I would love Eric to come perform at my (school, library, etc.). What can I do?
What kind of programs does Eric offer?
Do Eric's assembly programs fit with our curriculum?
What age range are Eric's programs suited for?
Eric is great with young kids, but would he go over well with our 5th graders?
How long are the performances?
What kind of events is Eric available for?
What kind of material does Eric perform?
What are his prices?
Are discounts or free shows possible?
How many shows can be scheduled in one day?
What if we need to cancel or reschedule?
How should Eric be introduced at the performance?
Will Eric be promoting his CDs during our school assembly?
Is there a limit to how many students can attend one assembly?
Where is Eric located? Is he available to travel to...?
Can Eric do a program about...?
What are Eric's stage/technical requirements?
Is his name really Eric Herman or is it Eric Endres?
Where did you find the Invisible Band?
Do you have photos/logos/flyers that we can use?
Who writes all of Eric's songs?
Who is the adorable little girl on "The Elephant Song"?
When will there be a DVD release of Eric's videos?
How did Eric get into doing music for kids?
What is Eric's favorite movie, color, etc.?
Can you perform (specific song from CD) at your show?
Who plays electric guitar at the live shows?
What is the story/inspiration behind...?
When will the next album be released?
Where does Eric record his CDs and who produces them?
Who made the album covers?
What is the significance of the spatula on Monkey Business?
Just who is Zeke Herman? How come we never see him with Eric?
I would love Eric to come perform at my (school, library, etc.) What can I do?
One of the best things you can do is to speak with someone at the venue and give an enthusiastic plug for Eric and encourage them to bring him in to perform there. Here is a link for a PDF flyer that you can print out to pass along: color black & white When you do that, please contact Eric to let him know who you spoke with or passed a flyer along to so he can follow up with them later.
Oftentimes, a trip to a particular area is initiated with just one scheduled performance, which is added onto later with more shows in the area. And many times, that one performance was encouraged by a parent making a recommendation to a venue.
What kind of programs does Eric offer?
For most events, including festivals, libraries, fairs, children's concert series, etc., Eric performs his "Cool Tunes for Kids" show, which includes many fun and participatory songs, but which typically has no specific theme.
For elementary schools, Eric also offers Got Character?, which is a terrific motivational character program. Got Character? includes a lot of the same funny, entertaining and highly participatory songs that Eric performs in his "Cool Tunes for Kids" show, and it also has a running theme showing students how they are what they eat, do, say, think and choose. (Please note: Got Character? is not typically offered outside of the context of an elementary school assembly presentation during school hours, though exceptions are sometimes made for church groups and other particular events.)
For summer library shows, Eric often presents his "Cool Tunes for Kids" show with a special segment of 3-4 songs that relate to and celebrate the summer reading theme for the year.
Do Eric's assembly programs fit with our curriculum?
Eric's popular assembly program, Got Character?, often fits school curriculums under Health Education and/or Social Studies (Civics), and is also a great motivational program that fits really well with any Character Counts and PBIS type programs. The webpage linked above includes a detailed list of curriculum connections by state.
What age range are Eric's programs suited for?
Eric's assembly programs are meant for K-6 students. His shows for libraries, festivals, fairs, parties and other events are meant for a general age range of about 2-11, though older kids and adults have a good time, too.
Eric is great with young kids, but would he go over well with our 5th graders?
Once in a while, there is a comment by someone from an elementary school who has seen one of Eric's performances at a library or other event where there are mostly preschool aged kids, along the lines of, "He is really great with these young kids, but I don't think he would go over well with the 4th and 5th graders in our school." The truth is that for many school assemblies, Eric actually goes over even better for the older group of kids... they understand his sense of humor better, and he makes adjustments to his material and presentation style for the older range of kids. The participation level for some of the active dancing and movement songs is understandably a little lower for 5th and 6th graders (though still quite high) than it is for say, 1st and 2nd graders, but schools often comment about how well the older grade students paid attention to Eric's program and listened intently to the important content.
Perhaps the best response to that kind of comment is the following quote, which was given after the first school assembly that Eric ever performed (and he's gotten better since!): "Eric Herman was a big hit with our students! We are a K-6 school and it is a challenge for a performer to appeal to such a broad range of interests, tastes, and attention spans. Eric intrigued our younger students, while our oldest proclaimed him 'cool'." (Principal Christie Angrisano, Clinton St. Elem., West Seneca NY)
How long are the performances?
School assembly programs are 45-50 minutes long, or meant to fit into the length of a school's class period. Sets for other venues range from 20 minutes to 55 minutes, depending on the needs.
