FRIENDS & NEIGHBOURS
Renaissance man Eric Smeaton
WILLIAM McGINN Writer-at-large
and Brown. As a young teacher nearly 25 years ago, Eric Smeaton Shortly after graduating, Eric became a drummer and had mistakenly worn two different socks to work. He bandleader on cruise ships. His contracts have taken him made up a joke about it on the spot. After he greeted his to the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, South America, new class, he showed them his fashion choice and said, Central America, the United States, across Canada and “Always remember: You want to be really cool? Make into Europe and Northern Africa. Between contracts sure you’re wearing light on right,” simply because the he worked in a pub in Montreal. He plays not only the lightest sock happened to be on his right foot. drums, but piano as well. Afterwards, some seventh graders began greeting Eric also has compositions under his belt. There’s him by saying, “Mr. Smeaton! I wore light on right!” He one he wrote back in the mid-90s has kept up the joke ever since. for percussion ensemble and tromThis summer, Eric was invited to bone called “The Miracle of Pity,” the baby shower of a student he and he recently learned a trombone taught 20 years ago. To his astonplayer who has performed with ishment and delight, she showed the Toronto Symphony Orchestra him she’d put light on right on the wants to play it publicly. Another, baby. called “The Clown,” based on the It’s coming up on a quarter book by Heinrich Böll, he wrote for century since Eric began his edmusician Paul Vaillancourt, who’s ucation odyssey, teaching every now a professor at Columbus State required subject some years and University and has a student who others just music, drama and wants to play it this year. dance. He has taught students Eric’s musical background has from Grades 5 to 8 at Leslie Frost, allowed him to open for and play King Albert, Central Senior and alongside legendary Canadian musiRolling Hills public schools, and cians like Maynard Ferguson, Peter he spent a year as an instructional Appleyard, Mark Mazur and Peter leader at the board office. Sullivan, while also keeping it going “I’ve had kids come back to locally. He played nights at Lindsay’s me 15 years later to say, ‘I’m very Eric Smeaton. Pane Vino restaurant once a month grateful because you raised my Photo: William McGinn for five years. bar,’ and the best parts of being Aside from music and teaching, Eric loves to play a teacher are when you’re part of somebody’s growth,” baseball with his son, Harrison, who has been playing the he told the Advocate. sport for years. Then there’s fishing, curling and archery, Eric is not just a teacher but also a musician who has and most recently he has tried turkey hunting. been the drummer for many bands — more than he can Alongside Harrison, his wife Sue, their dog, cat, and remember. He started in bands and grew up around jazz bird, Eric lives in Lindsay where people still say, “Mr. music even before he got his degree in classical percusSmeaton, light on right!” when they bump into him. sion at McGill University. While at McGill he got to travel and perform at American universities such as Harvard
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