Eric Tingstad, a classical guitarist, and Nancy Rumbel, who plays oboe, English horn, and ocarina, began their association after meeting at a music festival in the Pacific Northwest. They were drawn together by a shared interest in applying their instruments outside their traditional settings, integrating ethnic, jazz, rock, and other contemporary influences into their classical backgrounds. Their neo-classical instrumentals mixed with a warm folk treatment has been called "Northwestern Impressionism" and brought the attention of new age label Narada who released their holiday-themed album, The Gift, in 1985. Extensive touring throughout small towns in the U.S. and Canada built an avid fan base, expanding their exposure to new and more diverse audiences. Both artists have also released solo albums (Tingstad's Renewal in 1992 and A Sense of Place in 1995, and Rumbel's Notes From the Tree of Life), but their greatest successes have come from their collaborations, notably Pastorale released in 1997, and 1998's American Acoustic, which both debuted at number one on new age voice radio. ~ Zac Johnson