Erin Frisby
Multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and songwriter Erin Frisby (she/they) has performed at Carnegie Hall, historic punk venue 924 Gilman Street, as part of Tino Sehgal’s “This, You” at the Hirshhorn, Fort Reno, and everywhere in between. Early in their career, they were honored as a three-time Rosa Ponselle Silver Rose awardee for opera performance and participated as a soloist in the Amalfi Coast Festival while completing their vocal performance degree at University of Maryland.
Erin has written music for, performed with, and toured with The OSYX. Releasing “One of the best heavy records of the year” according to music journalist Jim DeRogatis of Sound Opinions, The OSYX burst onto the D.C. music scene with a refreshing energy featured at The Smithsonian Social Power of Music and by Curve Magazine. Previously Erin toured the country frequently with FuzzQueen and Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray. Erin currently plays with new power trio, Ammonite, which will be featured in performance by the National Museum of Women in the Arts in February, 2023.
An accomplished teaching artist, Erin developed in-school music education programming for under resourced public schools in Chicago as the Program Director of Rock For Kids (now Foundations of Music). Erin’s curriculum was piloted for 30 students in 3rd and 4th grade and grew to serve 7,000 students at 25 schools. Erin has created and led interactive music workshops at The Smithsonian Luce Center and 7 Drum City. And most recently piloted a yearlong skill sharing cohort for DIY music artists through This Could Go Boom!. Erin is a co-founder of This Could Go Boom!, which is a nonprofit record label and organization leveraging resources and facilitating community collaboration, to champion gender identities that have been systematically marginalized in all aspects of the music business. Erin has presented a Hirshhorn Gallery Talk as well as a Kennedy Center Millennium Stage talk as a representative of TCGB!. The organization has been featured in Alternative Press, The Washington Post, and as part of the Smithsonian Folkways Festival. TCGB! has released three full length albums and an EP and has presented 125 musical acts in paid performance. TCGB! is a recipient of a Maryland Creativity Grant.
Erin has recently received funding as an individual artist from the PG County Arts and Humanities Council as well as the Maryland State Arts Council to create new musical works. Both pieces included creative community collaboration with participants of all ages and experience levels. Erin completed intensive arts activism training from The Sanctuaries D.C. Arts For Social Impact program.