February 10, 1999
A career of concerts, tours and special events
What are they up to now?
Editors note: This is the second in a series of profiles and interviews with graduates of Traverse City area schools; where they have gone and what they have accomplished.
By Jacquie Thomas
Herald Editor
Hanging out with "Hootie and the Blow Fish" and the "Squirrel Nut Zippers" is all in a days work for Eric Sinclair.
Eric, a 1991 graduate of Traverse City High School is a concert lighting designer working in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He works with bands of all types putting on concerts, tours and special events.
"We are predominately a sound company with a separate lighting department," said Sinclair. "That is my first love, where my focus is."
When Eric attended Traverse City schools, there was no sound/tech curriculum. "We did have radio class, but working on the high school musicals and with Russ Larimar in the music department was where I got my start in technology. It was great experience and it didn't hurt that I got to get out of classes for it!"
"In high school, I took all kinds of art classes and had phenomenal motivation and encouragement from my teachers. They new that technology was important, that it was a priority to me and were very understanding when I missed class to do it-that made it alot easier."
Eric was always involved in the backstage, from 9th grade on. In high school he started working with Mark Walters.
Mark Walters handled the sound and technology at the high school, the technical end of things. He was actually a student paid by the system to oversee the auditorium.
They also formed their own production company. They staged the Battle of the Bands and the Student Senate took their bids for all of the school dances (a bid that they always won).
"Working the school events gave us alot of school based business. We worked the high school dances and the junior high dances.
That placed them in contact with Randy Nash, who was in charge of technology for the Entertainment Stage during the National Cherry Festival. "This was our first chance for an experience working with a professional-Mark still works with Randy," shared Eric.
"It worked out with Mark and when he went to NMC, I followed in his footsteps. We then both worked for the Michigan Ensemble Theatre (MET)," Eric continues. "That was a great time-we did some very nice productions. It was alot of fun to work for them and I learned alot."
He then continued his education at the North Carolina School of the Arts and received his degree in Theatre Lighting and Design.
"I had quite a bit of theatre experience, and jazz concerts, from working with Jeff Haas, but wanted some big show and rock 'n roll experience," reflects Sinclair. "I went back to Michigan and worked at Interlochen Center for the Arts.
"I worked Kresge and Corson auditoriums. It was this experience that convinced me that this was the facet of the field I wanted. It really narrowed it down-shifted my focus to what I really wanted to be involved in."
He loves his job. "I have traveled across the entire United States-I get to see the country for free," explained Sinclair. "Opening for Tony Bennett at Radio City Music Hall was the best-just being there, working in that facility was so great."
Is there a downside? Oh, yeah. "There is no social life-it is a weird lifestyle with alot of stress. There are irregular hours, shows that cancel at the last minute and lots of deadlines. There is the pressure to make it all work, and to make it look good and to make it on time...time is definitely, very clearly money in this field," explained Sinclair.
"I would make a recommention to anyone thinking about the field. Take a summer job in theatre and production and give it a shot. If you like it, even though it is tough at first, you will know it-then stay with it-it is a great career!"
"You get the clearance pass for backstage and to meet all the great stars-you are where it all happens."