Where is Eric (a brief explanation)

I find the whole notion of having to promote myself “awkwardness inducing”. It feels like bragging.

“Hey! Look at me! Ain’t I great!?”

Nonetheless, in 2009 I started up a small mailing list to promote any gigs I was playing on. In the Subject of the emails I had “Where in the world is Eric” This was a take off on a children’s show in the 1990s “Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego”. If you have a lot of free time you can look it up.   I soon simplified this to just plain old “Where is Eric?”

In the years that followed I started adding some brief comments – usually some sort of humorous self-deprecating humor and/or oddball observation. With rare exceptions I avoid politics. . . .

SPECIAL ALERT on May 27, 2025: I have been negligent in my duties and have not updated this page since 2022. I hope to address this situation and bring this up to date in the next month or two.

NOTE: If for some strange reason you want to see what I wrote back in, say, March of 2012, and you don’t feel like scrolling through 10 years of posts, you can click here to quickly view a particular post: Where is Eric – Index

August 7, 2021:      Modern Technology

Starting in the early 1980s until my recent retirement I made a living programming computers, but my first actual experience with computers was in 1965 when I took a summer course in Fortran programming at Stevens Institute of Technology.  This was ancient technology.  There were no such things as computer terminals back then, we programmed using punch cards.  We sat in front of bulky noisy machines and typed in our programs.  Chunka! Chunka! Chunk!  Make those punches!  If you made a mistake there was no such thing as backspace or cut & paste.  You tossed the punch card and tried again.   Once you finished with your program, you then walked barefoot on broken glass over to the computer room to submit your punch cards to the computer.  In those days the computer (with 64K of RAM) took up an entire room.   The computer spit out the results onto a different set of punch cards.  You then swam through shark infested waters to get to the printer room to see your results.

      Error on line 40 

Oops, gotta do that all over again.

In 1983, when I got my first actual programming job, using a terminal was an amazing step forward.   And over the course of the next 35 years or so I did some really cool & complex things.   I designed and programmed a system used to support nuclear power plants, I redesigned a system to keep track of depreciation of inventory, etc, etc.  I worked with terabyte sized databases.

You would think with all this experience under my belt that I would be adept at working with computers.   But for some reason, I am continually stymied by today’s modern “user friendly” software.  I invariably get hung up on some seemingly simple task.

Case in point.  I was with my family and took a picture on my cellphone.  My daughter takes a look at it and says “Hey Dad, can you text that to me”?

Ooh, you can text photos?  That’s pretty cool, let me do it.   So I fumble around for a few minutes, but for the life of me I’m getting nowhere.  I can hear my daughter rolling her eyes behind my back.  Finally, in exasperation, she goes “D-a-ad!”, takes the phone, and goes “See – touch here, here, and here”  Choing – off goes the photo – and I hear the response on her phone.  I can now text photos with the best of them. 

I’ll share a few other stories in the following months.

Meanwhile, I have no gigs or concerts this month, but there are two other items of interest.

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Looking for Volunteer Listeners/Reviewers
As I compose my music, I often hit situations where I have, say, two different ways a piece can progress –  and I like both ways and can’t decide.   So I’m looking for some volunteers – folks who are able & willing to spend the occasional odd 1/2 an hour and listen to two different versions of a piece and let me know which they like better.

So if you are willing to help me in this regard, please respond and let me know.  Just to be clear, this is an unpaid position.

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Teaser Alert 
I will soon be releasing a single – either late August or early September.   Stay tuned for details.

July 7, 2021:    Politics? Yuck.

