Born May 16, 1976, Brian Eichenberger was raised in Apple valley, Minnesota. He got his first taste of jazz harmonies in Minneapolis, when his high school vocal group sang Take 6’s arrangement of A Quite Place. “When I plunked out my part on the piano, I couldn’t believe I would actually sing these lines. A few weeks later, everyone as getting a handle on their parts and this amazing thing happened. When all these weird parts came together, it just floored me… What a beautiful sound!”

He continued studying harmony at Phil Mattson’s School for Music Vocations in Creston, Iowa. “There were about 50 music students, living in the middle of nowhere, with nothing to do except play, sing, eat, sleep and breathe music.” In 1996 The Four Freshmen were looking for a new member to play bass and sine the second part. With a strong recommendation from Phil Mattson and an audition, Eichenberger got the job. A few years later, Eichenberger moved up to lead singer. He is only the third lead singer in the Freshmen’s history. “I really enjoy singing the melody. I don’t have to think about the notes as much, and I can put more focus on phrasing, tempos and the overall sound we make.” Outside of The Freshmen, Eichenberger spends most of his time writing new songs. His main musical influences are Sting, Steely Dan and Stevie Wonder.

website: www.fourfreshmen.com