Musician strikes a chord with community
BY LARRY RAPPOPORT
Correspondent

Eric Ginsberg leads a songwriters' workshop session, one of a growing list of music-related activities sponsored by the Red Bank Music Community, which he founded.

Eric Ginsberg may play solo, but he's never alone. The Red Bank Music Community (RBMC) is behind him.

A singer-songwriter-musician, Ginsberg, a Marlboro native, pioneered the RBMC more than three years ago with his boundless energy and just a songwriters' workshop.

Since then he has added a drummers circle, an open mic night, a percussion workshop, guest speakers and a Saturday make-tunes (where kids can make their own musical instruments).

All these classes and events are part of Ginsberg's unique vision.

And now to further the organization's mission of "nontraditional music education and charity through musical events," he has added Movie Night Mondays to the lineup (Red Bank Visitors Center on E. Front Street).

Ginsberg talks passionately about the newest weekly activity and life in and out of the RBMC.

PHOTOSBY CHRISKELLY staff

"The movies are all connected to music," Ginsberg said. "We want people to come have fun and learn."

The Beatles' "Yellow Submarine" and Rob Reiner's "This Is Spinal Tap" were among the first movies on the docket. Like most of the other RBMC events, movies are free to the public.

Though inviting the public to experience music through movies may sound a little off the beaten track, it all fits within the nontraditional learning philosophy at RBMC.

To learn songwriting, for instance, just follow the bouncing ball. Ginsberg leads this peer-led workshop with students of varying levels of experience. To ensure that everyone is given equal time to share, a ball is tossed around the room. Whoever catches the ball has the opportunity to express an opinion or share a lyric.

"The great thing about the RBMC is it gives you a chance to learn by doing," Ginsberg said. "It's a lot of fun."

In fact, the organization that Ginsberg has created has given him opportunities he may not have had otherwise.

"I've learned so much from doing the open mics," said Ginsberg, who sings and plays guitar. "It has given me a chance to get up on stage four to six times per week and learn how to work a crowd."

Other musicians seem to be benefiting as well. With its growing popularity, the RBMC has had a greater chance to have a positive impact on the Red Bank music scene. It is involved in producing the Summer Concerts in the Park series held at Riverside Gardens Park and RiverCenter's StreetLife series (some of the musicians play on the street during the summer months).

A major focus of RBMC is providing members of the music community an outlet to experience music, develop as artists, support each other and network.

Ginsberg is not surprised by the power of community; it was something he learned firsthand while living and working as a production assistant in Los Angeles a few years ago. It was there that the idea for the RBMC has its roots.

Ginsberg volunteered at a place called Kulak's Woodshed which, he asserts, is the "coolest place in the world: Free music. Seven days a week. Sold nothing; charged nothing. Run completely by volunteers.

"It helped me develop my perception of music as a community," Ginsberg said.

After the gig in Los Angeles, the Marlboro native returned to New Jersey. He started a songwriters' workshop in August 2003 in Red Bank, but attendance was erratic. Some nights there would be a lot of attendees. Other nights it would just be him.

"I knew it wasn't going to work the way it was," Ginsberg said.

Plus, he knew he wanted to do something much bigger. It was then that the class gave birth to its parent - the Red Bank Music Community.

With Ginsberg's energy and amiable personality, it wasn't long before he had signed on a whole host of supporters - including the Count Basie Theatre, 90.5 FM The Night, The Two River Theater and the Internet Cafe, giving the organization instant credibility. He also established partnerships with area music businesses such as Drummers Alley for mutual benefit.

Along with orchestrating the RBMC, Ginsberg is also promoting his own music career.

"The hardest thing is remaining an artist separate from the RBMC," said Ginsberg, who has written more than 120 songs to date.

Still, he is thrilled with the organization's success.

Ginsberg tells the story about a young man who was so nervous at the first songwriters' workshop that he could not even share a song.

"His hand was shaking as the read the lyrics," Ginsberg remembers.

Through skill and tenacity, however, that young man has since overcome his fears. So much so, that at a recent awards show, he won the Rock Prodigy award given by the RBMC.

Apart from the RBMC, Ginsberg is also a father, teaches and tutors math and English and works at Whole Foods.

Ginsberg is passionate about reaching out to help other people, whether to develop math or music skills.

"I'm helping kids who need help like I needed help," Ginsberg said. "That's what community's about."