching, Eric loves regular jam sessions with friends, and to go surfing in the cold waters of the pacific northwest. He lives with his wife Alyson, his children Edie and Huck, and a german shepherd named Cannon.
