Krueger: What were your first experiences with music?
Eric: My first experience with music was learning
how to buzz on the mouthpiece for baritone, when Dad was first teaching me. My Dad is my biggest inspiration and coach
for life. I didn't have much exposure to
music, before he got me interested.
Krueger: Your Dad was your first
teacher then?
Eric: Yes, and I actually took
piano lessons from a woman in Grants Pass, Oregon, where I was born. We moved to Ashland when I finished 2nd
grade. In Ashland I continued piano
lessons with Steven Truelove. Then I
don't remember having Tuba, or any lessons on low brass until High School with
the Band Director, Sue Foster, in 8th grade.
Then once I got more serious about the Tuba in my Junior Year in High School,
I had my first few lessons at the University with Stu Turner even before I
graduated from High School.
Krueger: What got you feeling serious
about the Tuba vs. the Piano?
Eric: Nothing really got me
seriously interested in the Tuba. I kind of just stuck with it because I liked
playing it and thought I was a natural. As I played more and got more experienced,
it felt more natural. I didn't feel like
I needed to practice, unless it was completely necessary for success.
Krueger: And what did you do then, to
continue to play?
Eric: Pep Band and Marching Band. There was Band Camp
of course, which was fun. My Band
Teacher was a 100% supporter. I joined the
Youth Symphony Orchestra in my Junior Year and also I was in Honor Band. I joined the University Symphonic Band my
Junior Year and played with Michael Shultz. Those were tough times because he
was like a Tuba Army Drill Sergeant. I
also achieved three Academic Letters for my musical activities while in High
School.
In
1997, I got invited to represent Oregon as an ambassador to travel to Europe
and play concerts in 7 different countries.
I got a recognition letter from the Governor Kitzhaber, congratulating
me on my achievements.
Krueger: How long was your trip to Europe? Which
Countries did you visit?
Eric: The musical
activities part of it was two weeks only. We started our rehearsals in Portland
at Lewis and Clark College. Then we flew to London, shipped with a Ferry
through the English Channel from Dover to the French coastline onto Paris. Then onto a small mountain town in
Switzerland called Champery. We did a
small visit to Lichtenstein. Then onto Austria after that, while the
organization was there, some of us went to Vienna, and the others went on a day
trip to Venice, Italy, which was unforgettable experience. We then concluded our trip after Switzerland.
Onto Germany in a town called Rothenberg.
During all these trips I'm doing choir concerts in evenings and band
concerts during the day. I was called a "Doubler" choir member and a
band member.
After High School, I continued on at Southern Oregon University
with Music Education, and I got accepted into the Music Department, but I never
really officially got admitted into the University. I think what I did was paid
for classes and attended music classes, but never was officially enrolled and
classified as a student. I went ahead
anyways and used my two scholarships and paid for two years of classes and
courses.
Krueger: What role do you
feel all of this musical activity played in your life?
Eric: All of that musical
activity in my life made me feel like there was a purpose for me coming into
this world. It opened up a new world for
me, a new door to explore and discover. I
really enjoyed it, because it brought attention to me and I made other people
around me happy, and I was happy with them in the process. It was very satisfying and soothing to know
that I made somebody’s day memorable because of what I made with my instrument.
Eric currently works at FTD Flowers in Medford, Oregon, and teaches Tuba on the side, while also playing Tuba with the Rogue Valley Symphony when the opportunity is there.
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