For the past two decades, Erick Walls ’98 has been strumming his guitar alongside some of the industry’s biggest stars. His impressive résumé includes two Grammys, an Emmy nomination, and collaborations with Toni Braxton, Alicia Keys, Beyoncé, John Legend, and many more. Following his electrifying performance at the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show with Usher, our community relations coordinator, Camille Berry, caught up with Erick and asked him about how his formative years at Carolina Friends School have been instrumental in shaping his remarkable musical career.
What do you remember most about your time at Carolina Friends School?
Back during my time at Carolina Friends School, there was a space called the “Music House.” My advisor, Kris Whitenack—who is a great friend of mine today—taught classes there that changed my life. He really encouraged me to be creative, and taught me that music could be a creative outlet. I was given so much freedom to explore and express myself.
It makes me wonder what you’d be doing today if the Music House hadn’t been there to enable you to experiment and explore!
Exactly! When I arrived at Carolina Friends in middle school, I was young and trying to figure out who I was and what I liked. The support of the whole Carolina Friends School community was so positive and unlike anything I’d experienced in a school setting before. It built me up. As I took music production classes and received encouragement, I remember thinking, “Wow, this is really something I could pursue professionally.”
From the yearbook archives: Erick (R) rocking out in the Music House in 1995.
Tell us a little bit about your journey after you graduated.
After Carolina Friends School, I attended Berklee College [a renowned music conservatory] in Massachusetts. I was there at the same time as some really well-known, fantastic musicians today, like John Mayer and Esperanza Spalding. That’s where I made a ton of valuable connections.
How did you make the decision to move to the West Coast?
I’d always enjoyed reading album credits and noticed that a lot of music I liked was being made out in California. Of course, I thought about staying on the East Coast, but I just got the sense that California was where I was meant to be.
So, I moved to California on a Wednesday, and one of my buddies from Berklee invited me to do my first gig that Friday. That one opportunity—just three days into living in LA—was literally my introduction to the “who’s who” within the music business.
“I’m still basking in the excitement of being involved with this legendary history making event!” Erick Walls ‘98 shared on Instagram (@iamerickwalls) after performing in the Super Bowl halftime show.
Speaking of the “who’s who,” congrats again on playing the Super Bowl halftime show with Usher!
Thank you so much. I try to never lose perspective because younger me would daydream about the things I’m doing now. This is a dream come true. And I try to understand the blessing of it all.
There were a lot of Carolina Friends School community members cheering for you that night, so you certainly made an impact on the people here! What lesson from CFS has had a lasting impact on you?
One, Carolina Friends School prepared me for the world. I was introduced to people from different cultures and backgrounds and learned that there is a common thread between all humans. Being a student at Carolina Friends School helped me understand the power of connecting with people—whether it was in advisee groups, school outings, or productive discussions in class where everyone could voice their opinions freely. I just learned that everyone deserves to feel seen and feel like they matter.
In this industry, I encounter so many different types of people, and it’s a part of me to approach every relationship with the same respect. Talent only gets you so far in this business. Your talent can get you in the door, but your character will keep you there.
Carolina Friends also helped me become an inquisitive human being.
Educational settings aren’t all the same. There’s a difference between memorizing information about a topic versus really understanding it and digging deeper into its context and backstory.
My teachers at Carolina Friends School taught me to really engage with what I was learning and follow my curiosity. Learning this, especially at an early age, is an attribute that I carry with me today. I can’t say I was always a fan of school, but Carolina Friends School truly helped me become a fan of learning.
Thank you for your time, Erick. We hope you’ll visit soon (and maybe play some music for us)!
Of course, of course. Campus will always have a special place in my heart. It’s where I was taught to believe nothing is off limits to me —that there’s a world out there that is to be enjoyed and experienced, you know?