Rock and Roll Detention
By NINA LARAMORE / Santa Rosa Correspondent
Muscician Erik Erickson with his children Noah, 7, and Emma 3, at his home in Rincon Valley. Erickson recorded Rincon Valley Schools' concertsand produced CD's to raise money for school music supplies. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat)
Andy Darrow is music director for Matanzas Elementary School and bemoaned school budget cuts that have bitten into his supply fund. Erik Erickson, a full-time musician who plays with the Coast Pilots, worried there wouldn’t be a music program by the time his son started elementary school.
Instead of just wringing his hands, Erickson proposed the first of two small solutions. On Saturday, he will unveil something larger, a live music event called “Rock and Roll Detention” that will raise money for the Rincon Valley Education Foundation Music Program.
With The Coast Pilots, The Third Rail Band and Court ‘N’ Detention as headliners, the 21-and-over event will start at 7:30 p.m. at the Last Day Saloon, 120 Fifth St., and is for the 21-and-over crowd.
“We thought it would be good to give the parents a break from the kids for the night,” Erickson said. “This will be a night of great local music and wine tasting, with 100 percent of the money raised benefiting Rincon Valley music and science programs.”
The first fundraiser to result from the initial conversation between Erickson and Darrow happened just as organically. The district’s eight elementary schools’ bands and choral groups were busy making music. Through his Wheelhouse Studio, Erickson had the ability to record them. For the past two years he has produced annual CDs that have raised $2,000 for the foundation while motivating the students.
“I’ve heard from the teachers that the kids get a big kick out of it,” Erickson said. “They are inspired to practice harder because there is a reason for it. They’re getting ready to be recorded.”
Erickson had a similar experience while growing up in Fair Oaks, Calif. He first became interested in music around the fifth grade and was taught by a school music teacher who also played in a jazz band. In addition to teaching the kids standards, the teacher had them play original jazz pieces and let them sit in with his jazz band in front of a live audience.
“I was fortunate to have a teacher who was inspiring,” Erickson said. “It was more than just learning ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb.’”
Originally a trumpet player, Erickson belonged to a couple of high school rock bands. He went on to play acoustic guitar for five years with Big Dumb Love, a folk rock band from Los Angeles that released an album called “Proper Distance” on independent music label Ooowawa Records.
Erickson’s wife, Juliana, brought him to Santa Rosa. Their son is now enrolled in the same elementary school she once attended.
Darrow says the CD project has been easy to put together because of Erickson’s vision and fortitude.
“Close to 250 students have participated in the making of the two CDs we’ve sold at the winter concerts,” he said. “Erik can do anything he sets his mind to, and anything Erik does, I want to jump on the bandwagon.”
Darrow says the money has helped with instruments more music, music stands and “everything we need musically.”
Erickson does have a larger vision for both the CDs and the live event. He would like to inspire other local musicians to help raise money for music in the schools, and he’s willing to teach them how to use the portable recording equipment.
“As a local musician, this is one way for me to give back to my community,” he says. “I would love to see a recording of middle school and high school bands in our district, and throughout the city and county. It’s a simple way to raise money for the school music programs.”
Erickson also would like to see Saturday’s event become an annual music showcase and eventually move to a larger outside venue.
Darrow says he and the other teachers have been busy selling tickets to the Saturday show, and he will be in the audience.
“After 48 years in school, it will be my first time in detention,” he says.
The Rock and Roll Detention show starts at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4. Tickets are $20 at the Last Record Store and The Last Day Saloon box office, 120 5th Street. Information: LastDaySaloon.com and RVEF.org. Musicians and school music programs can reach Erickson at Info@TheCoastPilots.com.
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“This will be a night of great local music and wine tasting,”
Good…..I’m trying hard to learn what wine tastes like.”
Nice article ! Most folks who had music classes in school remember them as among the only fun and / or useful ones they had . Misplaced priorities have most districts obsessed with meaningless test regimens , What a waste ! As a local band instrument tech I saw one district ( Piner ) scuttle their entire program and send a dagger through the hearts of many students and parents . No doubt there`s a room there filled with hundreds of instruments waiting for sanity to return .
Fixitman- If you have any more info regarding Piner or who to contact in the district. I’d like to help re-establish the music program. Please feel free to contact me at info@thecoastpilots.com.