Lunch with Eva

So, today I had a great networking lunch with Eva Abreu, founder of NJ Social Media, at the NJ Social Media HQ in Piscataway. It was a great and informative meeting as Eva and I discussed all things within the social media industry such as marketing, resumes and social media platforms. Over a great turkey and provolone sandwich, courtesy of the Tastee Sub shop in Edison, we eventually got to talking about our mutual love for music. We exchanged stories of what we liked and finally Eva asked, “Was there a lot of music in your house growing up?”

I began to tell her about my Dad who had one of the largest and most impressive jazz album collections anywhere (yes, vinyl). Dad could rattle off the bass player in the Oscar Peterson Trio (Ray Brown) and then tell you the entire horn section to the Maynard Ferguson Big Band (too many to list but all smoking). Big Band jazz was in his heart.

Mom, on the other hand, didn’t exactly love Big Band jazz as her tastes were more of the 70s mellow side. To the this day, when I hear any track off of Carol King’s awesome ‘Tapestry’ album, my memory bank immediately shoots back to the crazy green and brown living room in our old house. When I hear that album and almost anything by the Beatles (Rubber Soul and Abbey Road), I am instantaneously sent back to the old house. That’s the power of music. Bringing people together. Very social.

Meanwhile, my two older brothers (I am the youngest of three boys) would be sneaking in Schlitz 16 oz Tall Boy Beers up to the ‘cool room over the garage’ (think that 70s Show) and crank their 8-Tracks of Deep Purple, KISS, and Lynyrd Skynyrd – talk about a mix! Listening to all this different music made a HUGE impact on my own musical roots and now, I am trying to convince my daughter (who is only 5 yrs old now) that listening to Stevie Wonder, then some indie rock, followed by Metallica , which would then turn into The Police, then Earth, Wind and Fire would round out her musical education.

So, what does this really have to do with social media? Well, my lunch with Eva was great and we agreed that just like any social media platform, music could be considered a social media platform as it brings people together. I look forward to attending more networking meetings with Eva and NJ Social Media.