What kind of events is Eric available for?
Eric is available to perform at school assemblies, kids/family concerts, fairs, festivals, malls, fundraisers, corporate and community events, day cares, libraries, parties, house concerts and other special events.
What kind of material does Eric perform?
Most of the songs Eric performs during live appearances are original songs from his CDs. He may also throw in his versions of classic kids' songs or kid-friendly versions of other songs. Eric also sometimes performs cover songs by some of his favorite contemporary children's music artists, including Trout Fishing in America, Joe Scruggs, Jim Gill, Geof Johnson, Eric Ode, Monty Harper and Ralph's World. Almost every song Eric performs involves audience participation in some way. Eric's shows also include a lot of comedy, some of which is ad libbed and some in the vein of things like Monty Python, where expectations are played with in creative and silly ways. All material is 100% appropriate for children and families.
What are his prices?
Prices vary depending on the type of event and the circumstances involved. Eric will try to work within your available budget. Call 509-460-7950 or send a message through this form for more details or for a specific price quote. Elementary school booking inquiries should go directly to Brad or Gina at Academic Entertainment (1-800-883-9883). When at all possible, Eric tries NOT to charge travel expenses, though that will depend on the circumstances and amount of travel involved, and he may need to arrange multiple bookings in a particular area to negate the need for travel costs. Of course, schools districts or library systems booking multiple performances together can share any travel costs, and may also be eligible for discounts.
Are discounts or free shows possible?
Multiple bookings within the same general timeframe can sometimes mean a discount for all appearances. Eric may offer discounts when he is going through a particular area at a certain time and is trying to fill in more dates. Eric will sometimes do free shows or appearances for charitable events or special occasions, but he does support his family fully from performing, so he has to limit the number of unpaid performances.
How many shows can be scheduled in one day?
That depends on the circumstances, the driving distance and what the scheduled times are. Eric has performed four shows at four different locations in a day several times. For example, a library system with branches within 30 minutes or so of each other could schedule shows at four different branches on the same day at 10 am, 1 pm, 4 pm and 7 pm.
What if we need to cancel or reschedule?
There is often a lot of time and effort involved in scheduling and arranging several bookings in certain areas to coincide with each other far enough in advance, and sometimes particular events are crucial in conjunction to everything booked around them. Please do not cancel or try to reschedule appearances that have been agreed upon. Unless specific contract terms dictate otherwise, cancellations made within 60 days of the scheduled appearance are subject to a 25% fee; cancellations made within 30 days are subject to a 50% fee; and cancellations made within 14 days are subject to a 75% fee. Eric will try to work with event planners to reschedule appearances, and fees may be avoided if a suitable alternative can be found, but that may not be possible depending on the circumstances.
How should Eric be introduced at the performance?
For venues other than schools, whatever your usual announcements might be, followed by something along the lines of the following would be good:
"You are in for a real treat today! Our performer is a multiple award-winning kids' music artist from Washington State. His videos have become a huge hit online, with over 17 million views on YouTube. So without further ado, let's get ready to have a really fun time with... Errrrrric Herrrrman!" (if your venue is in Washington State, you might say "from the Tri-Cities, Washington area".)
For school assemblies, whatever the usual announcements might be, followed by something along the lines of the following would be good:
"We have a very special guest with us today. He is a lot of fun and you're going to have a great time and also learn some important things. So let's give a warm (school name) welcome to... Errrrrric Herrrrrman!"
Feel free to paraphrase or adapt to your needs as you wish... Check with Eric before the performance if you have any questions.
Will Eric be promoting his CDs during our school assembly?
Eric promotes his CDs during concert events, but he prefers not to mention them during school assemblies, which are meant only to focus on an educational theme. However, students and parents would often like to have his CDs, so if a school is willing to arrange for pre or post event CD order, Eric would certainly appreciate that and would be willing to help work out the details for that to happen.
Is there a limit to how many students can attend one assembly?
Eric has no absolute rule about that, however, if your school has more than 400 students total, he would prefer that you split them up into back-to-back assemblies, divided between grades K-2 and 3-5 (or K-3 and 4-6). Ideally, even a school with less than 400 students would still divide between those age ranges, but there is no absolute restriction on that.
Where is Eric located? Is he available to travel to... ?
Eric is located in the Tri-Cities area of southeast Washington State, and often travels throughout the Pacific Northwest and into places like Utah and California. But he is willing to travel anywhere within the U.S. or Canada for a reasonable price, which may include travel expenses. Multiple bookings in your area may need to be made to justify significant travel, and any help to facilitate that with other venues would mean a discount for all events involved.
