KP: Earlier this year you launched a new internet radio station, CalmRadio.com. Tell us about it.
EH: Calm Radio was an innocent website and internet station on Live365. When I decided to start selling my CDs, I realized that there isn't a vehicle for artists like myself to sell their music to listeners connected the station. That’s when the lightbulb went off! From Live365, I launched my first iTunes stream. Having a stream gives you exposure to hundreds of listeners who would never have heard of you. From there, I realized also that I would need more artists’ material to play on the station, to increase the length of the playlists to keep it interesting. Because we’re new, our artists get more exposure than if I had two hundred other artists wanting to play their material.
KP: Who are some of the other artists on CalmRadio?
EH: There are some incredible artists that I've become friends with like Will Ackerman, Fiona Joy Hawkins, Kori Linae Carothers, Joey Curtin, Paul Avgerinos, Kevin Wood, David Nevue (who inspired me with his success), Chad Lawson, Wayne Gratz, Michael Logozar, Michael Whalen, and Rocky Fretz.
KP: Those are some wonderful artists! Did you start the radio station primarily as a vehicle for your own music?
EH: Totally.
KP: Are you seeking more artists for your roster?
EH: For sure. Just like I needed a voice, there are many artists seeking the same opportunity. I really work hard at keeping the bar raised high when it comes to performance, originality and production. I really feel that listeners can hear the difference.
KP: Now let’s talk about you! When did you start playing the piano?
EH: At seven. I had the most amazing teacher, Wilfred Charette. I went after school and he would talk about philosophy and show me his miniature woodworking shop in his apartment. I even went to the basilica and sat next to him on the pipe organ bench while he told me when to turn the pages.
KP: Do you play other musical instruments?
EH: Well, I am an accomplished guitarist; I played flute for years, also bagpipes. One of my other passions was glass music. I was pretty famous in the eighties for some of the films I did with other composers like Oscar-winner Jack Nisztche (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) and Ry Cooder (Buena Vista Social Club). My glass instruments had the lowest tones in the world. I even built special rotating tables to play the low vases.
KP: That’s a really interesting combination of instruments! How are glass instruments played?
EH: My first instruments were simple wine glasses I purchased from dime stores. You know, you play them with your index finger at weddings? Then I found these real low ones that I could close-mic to get the lowest fundamentals. However, these have to be played with two fingers! So, I built a rotating table for that. Next, I bought two glass armonicas from Finkenbeiner in Boston. They were invented by Benjamin Franklin believe it or not. Those are played somewhat like a keyboard with all ten fingers.
KP: How long did you take piano lessons? Were you a music major in college?
EH: I took piano with the same teacher until I was 14. Then I learned jazz with Al MacLeod, who was a friend of Art Tatum's. Then I did blues, met Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee. Then I was accepted to the Arranging and Composition program at Berklee College of Music in Boston.
KP: When did you start composing music?
EH: I started writing when I was at Berklee. Some of my pieces are even in their classroom books.
KP: When you compose, do you use a lot of improvisation or do you write most of your music down? Or both?
EH: Well, my pattern seems to be to improvise first then write it out. However, on difficult pieces, I will transcribe what I recorded on audio, or from my Yamaha Disklavier grand. If my compositions need orchestration, I certainly have to arrange and orchestrate on paper.
KP: Once you have decided that a piece of music is ready to record, do you play it about the same each time or does your music evolve as time goes along?
EH: To be honest, most of my pieces are first takes, and I have no idea where I'm going. I have no idea how I do it, Kathy. What baffles me is that I can maintain the same motif at the beginning and the motif at the end. Maybe other composers can do that, but to me it's unexplainable. However, I can usually remember what I played for some unknown reason.
KP: Are you doing sheet music for your music, too?
EH: I wish I had the time. Perhaps I should get someone to transcribe my recordings,although I have hand-written scores for a lot of them.
KP: Who and what are some of your musical influences?
EH: Three people! First would be my earliest music teacher, Wilfrid Charette, who nurtured me and had the patience to keep me as a student. Next would be Liberace, believe or not. I remember playing his record on the stereo and pretending I was the conductor. Third, I would say that David Nevue has changed my life like no one has before. Here is a guy who had no training (I think) and gave a voice to many, many artists who otherwise would have never been heard. I stumbled upon his name completely by accident.
KP: David is a very good friend of mine, and he’s very inspiring in a whole lot of different ways. He very clearly demonstrates that one person truly can make a difference! Who are your favorite composers?
EH: Chopin, Debussy, Stravinsky, Liszt, and without question, Godowski.
