FTV: Congratulations on your new CD! We’re very excited for you.  Must feel like a big accomplishment

Eren: It is, it definitely is.

FTV: How many instruments do you play?

Eren: I play guitar, I play 18 instruments.  I grew up in a recording studio.  My father was a saxophone player for Billy Joel, my mother being a southern belle.  So my whole life through osmosis, I’ve learned all these instruments.  I started on piano.  On the album called "Sounds of Summer," I play every instrument.  I play and sing everything.

FTV: How many instruments are on that? 

Eren:Hmm, well there’s drums, bass, keyboards, guitars, acoustic guitars, and electric guitars.

FTV: You’re just multi multi multi talented!

Eren: No…And I’m a contortionist.

FTV: You’re a contortionist?

Eren: No *laughs *

FTV: I wouldn’t be surprised!

Eren: I’m totally kidding.

FTV: How long have you been singing?  Probably since you could walk right?!

Eren: My first recording session was when I was 3 and I sang “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.”  It really came out as “Tinkle Tinkle” but that’s ok, it’s alright, I was little.  The whole W concept..

FTV: Yeah, that was hard.  What is your favorite song to sing in general?

Eren: *thinks * My favorite song to sing would be..hmm…it’s tough.  I mean, I love singing James Brown!  I feel I can get very ambitious with my stage performance when I sing James Brown, which I am also trying to incorporate into my own stuff. 

FTV: We understand that your dad played for The Beach Boys and you would go to different shows with him on the road.  Do you have any interesting stories you’d like to share?

Eren: Well, there were a lot of the Beach Boy children that were around, but I was the only one who was allowed into Carl Wilson’s (one of the main Beach Boys) backstage private dressing room.  I guess because I wasn’t annoying.

FTV: You were a good kid!

Eren: I guess I was a good kid. 

FTV: What would you say is your favorite Beach Boys song?  

Eren: Ok, well this one means most to me.  I would say, “Don’t Worry Baby.” 

FTV: We love that one too.

Eren: It’s such a beautiful beautiful song.  There’s just something about it.  Carl sings it and he was my mentor. Every Christmas, he put money from his estate into houses for the homeless in my name.  We got really close.

FTV: He was like a father / grandfather figure to you.

Eren: He was, he really was.  He taught me how to warm up, so young, at age 10! Everybody would ask "why is this kid being allowed backstage?"  I would say, "because I’m going to warmup with Carl"!  I went to shows where there were 200,000 people in the audience (for the Beach Boys).  There was such a sea of people in France.  I was about 12 or 13 in shock.  It was the coolest thing and of course Carl would say, "come sit up with us on stage."  I would get excited!

FTV: Wow, that’s like a memory you’ll never forget!  And they’ve been so timeless.

Eren: Definitely.  You can say that about the Beach Boys, the Beatles, and..

FTV: And we’re going to be saying that about Eren Cannata.

Eren: * smiles * yeah!