Recent UVM graduate Eric George, class of 2012, describes himself as being in a marriage between love and music.I used to go by a different name before college, he said. But now, entertaining is fundamentally and quintessentially my life.For George, entertaining and playing music, especially folk music, is synonymous.There is no reason to have any other name, such as a stage name, he said. I play for a living.Having learned how to play the guitar when he was 11-years-old, George said that he has never gone a day without playing or listening to music.Throughout his four years at UVM, George has been involved in entertainment at many events.These events include University-sponsored farmers markets, campus-wide protests and the Battle of the Bands. George and his band The Fancy Drifters won the competition in 2010 and had the opportunity to be the opening act at SpringFest that same year.He said that while he would never say no to a gig, he could not envision himself playing at a majority of campus events.It seems like UVM is a different world, he said. The Davis Center is not an environment that is conducive to folk music. It makes me feel like Im in a spaceship.After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology and religion, George said that he never had an interest in studying music and theory.Quoting from the book How to Play the Five String Banjo by Pete Seeger, when asked if he could read music, his response was, not enough to hurt my playing.After receiving his degree, George said he chose to stay in Vermont because of the beauty the state offers, the ability to stay close to his friends and family and to foster his musical development.My friends are here, Slade [Hall] is my family and Burlington is the right climate for my music to keep growing in, he said.George said that he has recently been playing music at nursing and retirement homes around the Burlington area.It always seemed like a good thing to do, he said. I really like when a song does something for a person, when old folks hear me play and Im able to send them back to another time.Folk music has the ability to transcend age, class and gender, according to George.Eric is very present in the community, said senior Addie Herbert. There is so much more to say about him but nothing that is quantifiable.Besides playing for the elderly, George said that he has also been busking, the practice of street entertainment for money, on Church Street.I like how he is a Church Street character, said alumn Emmy Ford, class of 2012. He adds his own touch to the covers he does. He is very unique.When asked to define the relationship between love and music, George was hesitant.Love is the source of music, of creativity, he said. Sometimes its easy to tap into that, but mostly it takes endless practice.