Eric Friend started working on films as a child in Michigan. He learned filmmaking from his father, and created animated short films throughout high school. Eric moved to Austin Texas in 1993 to attend the University of Texas Radio/ Television/ Film program and immediately began working for Richard Linklater’s Detour Filmproductions. While at Detour, Eric met Tom Hammond of Soundcrafter, and worked with Tom editing Foley for feature films. He also met Mike Judge and began recording Mike’s voice for Beavis and Butt-Head. He continued recording, editing, animating, and maintaining Mike’s Protools recording studio and Avid editing suites for the next 14 years. Eric has also edited and mixed the audio for several feature length documentaries, some of which have played at the Los Angeles Film Festival and the South by Southwest Film Festival. He continues to mix and compose music for commercials, animated shorts and web videos for companies such as Dell, Sony/ BMG, MTV, Comedy Central, Fox, the Weather Channel and Sesame Workshop.
Eric began studying jazz piano in Michigan with legendary soul/jazz/funk pianist Eddie Russ and the great Dr. Morris Lawrence at Washtenaw Community College. When he moved to Texas, he played piano in a jazz trio with Erik Grostic and Chuck Pafenbach, as well as playing solo piano shows. In 2000, Eric started played keyboards with the band Spoon. He played on several US tours and recordings with the group for 3 years. Recently Eric has played piano live and in the studio for the Reivers, Sally Crewe and the Sudden Moves, Chris Vestre, Courtney Saunders, Sean Eden. His compositions have been featured in nationally broadcast documentaries, television commercials, and radio ads.
Austin American Statesman Profile on Eric Friend
