It is theorized that Eric began playing the piano shortly after learning to walk, or perhaps shortly before. As he would not develop the musculature needed to play a piano in a marching band until years later, he picked up the clarinet in his early teens. He has not put it down since, except for a brief interlude at a local technical seminary where he was otherwise distracted by caffeine, computers, and dozing, often at the same time.
Eric plays more instruments than he can carry. If you know him, you might understand why this is noteworthy. Of his instrumental profligacy, a mentor once ventured the opinion that Eric could get music out of a flat tire. Many others believe that, in playing the contrabass clarinet, he has reached a not entirely dissimilar milestone.
In his spare time, Eric has been growing an extra arm, having recently concluded his experiments with auxilliary respiration.