Can Eric do a program about... ?
If Eric's program listing does not include a subject that your school or event would like him to present, he may be able to create a program or augment an existing program to work for your needs. There may be an additional fee for this, and at least a month or more of advance notice would probably be required. Or, with the songs he already knows, Eric may be able to at least address a certain theme within a segment of his regular show, if not for the whole performance.
What are Eric's stage/technical requirements?
Eric can provide his own PA for many venues, in which case all he needs is an adequate power outlet (most regular outlets are fine). If sound is being provided for an event he will need a direct in for an acoustic/electric guitar, an input for a wireless headset mic (Eric will provide the mic), and either a stereo RCA input into the Tape-In on the mixing board or two additional 1/4" direct inputs for an MP3 player (for The Invisible Band to play along with). If using the Tape-In option, the soundperson would likely have to cue the tracks, otherwise Eric can cue them himself from on stage.
Depending on the venue, Eric doesn't necessarily need a 'stage' (even when he has a stage he spends a lot of time off of it and down with the audience), but there should be a suitable space provided for him and his equipment. Ideal seating would include a large enough open space in front of Eric for kids to sit and dance, with chairs around the back and outside for the adults.
Eric uses a pre-recorded introduction, so event hosts don't really need to 'introduce' him, per se, though of course any announcements that need to be made are fine and any additional introductory words that the host would like to say about Eric are certainly welcome.
Is his name really Eric Herman or is it Eric Endres?
Yes. Actually, it's Eric Herman Endres. Eric also performs and composes adult contemporary music in various styles, as well as orchestral music and stage musicals, and he wanted to make a distinction between the different genres, so that when you get an Eric Herman CD or book 'Eric Herman' for a show, you know the audience is kids and families and the material meant for kids. Not that there's anything particularly "adult" about his other work, but the intended audience for that material is typically older. Also, "Eric Herman" is easier to remember, pronounce and spell correctly than "Eric Endres".
Where did you find The Invisible Band?
Some children's music performers use recorded backing tracks to augment their performances. Eric wanted to do something different, so he looked hard for just the right group of musicians. He first saw The Invisible Band playing together behind a broken jukebox at a pizza joint in Buffalo. He soon asked them to join his act and the rest is history!
Do you have photos/logos/flyers that we can use?
There are now images, logos and sample flyers (just add your venue and the date/time) available here. If these are not sufficient for your needs, please send a message and we'll be glad to provide what we can.
Who writes all of Eric's songs?
Almost all of the songs on Eric's albums are originals. About half of the songs feature words written by or with the renowned children's poetry author Kenn Nesbitt. For some of those songs, Eric wrote music directly to Kenn's poems, and for others, some words were adjusted or choruses or bridges added to work better within the context of songs. In some cases, Kenn and Eric worked together to create or adapt the lyrics for a particular song. The specific songs on Eric's albums with words written by or with Kenn Nesbitt are "The World's Fastest Bicycle", "Video Game", "I Dreamed that I Could Fly", "The Tiger and the Zebra", "The Tale of the Sun and the Moon", "Blackbeard, Bluebeard and Redbeard", "Crazy Over Vegetables", "Picture Day", "Don't Bother Any Butterflies", "Ants in the Lunchroom", "Ten Times Fast", "Melody Ring", "I Can't Wait for Summer", "Snow Day", "Steve the Superhero", "Time Machine" and "Building a Rocket".
Eric also writes many of his songs along with his wife Roseann. Though he credits her as a co-writer on all of his songs, some particular songs that Roseann and Eric wrote very closely together include "The Elephant Song", "Cowboy Bergaleoukaleopaleous" and "No Big Deal".
On the Snow Day! album, the song "Hot Sand" was written by Geof Johnson, "My Lucky Day" was written by Eric along with Eric Ode, and "This Little Light of Mine" is a traditional song with new words and arrangement by Eric. On the What a Ride! album, the music for the song "How to Move a Monster" was co-written with Steve Brown.
Who is the adorable little girl on "The Elephant Song"?
One of the most asked "frequently asked questions"... She is a girl named Meghan Kleinlein (6 years old at the time), from Western New York. She is an amazing vocal talent and did the recording very professionally. Eric's original idea for that track was to use a live recording, to capture the frenzied response that kids have when he performs it, but Roseann suggested it would be better for the album to have one cute sounding little girl. Considering the incredible response kids and adults alike have had for that track, Roseann was definitely right! A live version of "The Elephant Song" may be included as a bonus track on an upcoming release.
