At a young age Eric had a fondness for Classical, Jazz, Flamenco music and Pop music. Spending days listening to guitar giants like Carlos Montoya, Al di Meola, John McLaughlin, John Williams and Alex Lifeson had an enormous affect on Eric's sense of melody throughout his early development. Eric began studying the guitar at age 14 and was performing professionally with local rock groups by the age 16. Eric attended Florida Atlantic University where he studied Classical and Jazz guitar. He was the first guitarist to complete the Honors Performance Program at F.A.U. and graduated with academic honors in 1996. During his time in college, Eric also studied Flamenco and Latin American music with musicians from Spain and Peru.