Eric Perrilloux
90th
Birthday Celebration
Authored by,
Reg Henry
Administrator and
Cofounder of
At 16 years of age in 1937, Eric Perrilloux joined the
Charles T. Kirk Fife Drum and Bugle Corps. During the 1930's, this corps set
the standard for rudimental drumming. In the early 1950's Eric went on to
march in the New York Skyliners, then instruct the innovative Reilly Raiders
drum line. Eric Perrilloux is credited as being the first drum instructor
to use rhythmic patterns mixed with the 26 standard American drum
rudiments in order to blend drum parts with the brass
arrangements. Eric enjoyed a successful career as arranger/instructor,
working with the nationally prominent New York Skyliners, St. Rocco's Cadets
and Selden Cadets. In 1969 he joined the hall of fame staff of Hy
Dreitzer and Carmen Cluna to produce one of the finest nationally ranked junior
corps of the early 70’s; St. Rita’s Brassmen. Eric’s legacy is certainly the lessons
he taught all of "his boys" but also that so many of his former
students have gone on to teach drumming with the same high standards
of quality and caliber.
On Sunday, March 20th 2011 at the Elks Club in Ridgewood NJ, members
of the "Original" St. Rita’s Brassmen Drumline completed
the circle and acknowledged Eric Perrilloux with their love, honor,
respect, admiration, and appreciation. On hand to witness the showering down of
these expressions of gratitude was his wife of 65 yrs, Agnes, their
daughters and grandchildren. Family members flew in from as far away as
Florida to be part of Eric’s 90th Birthday celebration. Although the
gathering had to be limited in size, a crowd of almost 50 well wishers
attended.
Tympani drummer Jim
Drost served as Master of Ceremonies and coordinator of the
event. With snare drums mounted on stands, tympani and
bass drum in place and members of the "Current" Brassmen
Alumni Drum and Bugle Corps Hornline lending their support, the stage was
set for a memorable event. Performing together for the first time in 38
years, the group thrilled the crowd with Hy Dreitzer’s original
renditions of "Ride of the Valkeries", "West Point Alma
Mater" and a favorite Perrilloux drum solo. Listening to the music
being presented that day made the memories so thick that I had to
brush them away from my face. Eric then amazed the attendees with
rudimental fireworks of his own. After the
performance and accolades for Mr. Perrilloux, Eric's wife Agnes told timpanist
Harold Barber "Well, I guess I'll have to bow down to him every night
now" she said with a nice smile. At 90 years old he
is still a master!
Happy
Birthday Eric !
“The Boys” (left to right)
Rick Mangum,
Jim Drost, John Oddo, Pete Velasquez,
Mark Holub,
ERIC, Harold Barber, Frank Nash,
Mark Riley,
Frank Simpson,
Frank Nash http://tinyurl.com/5sz9t3m
John Oddo http://tinyurl.com/67ckttb
Jim
Drost http://tinyurl.com/63frxbk
Mark
Holub http://tinyurl.com/86wa6z
Harold Barber http://tinyurl.com/6ejxbxx
Eric
amazing the attendees with
rudimental fireworks of his own
http://www.stritasbrassmen.org/ericperrilloux.htm
Videos of 90th
Birthday Celebration
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viXzQTlUIvs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mizT_QRkGFg&feature=related
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“The Boys” (left to right) Rick Mangum,
Jim Drost, John Oddo, Pete Velasquez, Mark Holub,
ERIC, Harold Barber, Frank Nash, Mark Riley, Frank Simpson, Frank Nash http://tinyurl.com/5sz9t3m John Oddo http://tinyurl.com/67ckttb Jim
Drost http://tinyurl.com/63frxbk Mark Holub http://tinyurl.com/86wa6z Harold Barber http://tinyurl.com/6ejxbxx
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Eric
amazing the attendees with rudimental fireworks of his own http://www.stritasbrassmen.org/ericperrilloux.htm Videos of 90th
Birthday Celebration
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viXzQTlUIvs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mizT_QRkGFg&feature=related |