Erik Mongrain

Infobox musical artist
Name =Erik Mongrain

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Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
Birth_name = Erik Mongrain
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Instrument = Acoustic guitar
Genre = Acoustic music
Occupation = Guitarist, composer
Years_active = 2001 -
Label = Prophase Music and Music Video Distributors
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URL = [http://www.erikmongrain.com www.erikmongrain.com]

Erik Mongrain (born April 12 1980 in Montreal, Québec, Canada) is a Canadian composer and guitarist, best known for his unique acoustic style, and his use of a two-handed lap tapping technique on the acoustic guitar.

Biography

Erik Mongrain taught himself guitar at the age of 14. As a boy he was mostly interested in sports, but picked up an interest in the guitar and began to teach himself to play by ear. Erik started out playing the electric guitar, but developed an interest in classical and acoustic guitar after hearing the work of Johann Sebastian Bach. Erik taught himself to read music, and began composing.

Erik Mongrain was inspired early on by the work of Metallica, Jimi Hendrix, and Kurt Cobain. When he was 18, Erik heard the work of guitarist Don Ross, and he said "This was a new revelation to me. I finally found my niche." [ [http://www.erikmongrain.com/Biography.asp Biography on the official Website] ] After that, Erik was heavily influenced by the work of Michael Hedges. Erik also began to experiment with a technique known as lap tapping, in which the player lays the guitar across their lap, and taps the strings on the fret board with both hands.

Erik Mongrain plays live shows in the United States, Canada, and England. He started out with street shows, and continues to play street and metro shows, as well as shows at concert venues and on television. Erik's music is going to be featured in a documentary produced by Lance Trumbull for the Everest Peace Project. He was recently featured on the cover of Guild Guitar Company Magazine. [ [http://www.erikmongrain.com/images/Guild2.jpgMongrain on the Guild guitar company magazine's cover] ] Erik was featured in Le Journal de Montréal [ [http://www.erikmongrain.com/Press.asp?Page=Journal_de_Montreal1 Le Journal de Montréal] ] and was written about in the Granada spanish journal. They wrote :

"the visitor (to Grenada) ... discovers rather good musicians, sometimes brilliant, who makes a pure delight of the city... Erik Mongrain, 21 years old, is one of them... The young interpreter does not play in a habitual manner but rather lays the guitar on his knees like a keyboard ... before discovering this new method, known under the name of "tapping", he studied classical guitar on his own" [ [http://www.erikmongrain.com/Press.asp Granada journal] ]

Erik released his first full-length album, "Fates", in December 2006 on his website as a series of individually buyable/downloadable songs. The physical CD will be released in June 2007 (May for Japan).

In 2007, Mongrain went on a tour around the world, particuliary in Europe, Asia and America. He performed also at the famous Montreal International Jazz Festival and at the "Studio-théâtre" of the Place des Arts of Montréal where the live performance was recorded. [ [http://www.erikmongrain.com/Concerts.asp Live performances on stage] ] Mongrain was invited for the premiere of the « World Music Heritage », a drive by Gontiti on the national Japanese network (NHK). The broadcast started last May 2007 and the footage used for the broadcast is filmed in Montreal's streets and in Saint Joseph's Oratory, reputed for its acoustics.

In 2008, Mongrain is planning other live performances around Europe and America. Also the iVideoSongs company have filmed four clips, such as "Equilibrium", his latest composition. The clips are tutorials of Mongrain's lap tapping style, downloadable on the company's Web site. [ [http://www.ivideosongs.com/search/folk/acoustic-guitar/erik-mongrain/1580.aspx iVideoSongs - Mongrain's tutorial] ]

Current work

On October 21st 2008, Erik Mongrain will launch worlwide his second album "Equilibrium" which has 9 new compositions. The title track from the album is an ode to the balance between humans and the planet. The album was recorded on July 2008 in "The Dragon Crossing studios", the personnal recording place of Paul Reed Smith (PRS Guitars), located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States. On this new album, Mongrain is playing with musicians such as Michael Manring on fretless bass and Bill Plummer on synthesizers.

The album will be launched live on Mongrain's official website (streamed broadcast) on 21 October 2008 at noon in the time zone UTC-5 (New York / Montreal). The event called "Equilibrium Experience" will broadcast an exclusive live concert from Montreal and interviews with the artist directly from his living room. [ [http://erikmongrain.com/ Exclusive concert and interviews on Mongrain's official website] ]

Discography

*"Equilibrium" (2008)
*"Fates" (2007)
*"Un paradis quelque part" (2005)
*"Les pourris de talent" (2005)

See also

* Tapping
* Michael Hedges
* Preston Reed
* Don Ross

Media

* [http://www.erikmongrain.com/Multimedia.asp?Page=AirTap Erik Mongrain - AirTap!]
* [http://www.erikmongrain.com/Multimedia.asp?Page=Fusions Erik Mongrain - Fusions]
* [http://www.erikmongrain.com/Multimedia.asp?Page=Timeless Erik Mongrain - Timeless]
* [http://www.erikmongrain.com/Multimedia.asp?Page=I_Am_Not Erik Mongrain - I Am Not]
* [http://www.erikmongrain.com/Multimedia.asp?Page=PercussienFa Erik Mongrain - PercussienFa]
* [http://www.erikmongrain.com/Multimedia.asp?Page=The_Silent_Fool Erik Mongrain - The Silent Fool]
* [http://www.erikmongrain.com/Multimedia.asp?Page=A_Ripple_Effect Erik Mongrain - A Ripple Effect]

External links

* [http://www.erikmongrain.com Erik Mongrain's Website]
* [http://www.ivideosongs.com/search/folk/acoustic-guitar/erik-mongrain/1580.aspx Tutorial on Ivideosongs]
* [http://www.myspace.com/erikrain Erik's Myspace page - His songs]
* [http://www.youtube.com/erikmongrain Erik Mongrain on Youtube]

Notes

Persondata
NAME=Mongrain, Erik
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Canadian musician guitarist composer
DATE OF BIRTH=April 12 1980
PLACE OF BIRTH=Montreal, Quebec, Canada
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=