..
..At the age of ten, Eric Heart received his first taste of musical opportunity. After his family's home was robbed, his grandmother used some of the insurance money to buy him a keyboard. As he became more skilled on the instrument, it became apparent that it would take more than sixty-one keys to satisfy his desire for musical expression. The following year, Eric became infatuated with the movie "That Thing You Do." Guy Paterson, the drummer in the film, captured his interest instantly. Soon, viewing and reviewing key points of the movie emphasizing the character's drumming became a pastime. That year, his aunt bought him a junior drum set and he became enthralled in the art. As his passion for drumming increased, he outgrew the junior set and began to play seriously on more suitable equipment. As he went through junior high and high school, he became acquainted more and more with musicians. The majority of the friends he made from that point on were guitarists, so it was only natural when he picked up that skill as well. After learning guitar and bass, Eric was able to obtain a more serious goal and he began to write his own music. "I had a vision," he says of his initial composition. "It's hard to compromise your vision, or your idea of what a song should express, in order to suit the needs of others in a group. It just seemed more logical for me to write music for myself, and purely for myself, without the need to censor a concept for bandmates." Eric Heart's first writing experiences were recorded under the name "Frankie's Basement," influenced largely by pop punk groups who eventually would show him that it was possible to be a competent guitarist and vocalist. From Frankie's Basement, Eric moved on to write more mature music, more diverse, a reflection of his own growth. This new music project, entitled "Some Kind of Wonderful," functions more off of inspiration than specific musical and situational influences, allowing for a broader scope of sound. The journey from a simple set of keys to a full on musical experience is reflective of the impact music has on the life of Eric Heart. "Music is everything to me," he explains. "It's the source that drives me, that gives everything around me meaning. Like any art form, music can touch so many people, but still have a very personal interpretation for the person who creates it. Because of that, as long as I exist, I will create. Sure, it's about rocking out and having fun, but it's also about the expression of beauty and giving value to life." <3
|
v
