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The Essential Eric Carmen


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Eric:

 

The thought of you writing/recording 1-2 new songs is just mind boggling....this will be great!!  You may be older than you were when the Essentials songs were recorded, but you have a truly unique talent that transcends age.  I am confident you will do fine, and look forward to hearing the result!  Thanks very much for being who you are.  You mean more to us than you will ever know.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Eric, You BET you were in the zone on that first and second album, and on a lot more than that! I've had 55 years of experience hearing and playing the most divine music ever written, and your music has always moved my heart and absolutely touched my soul. Your inner psyche RESIDES "in the zone," so don't worry about a thing. Self-imposed standards set impossibly high are your only barriers, and they are just that, self-imposed.  (I know because I do it too.) My most inspired performances were given after I looked into the mirror and said, "FORGET your HEAD! Play what's in your heart."  You seem to be immersed in the joy of this wonderful new release, so just live the JOY, and your God-given talent will produce the music that's always been truly yours..  You've always written with your heart, and your music was the most beautiful backdrop for my life.

I am SOOOO happy for you! And so thrilled about this new release!

:)--Love, Dar

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  • 2 weeks later...

A couple weeks ago, I got a call from the president of the Cleveland Institute Of Music, Joel Smirnoff. He is the leader of The Julliard String Quartet, a genius violinist, a conductor (Tanglewood as well as many international symphonies) a Sony recording artist, and has even played jazz violin solos on Tony Bennett's albums. We had dinner together, and then went to Severance Hall, my old stomping ground, where the CIM Orchestra was performing an "All Russian" program, including Rachmaninoff's Second Symphony. The "Adagio" movement of that symphony is where the chorus of "Never Gonna Fall In Love Again" came from. Depending on which recording you listen to ( I favor Andre Previn and The Royal Philharmonic, because Andre conducts the piece much slower than most other versions, and that lets you hear all the inner movement of the strings, playing seconds against each other, which, to me is the most evocative 40 seconds in the third movement, and the theme that made the Second Symphony famous ). On the Andre Previn version, it begins at about 3:43 which is the build- up before Rach reveals the "main theme." It is one of the most exquisite 40 or so seconds in all of music, to me.

The first time I heard Frank Sinatra sing NGFILA in straight 4/4 time, I realized I had missed a bet. I made it into the shuffle that became the recording in 1975, and I missed simply using Rachs gorgeous arrangement in straight 4/4 time as the backdrop. Duh. I'm thinking about re-recording NGFILA in straight 4/4 time, and i think I can probably get CIM's orchestra to play it for me, thanks to me new friend, Joel Smirnoff. 

Joel was trained at Julliard, and, at dinner, I talked to him about dropping out of college because what I needed to learn was not taught in any college. The art of contemporary songwriting. Joel told me that, when he was at Julliard, Richard Rogers' daughter ( That would be Richard Rodgers of Rodgers and Hammerstein ) was the head of the school, and he was disappointed that Julliard didn't really get behind her, and tap her potential as a songwriter and author(ess) of a hit Broadway play.

He said that no major American music school ( Julliard, CIM, Eastman etc. ) has ever offered a course in contemporary songwriting. I was kind of shocked. 

Joel seated me next to Barbara Robinson, one of Cleveland's greatest benefactors and  supporters of the arts. She is a charming and wonderful lady, most likely in her 80's, and we shared the same theory and harmony teacher at CIM many years ago. She also knew my Aunt Muriel, from the Cleveland Symphony, and my piano instructor.

After the performance, I told Joel that I had been thinking about his comment that none of the great music schools offered a course in popular songwriting, and that that sounded like something that could be a lot of fun to me. His reply was " If you're interested, I think I know where I can get the funding." Apparently, seating me next to Barbara Robinson, was not exactly and accident.

I kind of like the idea of "Professor Carmen."

e

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WOW, Eric! All the planets are aligning for you!  I didn't realize Mary Rogers (composer of Once Upon A  Mattress) had been head of Juilliard. It's sad they didn't realize what they had. She was actually in competition with her famous father for at least one award. Her son is the very talented composer of The Light in the Piazza.

The only school I ever heard of having a degree in songwriting/the music business is NYU. I know because I met the man who conceived of and developed the course of study many years ago--Richard (his last name escapes me at the moment). It's now the Steinhardt School at NYU and I'm not sure if the course of study is still as terrific as it was. Their drama department is legendary, having launched the careers of many famous actors.

"Professor Carmen" would be a wonderful asset to CIM!  For a long time, people have been saying that the Cleveland Institute has eclipsed Juilliard as "the place to be."  It sounds like your new friendship with Joel was "made in Heaven."  How perfect for CIM to be the first major American music school to offer contemporary songwriting, taught by you! Congratulations on your new ventures and opportunites! SO happy for you!

:)--Dar

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Eric...You're a musical genius and you always have been...This new development in your life is testimony to that.

As for the new collection of your essential best...i'm looking forwward to playing some of the enhanced and supercharged...better than ever sounding tracks on my radio show...

I'm late to this party as i was on hiatus out in the ether...glad i dropped in for a look.

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 2/20/2011 at 0:36 AM, hossy said:

Eric and strange relation of "11"

  • Eric's birthday is August 11.
  • Eric's first visit to Japan was November. (It is called in Japan 11th month.).
  • For the person in charge at Eric's first visit to Japan, the birthday is August 11, too.
  • The final of the YAMAHA WORLD POPULAR SONG FESTIVAL was November 11.
  • Eric was an appearance schedule to the Japanese TV program of "11PM".
  • The room number of the hotel in Tokyo where Eric had stayed was 2211.
  • Eric returned home from Japan to the United States on February 11, 1980.

Eric said "It's very strange."

And, this year is 2011.

I say it will happen.

Am I wrong?

Wow! "The Essential Eric Carmen" will release on 11 March!!!!

Do you write new songs (I hope 2 or more and more and more!!!!)?

Can't wait untill March! Another of his legends will born on "11".

Do you remember this topic "Eric and 11"?

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