Eric's Road to CCM (Part I)

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I wrote in my 1^st blog about setting a count-down timer for my 50th year.  At that same time I set another timer; Eric’s first day at the University of Cincinnati.  That will be this Tuesday, 4 days away.  So I’m going to focus on Eric for my next few reports as he is crouched at the edge of the nest, itching to fly (or plummet.)

Eric officially was graduated from the Geil Homeschool Academy in June of 2010, but his first day of College was actually three years earlier (he was 15) when he took a summer Speech Class at Longview Community College.  He had been a “typical peer” or “peer role-model” at a pre-K class in Columbia, TN for students with developmental disabilities.  He came in a participated with pre-K students who had Mental Retardation, Spinabifida, or other Disabilities.  He was there to be himself and “act typical.”  I enjoyed sneaking in and watching him play with another African-American boy with spinabifida.  He would propel himself around the room with his hands. His legs were useless, and would flop behind him.  The teacher told me she was pretty pleased with Eric’s reaction to him butting in line, Eric wasn’t having it and the two of them scuffled. This told the teacher Eric wasn’t even seeing this boy as handicapped, he just wanted things to be fair (a trait he picked up from his mother, and that he holds dear to this day.)  Other than that time in his life, he had been educated at home.

Eric continued at Longview after he was graduated.  He watched many of his close friends go off to college, and he watched another set of his close friends prepare to go off to college.  Even though he was technically “in college” and he had earned over 36 hours of college credit, he was still living at home.

Eric has always been a singer.  In Nashville we had one of those Fisher-Price giant, indestructible tape players with the sing-along-microphone.  Eric would stand in our living room when he was 3 or 4 years old mesmerized by the Graham Kendrick “March for Jesus” tape.  He could sing every song, and he would stand completely still and listen to a part, then he would rewind it and sing that part over and over.  I remember my mom and dad visiting and my mom would watch him with her eyes wide, “Does he always do this?” she asked. “I guess. I hadn’t really thought about it,” was my doofus reply. I was just glad he was doing something independently.

When he was in 7^th grade we bought a used copy of the awful, Phantom of the Opera Movie DVD with the horribly mis-cast Gerard Butler (no abs required in this one.)  However, it had someone else in the movie Eric became (is “obsessed” to strong of a word?) interested in, Patrick Wilson. He played Raoul and was pretty awesome.  Eric did the same thing he did in Nashville.  He sat one foot away from the TV and watched it over and over.  He even said, “This is what I want to do.”

Eric took a CYT Audition class in 2010.  The teacher was a professional Broadway performer and an awesome vocalist.  Eric sang one of his audition pieces for her. When he was done she just looked at him, puzzled, and said, “Why are you even here?” Eric thought maybe he really sucked.  Then she followed up, “Why aren’t you in New York right now getting work?  There’s not a voice like yours out there right now. You should be working.”

Now, of course, I think Eric’s awesome. His mother thinks he’s awesome. His grandparents and friends all think he’s awesome.  We are all required to think he’s awesome. But when someone who’s done top, international work as a professional Broadway performer, who really has no stake in you other than to give her opinion tags you as a great singer and “ready” to perform, it moves things from fantasy to reality.

So we talked about it. Eric decided he really needed more work as a dancer and he didn’t feel ready just to launch out in New York.  So we started looking at Musical Theater Conservatories around the country.

I’ll write more of that story in, “Eric’s road to CCM Part II.”