Eric Galvan is a junior at North Central, majoring in music education with a primary interest in percussion. Although involved in most of the music groups on campus, he’s not just a musician. Galvan is also a soccer-playing taco enthusiast who loves to spend his free time visiting his nieces and nephews.
Kelsey Weivoda: Why did you first start playing the drums?
Eric Galvan: In 8th grade my friends convinced me that in order to hang out with them more often, I needed to join band. I really wanted to play the saxophone, but that cost a decent amount of money to rent, so I took one of my friend’s pairs of sticks and played the drums instead. It’s really not inspirational.
KW: What ensembles and bands are you currently in? Which one is your favorite?
EG: Here on campus I’m in the marching and pep band (Cardinal Athletic Band), Concert Winds, a jazz combo and the jazz Big Band. Outside of NCC stuff I’m also in two other bands: the Radioactive Geese and Double Standards. My favorite would probably be Radioactive Geese because even though our music is challenging, it’s still fun and energetic.
KW: Do you have any upcoming gigs or performances?
EG: I have my classical percussion recital on May 27 at 2 p.m. Double Standards is playing at the swing dance on May 26. There’s a jazz concert for Big Band on May 19. Radioactive Geese is playing at an open mic night at Empire on June 2 and we have a gig at a wedding on June 17.
KW: What inspired you to pursue a career in music?
EG: I had two teachers in high school that really inspired me. My band director pushed me to always do better and to always improve. I taught myself how to read music freshman year of high school and I really enjoyed that so I realized I could teach others how to do the same. My humanities teacher is who inspired me to become a teacher. He always cared for his students and made me want to be that person in someone else’s life: the teacher who makes a difference.
KW: What’s your favorite kind of music to play? Why?
EG: That’d be between SKA and jazz. SKA is what the Radioactive Geese plays and I love it because it’s challenging and always pushing me to improve. I love playing jazz because every time I play jazz it’s a new experience, no piece is ever the same and I’m always learning something new.
Follow Eric’s band the Radioactive Geese on Facebook and Instagram.
