My name is Eric Carlsen, born and raised in rural Maine. I grew up in a family of musicians, artists and teachers, and was constantly encouraged to create. Ever since I started private piano lessons at age six, the arts have played a significant role in my life.
I spent most of my childhood drawing, writing (sometimes I'd enlist someone older to type for me on my dad's old IBM), making music, and pouring countless hours into my LEGOS. I often strived to create cinematic scenes with my drawings and LEGOS, whether by designing cartoons like storyboards or by playing out vast epics with those beloved plastic bricks. In addition to studying piano for over thirteen years, I have participated in many auditioned musical groups and events, including Maine All-State Chorus, high school jazz band and show choir, musicals such as "The Wiz" (The Tinman) and "Into the Woods" (Rapunzel's Prince), several a cappella groups (University of Vermont Top Cats, University of Maine Steiners and Euphony) and the University Singers. At my high school graduation I was presented with the "Friend of the Arts" award, given annually to one graduating senior who showed the most diverse and continued involvement in a wide variety of arts. Subsequently in my last year of college I received UMaine's annual "Outstanding Achievement Award in Arts and Communication Media", an award with criteria similar to the "Friend of the Arts" award.
Once I started my New Media major at UMaine I hit the ground running. There were suddenly so many new tools available to me that I had never even heard of, and I was absolutely thrilled at all the new creative possibilities that came with them. I was also surrounded by others with the same hunger to create, and some of the work I'm most proud of came from late-night marathons in the lab alongside peers who were obsessing and going crazy over their projects just as much as I was.
As time-consuming as the New Media major and English minor were, I made it a priority to stay involved in many different activities throughout college. In my senior year I split my time between classes, working at the Foster Student Innovation Center as the webmaster/graphic designer/media advisor, tutoring at the Writing Center, and making music with the University Singers (UMaine's auditioned 80-voice touring choir) and Euphony (an auditioned 32-voice contemporary a cappella choir), in addition to completing several commissioned projects in a wide variety of media.
To learn more about my background you can view my résumé or peruse my video, stills, sound, and blog background pages.