It’s no secret to long time readers that I come from a long line of left wing radicals and other suspicious types – but I’ve always avoided any discussions of such except in passing.   I did make one exception back in December of 2016.   I’ll quote in part:
I am optimistic by temperament but pessimistic by intellect – and I see no way that we’ll get through the next 4 years without some serious collateral damage.   The absolute best possible outcome I can hypothesize is that Trump screws up quickly but not too seriously – i.e. he screws up just enough to change the body politic but that any damage done is easily recoverable.   But that is a very low probability event.
At the time I had some sort of economic downturn in mind – say a major recession.  As we all know, this was not the case.  I’ll leave the final judgement up to future historians, but it is highly likely that Trump’s botching of the pandemic was the key factor in his defeat.   I don’t know how to feel about this.   If you had told me back in 2016 that I could insure that Trump would be a one term president but that 600K of my fellow citizens would die?   Would I have made that choice?  I dunno.  In a way this is a variation on the Trolley Problem.

Meanwhile (just to get it all out), I despair over the nature of our current political discourse.  It particularly bothers me when folks disparage people on the other side of the political fence: 

“Anyone who voted for [fill_in_the _blank] is stupid.  I hate them.”

Now it’s OK to hate politicians – that goes with the territory.  But to hate your fellow citizens?  This is counter-productive – it doesn’t solve anything.  I know it’s a cliche, but I’m with Martin Luther King Jr. on this one – we have to stick with love.  

End of speech.  Hopefully next month I will get back to my usual silly observations.
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Meanwhile, I have 3 shows this month, but rest assured they are all apolitical in nature.  Well OK, mostly all. . .

July 11th, Sunday, 3:00 – 6:00 PM
Blues Jam Afternoons @ Hat City
459 Valley St, Orange, NJ    973 677-8000
I’ll be sitting in with the house band this Sunday, but as this is a jam there will be a motley rotating crew of musicians playing.  I hear that other keyboard players are showing up, so don’t be alarmed if I’m not on stage when you show up.   Hat City has great food and an excellent bar.
https://www.facebook.com/events/397818064986455

July 23rd, Friday, 7:00-9:00 PM
With Arthur Neilson @ Ruthie’s Bar-B-Q & Pizza
64 1/2 Chestnut Ave, Montclair     (973) 509-1134
It feels like several lifetimes ago the last time I played with Arthur.  If you have never heard Arthur play you are in for a rare treat.  While Arthur’s main gig is band leader for Shemkia Copeland, Arthur is a superb guitarist/singer/songwriter in his own write (stealing a pun from John Lennon).  Hopefully the weather will cooperate and we’ll be out on the world famous Ruthie’s Veranda, but if it rains we will squeeze inside.   BYO.
http://www.ruthiesbbq.com/
http://www.arthurneilson.com/

July 31st, Saturday, 5:30  (rain date Aug 1st)
With Craig Mitchell @ Kemet Music & Arts Festival
Montclair Brewery
101 Walnut St.
Montclair, NJ 07042
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kemet-music-and-arts-festival-2-tickets-158255547603
I guess this is sort of a political event.  It’s a day long festival that is (in part) a fundraising event to aid black businesses in need.   I will be performing with Craig Mitchell – a fine blues, r&b, soul singer/guitarist.  We are supposed to go on @ 5:30, but my experience with these events is that schedules tend to be a bit, ummm, fluid.   Tickets for this event are $20 if purchased ahead of time, $25 at the door; you must also purchase two drinks (non-alcohol will be available).   There will be food vendors as well.

June 9, 2021:    On Clothes – and an Actual Live Gig!

I am fortunate to have my own personal fashion design team working for me.   Between my wife Lisa (Senior Fashion Consultant) and my daughter Hannah (Associate Fashion Consultant) they do a decent job of insuring that I do not look like a complete dork when I leave the house (inside they’ve long since given up).   But their job is not an easy one as I have very strict rules.

First rule:  No logos, lettering, pictures, catchy slogans, etc.
I may make the rare exception for some special event, but otherwise I will only wear solid color t-shirts.  Other than that?  I sometimes go to Macy’s and look at clothes and I see something I like, but then there’s that stupid Polo emblem staring me in the face.   Sorry Ralph Lauren, not buying.  I may make an exception if the logo is really subtle, but that’s also rare.
Second Rule: I buy the socks.
Socks must go up exactly 12 inches measured from the floor.   12 is the number of inches.   Socks shalt not go up 11″ except to then proceed to 12″.   Monty Python fans fill in the rest. . . .    After much trial and error I can report that Gold Toe Men’s 656s Cotton Crew Athletic Socks ® are the only socks out there that meet my strict requirements.  Oh did I mention?  Only black socks.
Shoes? Comfort beats style
Getting me to wear any shoes at all – let alone stylish shoes – is probably the most challenging job facing my fashion team.   Gimme good old comfortable to wear/walk sneakers any day.

