Eric Salazar

Background

About Eric Salazar

My name is Eric Salazar, and I am a performer, composer, and career coach. I perform recitals and concertos of classical music that I feel connected to. Sometimes what I play isn't all-classical, but a merging of different genres, like jazz and ambient. As a career coach, I focus on teaching people who don't consider themselves to be "business people" how to be effective managers or leaders in the business world, while still staying true to themselves. I perform as a soloist and as a chamber musician, mixing together classical music with spontaneous improvisation. I also compose music, both for the stage and for film. Through engaging in these different activities I have emerged as a leader of creative projects, creating spaces for effective collaboration that produce invigorating results for musicians and audiences. When performing, I embrace being vulnerable on stage as I share stories in a way that makes the listener feel like they can be vulnerable too. Sharing this experience together is magical, and we both emerge from it with a better understanding of ourselves. I always jokingly say “I owe you an explanation for what you’re about to hear” when I present music that I write, but at the heart of it all, I simply write music that will tell you a story, so you can feel seen and feel connected to those around you. My music isn’t necessarily in the classical style, though it is cinematic and merges inventive electronic sounds with familiar instruments. As a career coach, I focus on teaching people who don't consider themselves to be "business people" how to be effective managers or leaders in the business world, while still staying true to themselves. A lot of people think that you have to be an aggressive extrovert to be successful in leadership positions, but I take a different approach. It is entirely possible to run a business purely based on authentic connections and gentle sales tactics - and I’d love to show you how. I earned a B.M. in Clarinet Performance from Ball State University and an M.M. in Clarinet Performance from Bowling Green State University. For a while, I thought I would be an orchestral musician or a clarinet professor. After trying those things, though, I realized there could be a different path to fulfillment. I ended up diving head first into arts administration, all while continuing to perform and compose. Eventually, the dam broke, and I had to choose between the safety of a full-time admin position, or chasing my dream. Guess which one I chose?