Ed Helms ’96 and Chris Eldridge ’04 Team Up for 'Red Herring Conversations' Jan. 29

Oberlin graduates Ed Helms and Chris Eldridge make no secret of their passion for American roots music. Now the old friends will share their fascination with the rest of us in a January 29 program on Oberlin Stage Left.

They envision “The Red Herring Conversations” as an opportunity to ruminate about their Oberlin days, reflect upon their influential mentors, and share plans for Eldridge’s first semester as Visiting Associate Professor of Contemporary American Acoustic Music.

It was Helms, the comedic actor, banjo player, and Oberlin board member, who provided pivotal support for the professorship, which begins with spring semester classes on string bands and music-making mindfulness.

Both classes are open to students in the college and conservatory. Eldridge, the founding guitarist of the Grammy Award-winning ensemble Punch Brothers, will also teach private lessons.

The program airs at 7:30 p.m. Friday, January 29, on Oberlin Stage Left, the conservatory's virtual programming platform, which launched in April 2020.