Fortunately, you are free to follow your own fashion sense if you come to see me play at my (yea!) first live show in too long a time. . . .

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June 25rd, Friday, 7:00PM-9:00 – Better Off Dead at Ruthie’s BBQ, 64 1/2 Chestnut Ave, Montclair, NJ  (973) 509-1134
With any luck the weather gods will smile on us as we play outside on the world famous Ruthie’s Veranda.   If bad weather, call ahead.   Remember to BYO. 
http://www.betteroffdead.com/home.htm/
http://www.ruthiesbbq.com/

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Hidden Song Quote Contest!
Since I neglected last month to state that family members were not eligible, the winner of last month’s “Hidden Song” contest was my daughter Hannah who (in being providing me with fashion tips) correctly heard Maria from The Sound of Music at about 4:35 into Short Story For Mixed Ensemble  (you may listen again for your edification).

April 16, 2021:     In memory of . . . And another contest!

Life is too short
When I first started thinking about recording an album of my music, I knew that I would need some sound business advice as I have zero talent at business affairs.   Just the very thought of having to negotiate business dealings gives me panic attacks.  So I thought of all the people I knew and asked myself,  “Do I know anyone I can rely on who has good business sense and is also totally trustworthy & honest?”  There was one person who matched those requirements – my good friend Rob Signorile.  Before his retirement, Rob ran an advertising agency with his wife Marie.  If you know anything about the advertising business, you can appreciate just how hard it is to maintain your integrity in the business – but Rob managed this balancing act for many years before his retirement.

Rob & I meet at the blues jams at the Franklin Tavern.   Rob had the knack of finding great musicians to play with him – and I was flattered when he invited me to play with his blues / R&B band Shuffle Jump & Moan   We made great music together, had some memorable gigs, and my wife Lisa & I became good friends with him and his wife Marie.  And Rob not only took on the task of being my informal business advisor, he also became one of my biggest fans.  “Eric, I don’t understand your music, but I love it.”

Three years ago Marie died suddenly.  This was a terrible blow to us all, but we carried on.  But then, in another one of these cruel twists of life, Rob came down with cancer.  After many months of treatment, the cancer was in remission – and we were able to gig again.   And then COVID came along.

In the midst of this, I was debating with myself whether to self-release my album or to continue hoping/waiting for a record deal to materialize.  I reached out to Rob to talk it over.  Rob’s advice was to go for it.  “Life is too short, you never know what will happen.  You’ll regret not doing it.”

Rob knew what he was talking about.   Later that year the cancer came back – and after trying various treatments it was clear that medical science could do no more.   Rob died last week.  He will be missed and I will miss him.   Sigh.  The circle of life is a bitch.

Hidden Song Quote Contest!
On a more upbeat note, I can report that the winner of last months “Hidden Song” contest was keen eared Arthur Neilson who correctly heard “A horse is a horse” at 3:43 into Bounce #1 (you may listen again for your edification).

This month there’s a new contest.  Short Story For Mixed Ensemble is a piece I wrote a for a concert that was Covid Cancelled last spring.  Hidden somewhere in this piece (actually it’s pretty obvious) is a short reference to a song from a well known Broadway musical.  The first person who can correctly identify the show & song (and where it is in my piece) will win a dinner for two at the restaurant of their choice (within reason).  Again, here is the link for the piece:  Short Story For Mixed Ensemble

March 4, 2021:      My oldest/newest composition. And a contest!

No, this is not some sort of Zen koan.  It’s a bit of a stretch, but you could make the case that this is vaguely analogous to the famous “sister daughter” scene in the movie Chinatown, albeit without any sinister overtones.  But bear with me while I explain.

