Our next 8 Question Spotlight interviewee has been on the Fernandina Beach live music circuit since 2008. His unique sound comes from looping his guitar and any number of percussion objects in his tool kit to create musical masterpieces. He's like a master chef, where he uses all of these things in his kitchen and creates a musical meal right in front of you. While he may play songs that he knows at each show, the presentation of each song is genuine and unique every time. He is a man deeply committed to his family, his faith and his community. He is also deeply committed to his Native American ancestry and combines all of those influences, unbridled energy and passion to his live performances. He and his family are world travelers and have recently returned from an overseas trip to South Korea, Thailand and South Africa where he and his family routinely became embedded with the local population. He has played shows both here and overseas.
You can find recordings from this incredible artist on Spotify and Apple Music. Per a recent post on Facebook, "I am going to be releasing my new album 'Songs In The Key of Freedom' later this year. The album is about to get its final mix down here in South Africa and we have filmed music videos for 9 different songs off the new album."
He's a master of his art. He is an inspiration to all who love their family, faith, country (warts and all) and freedom for all people.
Folks: Meet Brian Ernst.
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1) Who do you perform as (yourself)/with?
I mostly perform solo, but I do enjoy jamming with others as well.
2) What musical talent(s) do you possess?
On stage, I live loop an acoustic guitar, a bass line, beatbox, backup vocals, didgeridoo + various smaller percussion instruments (like shakers, tambourine, wooden frogs, triangle and a chain) and then I sing my original music (as well as a few of my favorite covers) over the song I just built in front of the audience.
3) At what age did you start singing/playing?
We had a baby grand piano at my house where I grew up. From an early age I began playing my mom's piano. I learned saxophone in my adolescence, guitar in my teenage years, didgeridoo, weissenborn in my 20's. I think I wrote a few songs when I was a teenager, but today I will still play a few of my early songs that I wrote when I was 21, 22 years old.
4) How long have you been performing locally?
I started playing in Fernandina Beach in 2008. Sliders is my longest running gig.
5) Who was your biggest musical influence?
Music was part of my childhood. I grew up listening to what my parents listened to (lots of classic rock) like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, Arethra Franklin, Motown, Joe Cocker, Jim Croce, Michael McDonald, Paul Simon, Jimmy Buffett as well as classical and original music that my mom, aunt and three cousins would write on the piano, violin and cello. My family also listened to a lot of Native American (and instrumental) music, which I admit, I appreciate much more now than I did growing up, but these are some of the foundational pillars of my musical influence.
I started out as a street performer spending my weekends busking everywhere from the Chicago subway to street festivals in Ohio and Michigan. I was inspired to take it to the streets by a musician named Juzzie Smith (out of Australia - look him up, wow). I bought a looping pedal (and PA system) with my last paycheck from my midwestern warehouse job and that decision was inspired by a musician named Mike Perkins (out of Ohio, also look him up). Both of those guys were pivotal in helping me find what I do musically today.
6) If you could meet one major figure in music history, who would it be and why?
Bob Marley (and it's not because of what some of you might think!) Here's why: Bob managed to do something that is very, very, very hard. He mixed both politics and religion and it didn't hurt his music career. Bob played a free show in Jamaica and had two opposing politicians walk onstage (during a time of political violence) and shake hands in front of everybody (and this was shortly after Bob survived an assassination attempt). Politics and religion emboldened his music and helped make it timeless. So I would ask Bob how he threaded that needle because not many musicians (or people for that matter) have been as influential as he has.
7) What do you enjoy most about performing on the island?
Being part of this community means a lot to me. I feel a sense of belonging here and I can make a living performing my own music. That makes Fernandina special to me. Having the opportunity to perform on these stages, multiple times a week and to build/strengthen relations within our community and beyond is something that gives me hope. Seeing what so many other people are doing in this community gives me that hope.
8 ) What is the best advice you’ve been given (by whom and what was it)?
My musical friend, Mike Perkins, told me very early in my career that making a living playing music means you will experience "peaks and valleys." He wasn't wrong.
Photo credit: Michael R Ritter
You can find recordings from this incredible artist on Spotify and Apple Music. Per a recent post on Facebook, "I am going to be releasing my new album 'Songs In The Key of Freedom' later this year. The album is about to get its final mix down here in South Africa and we have filmed music videos for 9 different songs off the new album."
He's a master of his art. He is an inspiration to all who love their family, faith, country (warts and all) and freedom for all people.
Folks: Meet Brian Ernst.
—--
1) Who do you perform as (yourself)/with?
I mostly perform solo, but I do enjoy jamming with others as well.
2) What musical talent(s) do you possess?
On stage, I live loop an acoustic guitar, a bass line, beatbox, backup vocals, didgeridoo + various smaller percussion instruments (like shakers, tambourine, wooden frogs, triangle and a chain) and then I sing my original music (as well as a few of my favorite covers) over the song I just built in front of the audience.
3) At what age did you start singing/playing?
We had a baby grand piano at my house where I grew up. From an early age I began playing my mom's piano. I learned saxophone in my adolescence, guitar in my teenage years, didgeridoo, weissenborn in my 20's. I think I wrote a few songs when I was a teenager, but today I will still play a few of my early songs that I wrote when I was 21, 22 years old.
4) How long have you been performing locally?
I started playing in Fernandina Beach in 2008. Sliders is my longest running gig.
5) Who was your biggest musical influence?
Music was part of my childhood. I grew up listening to what my parents listened to (lots of classic rock) like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, Arethra Franklin, Motown, Joe Cocker, Jim Croce, Michael McDonald, Paul Simon, Jimmy Buffett as well as classical and original music that my mom, aunt and three cousins would write on the piano, violin and cello. My family also listened to a lot of Native American (and instrumental) music, which I admit, I appreciate much more now than I did growing up, but these are some of the foundational pillars of my musical influence.
I started out as a street performer spending my weekends busking everywhere from the Chicago subway to street festivals in Ohio and Michigan. I was inspired to take it to the streets by a musician named Juzzie Smith (out of Australia - look him up, wow). I bought a looping pedal (and PA system) with my last paycheck from my midwestern warehouse job and that decision was inspired by a musician named Mike Perkins (out of Ohio, also look him up). Both of those guys were pivotal in helping me find what I do musically today.
6) If you could meet one major figure in music history, who would it be and why?
Bob Marley (and it's not because of what some of you might think!) Here's why: Bob managed to do something that is very, very, very hard. He mixed both politics and religion and it didn't hurt his music career. Bob played a free show in Jamaica and had two opposing politicians walk onstage (during a time of political violence) and shake hands in front of everybody (and this was shortly after Bob survived an assassination attempt). Politics and religion emboldened his music and helped make it timeless. So I would ask Bob how he threaded that needle because not many musicians (or people for that matter) have been as influential as he has.
7) What do you enjoy most about performing on the island?
Being part of this community means a lot to me. I feel a sense of belonging here and I can make a living performing my own music. That makes Fernandina special to me. Having the opportunity to perform on these stages, multiple times a week and to build/strengthen relations within our community and beyond is something that gives me hope. Seeing what so many other people are doing in this community gives me that hope.
8 ) What is the best advice you’ve been given (by whom and what was it)?
My musical friend, Mike Perkins, told me very early in my career that making a living playing music means you will experience "peaks and valleys." He wasn't wrong.
Photo credit: Michael R Ritter
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