Eric's daughters, Becca and Evee, performed the responses on the version of "The Elephant Song" on his Snail's Pace album.
When will there be a DVD release of Eric's videos?
There have been many requests to obtain a DVD of Eric's music videos. Eric has stated that there are a few new videos being produced and when those are done it is possible that they will be put together with the other videos to make a DVD compilation of some kind, hopefully in 2010.
How did Eric get into doing music for kids?
Eric has posted an article about how he started creating and performing music for kids at his "Cool Tunes for Kids" blog. Click here for the article.
What is Eric's favorite movie, color, etc.?
There is now a page here with more detailed personal information about Eric, including his favorite music, movies, foods, etc.
Can you perform (specific song from CD) at your show?
Possibly, but not all songs from the CDs are songs that Eric performs live. Some songs are just meant to be listened to from the CD and are a lot of fun in that sense, but Eric's live performances encourage participation with almost every song, and some of the album tracks don't lend themselves as well to that.
For example, Eric gets a surprising amount of requests to perform "The Math Game" from Monkey Business, which was particularly meant to be a radio skit spoof. He incorporates parts of "The Math Game" into his Thinking Outside the Box assembly program, but probably wouldn't be able to present that very well in a concert setting. Other popular album tracks like "Ants in the Lunchroom" and "Cowboy Bergaleoukaleopaleous" don't always work quite as well in certain live settings, though Eric is not opposed to performing them under the right conditions.
Who plays the electric guitar at the live shows?
Some people have noticed that when Eric performs live, other than when he is playing acoustic guitar by himself, there is often electric guitar playing along with the band. Many people have assumed that it is Invisible Pete playing guitar when he is not needed for tuba. However, Invisible Pete is strictly a tuba player, per his invisible union contract. Nobody has ever actually seen that contract, but he insists that it stipulates that he only ever play the tuba. Fortunately, invisible guitar players are a dime a dozen, just like visible ones, so Eric usually calls ahead and hooks up with a local invisible sideman to fill in for his gigs.
What is the story/inspiration behind...?
For some songs, at least lyrically speaking, you'd have to ask Kenn Nesbitt, who wrote the lyrics for "The World's Fastest Bicycle", "Video Game", "The Tiger and the Zebra", "I Dreamed that I Could Fly", "The Tale of the Sun and the Moon", "Blackbeard, Bluebeard and Redbeard", "Crazy Over Vegetables", "Ants in the Lunchroom", "Don't Bother any Butterflies", "Picture Day", "Melody Ring", "I Can't Wait for Summer", "Snow Day" and "Steve the Superhero". (Eric wrote some of the words for some of these songs, but all were inspired by or adapted from a poem of Kenn's.)
Eric has written an article about the creative process for his blogsite, which includes the stories behind "The Elephant Song", "Cowboy Bergaleoukaleopaleous", "In the Box" and more. Click here for the article.
For audio song commentary for all of the songs on Snow Day!, click here. There will likely be audio commentary added at some point for the songs on Monkey Business and The Kid in the Mirror.
When will the next album be released?
Eric has not made an announcement about the next CD to follow up What a Ride!, but he has said that he hopes to release a new CD of original music every two years, so look for a new album sometime in 2011.
Where does Eric record his CDs and who produces them?
Eric records everything for his albums at his home studio with PC recording software, which includes Cakewalk's Sonar, Adobe Audition, Tracktion and Garritan Personal Orchestra. The albums are co-produced by Eric and his wife Roseann. Some recording of other musicians is done remotely in studios or other locations.
Who made the album covers?
The cover for The Kid in the Mirror was done by Eric's wife Roseann. Renee Mason did the covers for Monkey Business and Snow Day!. The snail for the cover for Snail's Pace was drawn by Eric's daughter, Becca, who was 3 at the time. Vincent Radford designed the cover for What a Ride!
What is the significance of the spatula on Monkey Business?
You'll have to listen to the album to find out!
Just who is Zeke Herman? How come we never see him with Eric?
Zeke Herman is Eric's (nearly) identical twin brother and stage manager. He is often seen just before Eric's shows going over some ground rules (have fun, keep your arms and legs inside at all times, etc.) and introducing Eric. Like many (nearly) identical twins, Eric and Zeke even dress alike and are very supportive of each other, however, they suffer from a rare magnetic disorder which usually prevents them from being too close to each other, which is why they are rarely seen together.
