ABOUT ETHAN

I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, in what's been called a "leafy hamlet" to the east of the Berkeley Hills. Life in suburbia was pleasant, although sometimes a little dull and isolating. But I kept busy, played baseball, and met lifelong friends. I think because of the environmental consciousness of the Bay Area, coupled with the absolutely beautiful natural setting of my home region, I became an environmentalist and a lover of the outdoors. I started backpacking in the Sierras during high school and discovered the local hot springs soon thereafter.

When I was in college, I started getting very interested in Native American history. I took some courses at Brown University on the local native history on the East Coast. I made a few close friends who were of native descent. And by the time I came back home after school, I was hungry to learn about the history of my own hometown. I picked up a copy of Malcolm Margolin's "The Ohlone Way" on the Bay Area Indians and was blown away. From that point on, I gobbled up all the books and info I could on California native history and visited many sacred sites around California.

Around this time, I recorded my first CD "A Locked Box Of Treasure." I had learned to play the saxophone in the 6th grade, and quickly moved on to the guitar in the 8th grade. As soon as I picked up the guitar, I started writing songs. The first songs were kind of ridiculous, but I'd like to think I got better. I played a lot of jazz saxophone in college, which influenced my guitar songwriting. When I came home from college, I decided that music and songwriting would be my life. So the new CD was an effort in that direction.

When "Locked Box" came out, I moved to Santa Monica with my then-girlfriend, now wife, Jessica. Jessica was attending a Ph.D. program at UCLA, and I went along for the ride, getting a job at a major record company nearby. Life at the record company, however, dulled my enthusiasm for a professional music career. The business seemed unforgiving and unstable, and the music just stopped being fun with my economic well-being seeming to depend on it. But I did learn a lot about music and the business, and I even got to hang out with Dr. Dre and U2. So it wasn't all bad. I decided to refocus my life, and I went to law school at UCLA.

Throughout law school, I had very little time for music, but I recorded and wrote more songs whenever I could. Jessica and I traveled a lot throughout California and the world, and world music influences started creeping into my songs. Finally, while cramming for the bar exam this past summer, I was able to finish up my long-delayed second CD "Tales From California." I wrote and produced the record as a musical statement of my love for California and its history, as well as its hot springs, mountains, deserts, islands and beaches. But even if you're not from the state, I think there are themes in the album that everyone can relate to. And with all the songs based on acoustic guitar, I think it provides for some relaxing music to listen to.

Now I'm busy working on a nonprofit I started for the Hopi Tribe in Arizona and teaching part time at the law school at UCLA. I play gigs whenever I can, continue to promote the record on the internet, and remain hopeful that the new CD will find its audience. So thanks for stopping by and please spread the word if you have friends or family who you think would like the tunes. And don't forget to join in on the message board for some lively discussions.

Take care and keep rocking!