Mar 17, 2017
We all have family we are born with, but what of the family we choose? Eric Gnezda is the older brother I chose. We met at a local Christmas Eve radio show in 1992 and have been locked in ever since. His determination to make a living at what he loved, music and songwriting, inspired me. Through the years, Eric has proven life is a team game. Always giving, always cheering for others. We have worked together dozens of times and he has lent a big brother hand to lift me up when I have fallen in life. As we traveled to and from gigs, our discussions ran the whole range of subjects and emotions. He guided me when I needed it the most. We have played music together, watched our children grow up, and bonded as brothers. We even have our own language with inside jokes. He has meant the world to me.
So, when Eric told me he wanted to reach the world through “Songs at the Center”, which now airs on over 150 PBS stations nationwide, I could not have been more proud. He has found a way to really help other artists express themselves through this project. The passion by which he does this is infectious and daring. He motivates others to reach within for answers, always encouraging collaboration. I read his written memoirs, spent hours talking with Eric and considered myself to know him very well.
Eric has been a personal inspiration for Moving Music, so I was thrilled when he agreed to be interviewed. My big brother and friend revealed things during this interview I did not know. His connection to “The Longest Day” was larger than life. As a boy, sitting with his father in a 1962 theater, he would get the lesson that lasted him a lifetime. Watching this epic film, personally guided by his father, left an indelible impression. TC and Eric have a discussion that left me wanting to know even more. If you have a seat belt, you better buckle it. This one is for my brother, Eric Gnezda, and his father.
Ty