Eric Tingstad (born December 16, 1954) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter and composer. He was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. Best known as a fingerstyle guitarist, Tingstad has performed, recorded, and produced alternative country, blues, americana, rock, smooth jazz, ambient, and New-age music. Tingstad frequently collaborates with woodwinds player Nancy Rumbel as Tingstad and Rumbel. He is also a principal founder, producer, electric guitarist and co-writer with the Halyards, a Seattle-based American roots rock band that includes Carl Funk and Larry Mason. 　　Eric Tingstad cites early rock and roll influences such as the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and King Crimson. Other influences include the Kingston Trio, Flatt and Scruggs, pianist and composer Martin Denny, sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar, Mason Williams's "Classical Gas" and the Hawaiian slack-key guitar. 　　In the mid 1970s, while playing lead guitar and bass with Seattle-based rock band Pegasus, Tingstad began studies under masters of techniques pioneered by Spanish classical guitarist and innovator Andrés Segovia. Those techniques, combined with innovations of his own, have shaped Tingstad's stylings and the instrumental compositions for which he is known.[3] His innovative work inspired Will Ackerman, founder of Windham Hill Records, to create the Windham Hill Guitar Sampler series. Tingstad's Prelude from the Bridal Suite is a selected pick on AllMusic.com from the first Windham Hill Guitar Sampler. 　　By a vote of his peers, he was honored in October 2006 with the Coyote Award from Arts Northwest commemorating his leadership, visibility, and contributions in live performance. He is also known for his philanthropic and community service work for historical preservation, land trust, and environmental issues which he has incorporated into his compositional themes and branding.