What kind of programs does Eric offer?
Do Eric's assembly programs fit with our curriculum?
What age range are Eric's programs suited for?
Eric is great with young kids, but would he go over well with our 5th graders?
How long are the performances?
What kind of events is Eric available for?
What kind of material does Eric perform?
What are his prices?
Are discounts or free shows possible?
How many shows can be scheduled in one day?
What if we need to cancel or reschedule?
How should Eric be introduced at the performance?
Will Eric be promoting his CDs during our school assembly?
Is there a limit to how many students can attend one assembly?
Where is Eric located? Is he available to travel to...?
Can Eric do a program about...?
What are Eric's stage/technical requirements?
Is his name really Eric Herman or is it Eric Endres?
Where did you find the Invisible Band?
Do you have photos/logos/flyers that we can use?
Who writes all of Eric's songs?
Who is the adorable little girl on "The Elephant Song"?
When will there be a DVD release of Eric's videos?
How did Eric get into doing music for kids?
What is Eric's favorite movie, color, etc.?
Can you perform (specific song from CD) at your show?
Who plays electric guitar at the live shows?
What is the story/inspiration behind...?
When will the next album be released?
Where does Eric record his CDs and who produces them?
Who made the album covers?
What is the significance of the spatula on Monkey Business?
Just who is Zeke Herman? How come we never see him with Eric?
I would love Eric to come perform at my (school, library, etc.) What can I do?
One of the best things you can do is to speak with someone at the venue and give an enthusiastic plug for Eric and encourage them to bring him in to perform there. Here is a link for a PDF flyer that you can print out to pass along: color black & white When you do that, please contact Eric to let him know who you spoke with or passed a flyer along to so he can follow up with them later.
Oftentimes, a trip to a particular area is initiated with just one scheduled performance, which is added onto later with more shows in the area. And many times, that one performance was encouraged by a parent making a recommendation to a venue.
What kind of programs does Eric offer?
For most events, including festivals, libraries, fairs, children's concert series, etc., Eric performs his "Cool Tunes for Kids" show, which includes many fun and participatory songs, but which typically has no specific theme.
For elementary schools, Eric also offers Got Character?, which is a terrific motivational character program. Got Character? includes a lot of the same funny, entertaining and highly participatory songs that Eric performs in his "Cool Tunes for Kids" show, and it also has a running theme showing students how they are what they eat, do, say, think and choose. (Please note: Got Character? is not typically offered outside of the context of an elementary school assembly presentation during school hours, though exceptions are sometimes made for church groups and other particular events.)
For summer library shows, Eric often presents his "Cool Tunes for Kids" show with a special segment of 3-4 songs that relate to and celebrate the summer reading theme for the year.
Do Eric's assembly programs fit with our curriculum?
Eric's popular assembly program, Got Character?, often fits school curriculums under Health Education and/or Social Studies (Civics), and is also a great motivational program that fits really well with any Character Counts and PBIS type programs. The webpage linked above includes a detailed list of curriculum connections by state.
What age range are Eric's programs suited for?
Eric's assembly programs are meant for K-6 students. His shows for libraries, festivals, fairs, parties and other events are meant for a general age range of about 2-11, though older kids and adults have a good time, too.
Eric is great with young kids, but would he go over well with our 5th graders?
Once in a while, there is a comment by someone from an elementary school who has seen one of Eric's performances at a library or other event where there are mostly preschool aged kids, along the lines of, "He is really great with these young kids, but I don't think he would go over well with the 4th and 5th graders in our school." The truth is that for many school assemblies, Eric actually goes over even better for the older group of kids... they understand his sense of humor better, and he makes adjustments to his material and presentation style for the older range of kids. The participation level for some of the active dancing and movement songs is understandably a little lower for 5th and 6th graders (though still quite high) than it is for say, 1st and 2nd graders, but schools often comment about how well the older grade students paid attention to Eric's program and listened intently to the important content.
Perhaps the best response to that kind of comment is the following quote, which was given after the first school assembly that Eric ever performed (and he's gotten better since!): "Eric Herman was a big hit with our students! We are a K-6 school and it is a challenge for a performer to appeal to such a broad range of interests, tastes, and attention spans. Eric intrigued our younger students, while our oldest proclaimed him 'cool'." (Principal Christie Angrisano, Clinton St. Elem., West Seneca NY)
How long are the performances?
School assembly programs are 45-50 minutes long, or meant to fit into the length of a school's class period. Sets for other venues range from 20 minutes to 55 minutes, depending on the needs.