The Back Story

The summer of 1980 marked the high point of my so-called rock & rock “career” in the recording of an album featuring singer/songwriter/guitarist Rick Dufay.  The album was produced by Jack Douglas who is most well known for producing John Lennon, Aerosmith, Cheap Trick, etc.   After this experience I returned home to New Jersey bursting with creative energy.   At the time I was still trying to be a famous rock & roll keyboardist, but I was already in my early 30s – and rock & roll is basically a young  person’s game.    I knew I could go back into the corporate world and make a decent living, but I wanted to give things one more shot.

Long story short, I ended up collaborating with a lyricist trying to write hit singles.   This project generated some material that I was & still am very proud of, but things fell apart.  In the midst of all this, Joe ( the lyricist) had one of these old fashioned living room style organs – the kind where you could press one key and the organ would generate a whole rhythm section with bass and chords.   Joe came up with this goofy combination of sounds that I liked.  I played around with it and came up with a concept that I really liked. I recorded a few different versions and pieced together a 15 minute version. 

Fast forward 40 years . . . .  

When I started composing I had trouble coming up with titles for my compositions.   It is fashionable in classical music circles these days to come up with evocative titles that somehow explain what the piece is “about.”  I do not relate to this at all – I have no idea what my compositions are “about.”  So early on I was simply naming my pieces “Exercises.”

My fellow composers gently suggested to me that perhaps I might want to come up with some better names. 

With this in mind I decided to name a piece “Bounce”.  But then I came up with another piece that was also sort of “bouncy” so I called the first piece Bounce #1 and the second #2.  BUT – I then remembered the thing I had come up with back in the 1980s – and that was sort of bouncy as well.  So I decided to keep things in chronological order.  The piece from the 1980s became Bounce #1 and the other numbers got pushed up by one.  Eventually Bounce #3 made it onto my album.  

But meanwhile Bounce #1 was still in a rudimentary form – with this goofy organ sound doing the lead line.  So back in late 2018 – in the middle of recording I played a little bit for Jack.  Long story short, Jack suggested using muted trumpet to start off the lead line in place of the goofy organ sound.  I fooled around with that a bit and finally came up with a combination of muted trumpet, oboe, plus a little bit of flute an octave higher.  

But then other things came up and the piece went on the back burner yet again.   Sigh.

Finally with the new year 2021 I decided that I needed to get this off of my plate.  Or as they say here in New Jersey – “S**t or get off the pot.”  So for the last 2 months I’ve been heads down finishing this up.   I’m very happy with the result.  You can listen to it here:   Bounce #1

About Bounce #1

Thematically this piece is more compact than most of my other work; it’s constructed around a recurring phrase which is re-used in different contexts.  I had one additional section just before the recapitulation & fade out that I really liked, but it was just too much so I reluctantly cut it.

This is the most complex arrangement that I have written to date.   As I was pulling this together it felt like it needed different textures in certain places.  I ended up using a full orchestra including woodwinds, brass, saxophones, strings, percussion, piano, organ and 3 different bass sounds playing in unison.  And – as always – I am not 100% satisfied.  There are still some scattered chunks of music and textures that do not quite capture what I’m hearing in my mind’s ear.

Meanwhile I find this piece particularly hypnotic –  I love the way the melody floats over the rhythm.   My friend Rob says that listening to this makes him feel like he is floating in outer space. 

Alternatively, if you’re looking for a reference, you can think of Bounce #1 as a 21st century cross between Ravel’s Bolero and the Theme From Rocky.

I’d love to get some feedback on this.  In particular, there is a very high background part played on marimba or piccolo that sits inside the mix.  Given the combination of my tinnitus and age related loss of high frequency hearing, I’m not sure whether the balance is correct.

TV Theme Song Quote Contest!

Hidden in here there is a short reference to an equine based 1960s sitcom.  I will give a gift certificate to a restaurant of your choice (within reason) to the first person who can identify this.