Eric Stanley (violinist)

Eric Stanley

Photograph of Eric Stanley

Stanley in 2013
Born April 19, 1991
Chesapeake, Virginia, U.S.
Residence Richmond, Virginia, U.S.
Alma mater Virginia Commonwealth (B.A. 2014)
Occupation
  • Violinist
  • arranger
  • composer
Years active 2009–present
Relatives

Musical career

Genres
Instruments Violin, piano
Signature "Eric Stanley" spells out the signature in the image.
Website
www.ericstanleyworldwide.com

Eric Stanley (born April 19, 1991)[1] is an American violinist, composer, and arranger. He is known for remixing popular hip hop and pop songs on the violin.[2][3] Stanley presents improvisational violin performances found on his YouTube channel, Estan247, which was introduced in 2010.[4] As of December 2014, his YouTube channel has more than 100,000 subscribers and over 15 million total views.[5]

During 2011 Stanley released The Eric Stanley Project, a mixtape.[6]

Life and career

1991–2008: Early life

Stanley was born in Chesapeake, Virginia and comes from a family of musicians.[7] He has an older brother named Marcus (born 1985), who is a pianist, and an older sister, Anhayla (born 1988), a singer. He attended Short Pump Middle School in Richmond, Virginia. With the encouragement of his teachers, Stanley began playing the violin at age 12.[8][9] When he entered high school, Stanley joined the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra.[10]

2009–present: Career

In 2009, at the age of 18, Stanley began posting videos on Internet websites YouTube, WorldStarHipHop, and PerezHilton.com.[11][12] Stanley has experimented in combining improvisational violin playing with hip hop, pop, and classical. One of his first videos was a violin cover of Say Ahh by R&B artist Trey Songz. The video accumulated 300,000 views in the first two days.[7] Other songs included Love the Way You Lie and Airplanes.[3] In 2011, Stanley became a "viral sensation" and performed as the opening act for rapper B.o.B.[13] In 2011, Stanley performed for President Bill Clinton in Orlando, Florida.[14][15] He attended Virginia Commonwealth University, graduating in 2014.[16]

In 2015, Stanley provided the theme song for ESPN First Take.[17]

Discography

Mixtapes

List of mixtapes, with selected details
Title Album details
The Eric Stanley Project
  • Released: April 24, 2011[6]
  • Label: Self-released
  • Formats: Digital download

Singles

Year Title
2013 "Walkin' Cross the Road[18]"

Filmography

Television
Year Show Role Notes
2015 ESPN First Take Himself 1 episode

See also

References

  1. ↑ "MTV Artists: Eric Stanley". MTV Artists. Viacom. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
  2. ↑ Martinez, Marc (October 3, 2010). Eric Stanley: Hip Hop Violinist. (Interview). Fox 10 News. KTSP-TV. Phoenix. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 McNerthney, Casey (May 10, 2011). "Eminem sounds good on violin, thanks to Eric Stanley". Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Seattle, Washington). Retrieved January 9, 2015.
  4. ↑ Hathaway, Jay. "Eric Stanley Plays Violin Covers of the Hits". urlesque.com. AOL. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  5. ↑ "About". youtube.com/user/estan247. YouTube. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "The Eric Stanley Project // Free Mixtape". HotNewHipHop. Urbanlinx Media, Inc. April 24, 2011. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 McQuade, Greg (March 1, 2011). Eric Stanley Interview. (Interview). CBS 6 News. WTVR-TV. Richmond. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  8. ↑ Hankerson, Mechelle (November 4, 2010). "Youtube sensation champions hip-hop violin". The Commonwealth Times (Richmond, VA). Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  9. ↑ Miller, Cheryl (March 1, 2011). Eric Stanley Performance. (Interview). CBS 6 News. WTVR-TV. Richmond. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
  10. ↑ "about – Eric Stanley". Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  11. ↑ Eric Stanley (performer) (July 7, 2010). Eric Stanley – Eminem Ft. Rihanna "Love The Way You Lie" Violin Cover (Shockwave Flash video). WorldStarHipHop. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
  12. ↑ Eric Stanley (performer) (December 2, 2011). This Rad Guy Fiddles With Stereo Hearts By Gym Class Heroes! (unspecified video format). PerezHilton.com. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
  13. ↑ Curry, Lashonda Stinson (February 24, 2011). "Grammy-nominated artist B.o.B brings hits to O’Dome". The Gainesville Sun (Gainesville, FL). Retrieved January 13, 2015.
  14. ↑ Laura (November 18, 2011). "A call to action from Mr. Clinton". Retrieved January 9, 2015.
  15. ↑ Masie Learning Talks (June 3, 2013). "Eric Stanley: Opening for President Bill Clinton". Retrieved January 9, 2015.
  16. ↑ "Timeline Photos – Eric Stanley - Facebook". Retrieved January 9, 2015.
  17. ↑ Erby, Glenn. "Violinist Puts Classical Spin On ‘First Take’ Theme Song". blacksportsonline.com. BonaFide Media. Retrieved April 29, 2015.
  18. ↑ https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/walkin-cross-road-violin-mix/id665882961

External links