What kind of events is Eric available for?
Eric is available to perform at school assemblies, kids/family concerts, fairs, festivals, malls, fundraisers, corporate and community events, day cares, libraries, parties, house concerts and other special events.
What kind of material does Eric perform?
Most of the songs Eric performs during live appearances are original songs from his CDs. He may also throw in his versions of classic kids' songs or kid-friendly versions of other songs. Eric also sometimes performs cover songs by some of his favorite contemporary children's music artists, including Trout Fishing in America, Joe Scruggs, Jim Gill, Geof Johnson, Eric Ode, Monty Harper and Ralph's World. Almost every song Eric performs involves audience participation in some way. Eric's shows also include a lot of comedy, some of which is ad libbed and some in the vein of things like Monty Python, where expectations are played with in creative and silly ways. All material is 100% appropriate for children and families.
What are his prices?
Prices vary depending on the type of event and the circumstances involved. Eric will try to work within your available budget. Call 509-460-7950 or send a message through this form for more details or for a specific price quote. Elementary school booking inquiries should go directly to Brad or Gina at Academic Entertainment (1-800-883-9883). When at all possible, Eric tries NOT to charge travel expenses, though that will depend on the circumstances and amount of travel involved, and he may need to arrange multiple bookings in a particular area to negate the need for travel costs. Of course, schools districts or library systems booking multiple performances together can share any travel costs, and may also be eligible for discounts.
Are discounts or free shows possible?
Multiple bookings within the same general timeframe can sometimes mean a discount for all appearances. Eric may offer discounts when he is going through a particular area at a certain time and is trying to fill in more dates. Eric will sometimes do free shows or appearances for charitable events or special occasions, but he does support his family fully from performing, so he has to limit the number of unpaid performances.
How many shows can be scheduled in one day?
That depends on the circumstances, the driving distance and what the scheduled times are. Eric has performed four shows at four different locations in a day several times. For example, a library system with branches within 30 minutes or so of each other could schedule shows at four different branches on the same day at 10 am, 1 pm, 4 pm and 7 pm.
What if we need to cancel or reschedule?
There is often a lot of time and effort involved in scheduling and arranging several bookings in certain areas to coincide with each other far enough in advance, and sometimes particular events are crucial in conjunction to everything booked around them. Please do not cancel or try to reschedule appearances that have been agreed upon. Unless specific contract terms dictate otherwise, cancellations made within 60 days of the scheduled appearance are subject to a 25% fee; cancellations made within 30 days are subject to a 50% fee; and cancellations made within 14 days are subject to a 75% fee. Eric will try to work with event planners to reschedule appearances, and fees may be avoided if a suitable alternative can be found, but that may not be possible depending on the circumstances.
How should Eric be introduced at the performance?
For venues other than schools, whatever your usual announcements might be, followed by something along the lines of the following would be good:
"You are in for a real treat today! Our performer is a multiple award-winning kids' music artist from Washington State. His videos have become a huge hit online, with over 17 million views on YouTube. So without further ado, let's get ready to have a really fun time with... Errrrrric Herrrrman!" (if your venue is in Washington State, you might say "from the Tri-Cities, Washington area".)
For school assemblies, whatever the usual announcements might be, followed by something along the lines of the following would be good:
"We have a very special guest with us today. He is a lot of fun and you're going to have a great time and also learn some important things. So let's give a warm (school name) welcome to... Errrrrric Herrrrrman!"
Feel free to paraphrase or adapt to your needs as you wish... Check with Eric before the performance if you have any questions.
Will Eric be promoting his CDs during our school assembly?
Eric promotes his CDs during concert events, but he prefers not to mention them during school assemblies, which are meant only to focus on an educational theme. However, students and parents would often like to have his CDs, so if a school is willing to arrange for pre or post event CD order, Eric would certainly appreciate that and would be willing to help work out the details for that to happen.
Is there a limit to how many students can attend one assembly?
Eric has no absolute rule about that, however, if your school has more than 400 students total, he would prefer that you split them up into back-to-back assemblies, divided between grades K-2 and 3-5 (or K-3 and 4-6). Ideally, even a school with less than 400 students would still divide between those age ranges, but there is no absolute restriction on that.
Where is Eric located? Is he available to travel to... ?
Eric is located in the Tri-Cities area of southeast Washington State, and often travels throughout the Pacific Northwest and into places like Utah and California. But he is willing to travel anywhere within the U.S. or Canada for a reasonable price, which may include travel expenses. Multiple bookings in your area may need to be made to justify significant travel, and any help to facilitate that with other venues would mean a discount for all events involved.
