VIDEO: Student Cellist Eric Law

Cellist and singer-songwriter Eric Law talks about his conversion from a classical to an old-time musician.

June 4, 2013

When Eric Law arrived at Berklee a few years ago, he had a plan: move away from the classical music and cello playing of his youth and learn how be a music producer and engineer. But things changed quickly for this Colorado native. His first-semester private teacher, Eugene Friesen, reignited Law’s passion for his instrument.

“It was the start of the transition of me realizing that cello is really what I wanted to do. My technique had gone out the window. I started practicing four to eight hours a day. He’s like a Jedi," Law says of Friesen.

Faculty member Darol Anger was next to aid Law’s rapid transformation. “He’s an amazing fiddle player,” Law says. “He got me into the whole old-time bluegrass thing on cello. Darol was encouraging me to do whatever I wanted on my instrument.”

Law’s serendipitous studies with Berklee faculty also took him to violinist Matt Glaser, artistic director of Berklee’s American Roots Music Program; cellist and singer-songwriter Bruce Molsky; and cellist Mike Block. Law also raves about the influence and inspiration he draws from his student collaborators. But as much as the musicians around Law have sparked him, he is forging an original sound as both an instrumentalist and as a composer.