Erin’s Story

Erin Sliney has always been a lover of music, learning, and new experiences.  Born in Truckee, California and raised on a horse farm in Kentucky, her cultural identity and life has been a windy path between the two.  After graduating with a bachelor’s of arts in Spanish and Anthropology/Sociology from Centre College, Erin left Kentucky on a 7-year journey to hike and teach in the forests, deserts, and mountain ranges of North America.  She taught ceramics at summer camps in Maine and Vermont, worked on trail and chainsaw crews in Utah and Nevada, and guided hikes in Guatemala and Alaska. She fell in love with environmental education instruction, training, and program development in northern California.

This extended time experiencing and teaching about the natural environment instilled in Erin a deep and joyous love for the Earth, but it also made her concerned for the planet and its inhabitants.  Motivated to make positive change, Erin pursued and attained a master’s degree in Resilient and Sustainable Communities from Green Mountain College.  There, she learned about the past, present, and worrisome future of our food, transportation, communication, energy, and economic systems and how to improve to these systems at a regional level.  She also extensively studied and assessed community environmental education needs, spearheaded an environmental education network, and is a proud recipient of Kentucky’s Professional Environmental Educator Certification.

Erin’s love of music has been present throughout her lifetime, but recently it’s taken over.  She’s fallen head over heels for songwriting and feels called to share her creations with the world.  Her debut album, Truckee to Kentucky, was released in early 2020 and summarizes her travelling years. It received a 4 star review from Country Music People Magazine, who called it a “remarkable debut” that reveals Erin “as a singer with a unique talent for writing country songs.”  

Erin is currently enthusiastically gardening, songwriting, and developing an environmental education guidebook at her family’s Kentucky farm.  She looks forward to finding innovative ways to integrate and use music and education as a tool to build community and spark environmentally sustainable change.