Profiles

Eric Engebretson
Music, Soundsation

“When you have a passion for music, you can’t do anything else.”

Why Edmonds? To be a member of Soundsation (the college’s vocal jazz group), its reputation is legendary. My love for jazz came from Edmonds.

Before Edmonds CC Music was my passion, but I couldn’t imagine how to make a living as a professional musician. I figured you had to be either a high school band teacher or the next rock star-- I didn't know there was anything in between.

After Edmonds CC I started my career as a professional musician. I did 250 performances a year for the next 17 years with my music taking me to 49 of the United States and 18 countries around the world.

Favorite class Soundsation. It set the bar really high for my work ethic and what I could achieve. It was all about striving for excellence. I keep in touch with the Soundsation group from that year. Half a dozen of them are making music professionally.

Advice for new students Get as much out of school as you can. It goes by fast. Study hard, and take advantage of the opportunities available to you at college. Milk it!

Advice for music students Use the recording studio! Make use of the equipment available to you as a student.

Best college experience touring Europe with Soundsation — 16 voices and a horn section — performing at the Montreaux Jazz Festival in Switzerland and the North Sea Jazz Festival in The Netherlands. I don’t think I’ll ever perform again with that many excellent musicians all at once. We made sounds so beautiful, so powerful. It’s a wonderful memory that I’ll never forget.

Instrument a Breedlove C-1 Maple acoustic with Sunrise, LR Baggs, & Barcus Berry pickups

Working as a professional musician with an eclectic acoustic groove —eric-e.com