Can Eric do a program about... ?
If Eric's program listing does not include a subject that your school or event would like him to present, he may be able to create a program or augment an existing program to work for your needs. There may be an additional fee for this, and at least a month or more of advance notice would probably be required. Or, with the songs he already knows, Eric may be able to at least address a certain theme within a segment of his regular show, if not for the whole performance.
What are Eric's stage/technical requirements?
Eric can provide his own PA for many venues, in which case all he needs is an adequate power outlet (most regular outlets are fine). If sound is being provided for an event he will need a direct in for an acoustic/electric guitar, an input for a wireless headset mic (Eric will provide the mic), and either a stereo RCA input into the Tape-In on the mixing board or two additional 1/4" direct inputs for an MP3 player (for The Invisible Band to play along with). If using the Tape-In option, the soundperson would likely have to cue the tracks, otherwise Eric can cue them himself from on stage.
Depending on the venue, Eric doesn't necessarily need a 'stage' (even when he has a stage he spends a lot of time off of it and down with the audience), but there should be a suitable space provided for him and his equipment. Ideal seating would include a large enough open space in front of Eric for kids to sit and dance, with chairs around the back and outside for the adults.
Eric uses a pre-recorded introduction, so event hosts don't really need to 'introduce' him, per se, though of course any announcements that need to be made are fine and any additional introductory words that the host would like to say about Eric are certainly welcome.
Is his name really Eric Herman or is it Eric Endres?
Yes. Actually, it's Eric Herman Endres. Eric also performs and composes adult contemporary music in various styles, as well as orchestral music and stage musicals, and he wanted to make a distinction between the different genres, so that when you get an Eric Herman CD or book 'Eric Herman' for a show, you know the audience is kids and families and the material meant for kids. Not that there's anything particularly "adult" about his other work, but the intended audience for that material is typically older. Also, "Eric Herman" is easier to remember, pronounce and spell correctly than "Eric Endres".
Where did you find The Invisible Band?
Some children's music performers use recorded backing tracks to augment their performances. Eric wanted to do something different, so he looked hard for just the right group of musicians. He first saw The Invisible Band playing together behind a broken jukebox at a pizza joint in Buffalo. He soon asked them to join his act and the rest is history!
Do you have photos/logos/flyers that we can use?
There are now images, logos and sample flyers (just add your venue and the date/time) available here. If these are not sufficient for your needs, please send a message and we'll be glad to provide what we can.
Who writes all of Eric's songs?
Almost all of the songs on Eric's albums are originals. About half of the songs feature words written by or with the renowned children's poetry author Kenn Nesbitt. For some of those songs, Eric wrote music directly to Kenn's poems, and for others, some words were adjusted or choruses or bridges added to work better within the context of songs. In some cases, Kenn and Eric worked together to create or adapt the lyrics for a particular song. The specific songs on Eric's albums with words written by or with Kenn Nesbitt are "The World's Fastest Bicycle", "Video Game", "I Dreamed that I Could Fly", "The Tiger and the Zebra", "The Tale of the Sun and the Moon", "Blackbeard, Bluebeard and Redbeard", "Crazy Over Vegetables", "Picture Day", "Don't Bother Any Butterflies", "Ants in the Lunchroom", "Ten Times Fast", "Melody Ring", "I Can't Wait for Summer", "Snow Day", "Steve the Superhero", "Time Machine" and "Building a Rocket".
Eric also writes many of his songs along with his wife Roseann. Though he credits her as a co-writer on all of his songs, some particular songs that Roseann and Eric wrote very closely together include "The Elephant Song", "Cowboy Bergaleoukaleopaleous" and "No Big Deal".
On the Snow Day! album, the song "Hot Sand" was written by Geof Johnson, "My Lucky Day" was written by Eric along with Eric Ode, and "This Little Light of Mine" is a traditional song with new words and arrangement by Eric. On the What a Ride! album, the music for the song "How to Move a Monster" was co-written with Steve Brown.
Who is the adorable little girl on "The Elephant Song"?
One of the most asked "frequently asked questions"... She is a girl named Meghan Kleinlein (6 years old at the time), from Western New York. She is an amazing vocal talent and did the recording very professionally. Eric's original idea for that track was to use a live recording, to capture the frenzied response that kids have when he performs it, but Roseann suggested it would be better for the album to have one cute sounding little girl. Considering the incredible response kids and adults alike have had for that track, Roseann was definitely right! A live version of "The Elephant Song" may be included as a bonus track on an upcoming release.
Eric's daughters, Becca and Evee, performed the responses on the version of "The Elephant Song" on his Snail's Pace album.
When will there be a DVD release of Eric's videos?
There have been many requests to obtain a DVD of Eric's music videos. Eric has stated that there are a few new videos being produced and when those are done it is possible that they will be put together with the other videos to make a DVD compilation of some kind, hopefully in 2010.
How did Eric get into doing music for kids?
Eric has posted an article about how he started creating and performing music for kids at his "Cool Tunes for Kids" blog. Click here for the article.
What is Eric's favorite movie, color, etc.?
There is now a page here with more detailed personal information about Eric, including his favorite music, movies, foods, etc.
Can you perform (specific song from CD) at your show?
Possibly, but not all songs from the CDs are songs that Eric performs live. Some songs are just meant to be listened to from the CD and are a lot of fun in that sense, but Eric's live performances encourage participation with almost every song, and some of the album tracks don't lend themselves as well to that.
For example, Eric gets a surprising amount of requests to perform "The Math Game" from Monkey Business, which was particularly meant to be a radio skit spoof. He incorporates parts of "The Math Game" into his Thinking Outside the Box assembly program, but probably wouldn't be able to present that very well in a concert setting. Other popular album tracks like "Ants in the Lunchroom" and "Cowboy Bergaleoukaleopaleous" don't always work quite as well in certain live settings, though Eric is not opposed to performing them under the right conditions.
Who plays the electric guitar at the live shows?
Some people have noticed that when Eric performs live, other than when he is playing acoustic guitar by himself, there is often electric guitar playing along with the band. Many people have assumed that it is Invisible Pete playing guitar when he is not needed for tuba. However, Invisible Pete is strictly a tuba player, per his invisible union contract. Nobody has ever actually seen that contract, but he insists that it stipulates that he only ever play the tuba. Fortunately, invisible guitar players are a dime a dozen, just like visible ones, so Eric usually calls ahead and hooks up with a local invisible sideman to fill in for his gigs.
What is the story/inspiration behind...?
For some songs, at least lyrically speaking, you'd have to ask Kenn Nesbitt, who wrote the lyrics for "The World's Fastest Bicycle", "Video Game", "The Tiger and the Zebra", "I Dreamed that I Could Fly", "The Tale of the Sun and the Moon", "Blackbeard, Bluebeard and Redbeard", "Crazy Over Vegetables", "Ants in the Lunchroom", "Don't Bother any Butterflies", "Picture Day", "Melody Ring", "I Can't Wait for Summer", "Snow Day" and "Steve the Superhero". (Eric wrote some of the words for some of these songs, but all were inspired by or adapted from a poem of Kenn's.)
Eric has written an article about the creative process for his blogsite, which includes the stories behind "The Elephant Song", "Cowboy Bergaleoukaleopaleous", "In the Box" and more. Click here for the article.
For audio song commentary for all of the songs on Snow Day!, click here. There will likely be audio commentary added at some point for the songs on Monkey Business and The Kid in the Mirror.
When will the next album be released?
Eric has not made an announcement about the next CD to follow up What a Ride!, but he has said that he hopes to release a new CD of original music every two years, so look for a new album sometime in 2011.
Where does Eric record his CDs and who produces them?
Eric records everything for his albums at his home studio with PC recording software, which includes Cakewalk's Sonar, Adobe Audition, Tracktion and Garritan Personal Orchestra. The albums are co-produced by Eric and his wife Roseann. Some recording of other musicians is done remotely in studios or other locations.
Who made the album covers?
The cover for The Kid in the Mirror was done by Eric's wife Roseann. Renee Mason did the covers for Monkey Business and Snow Day!. The snail for the cover for Snail's Pace was drawn by Eric's daughter, Becca, who was 3 at the time. Vincent Radford designed the cover for What a Ride!
What is the significance of the spatula on Monkey Business?
You'll have to listen to the album to find out!
Just who is Zeke Herman? How come we never see him with Eric?
Zeke Herman is Eric's (nearly) identical twin brother and stage manager. He is often seen just before Eric's shows going over some ground rules (have fun, keep your arms and legs inside at all times, etc.) and introducing Eric. Like many (nearly) identical twins, Eric and Zeke even dress alike and are very supportive of each other, however, they suffer from a rare magnetic disorder which usually prevents them from being too close to each other, which is why they are rarely seen together.
Zeke Herman
