About Eric Rainwater

Academics

Eric graduated from Azusa Pacific University in 1989 with a B.A. in Musical Composition, and a minor in Choral and Orchestral directing. The University honored him and two other candidates from the School of Music with the “Inaugural Academic Hall of Fame Award 2000″ for excellence in using his talents to serve the Lord. Eric appears in the 2003, 2005, and 2006 editions of “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers.” He also appears in the 2007 edition of “Who’s Who In America.”

Experience

Eric has taught and led choirs and drama groups since the age of 18, and through the years, he has traveled with singing groups to the British Isles, Hawaii and Vienna. In Vienna he studied under Helmut Rilling (the world’s expert on J. S. Bach) and Henrich Furthmoser (who as a child was a Vienna Choir Boy for eight years, and later became their director for over ten years). Eric has had voice instruction with Ben Bollinger and Marvin McKissick. He also studied conducting and performed with experts such as Ben Bollinger, Charles Hurt, Rodney Eikenberry, Giora Bernstein, Dr. Gary Bonner, Weston Nobel and Fred Bock (considered to be giants in the realm of choral music).

Teaching

From 1989 to 1992 Eric taught full-time at a Christian school, teaching all music classes and choirs. He now teaches homeschool students from all around the greater Sacramento area. Eric is an able performance instructor for all band instruments, guitar, piano, and voice. Many of his students have been part of the Sacramento Youth Symphony. Eric’s has a wide range of expertise and musical knowledge spanning the range from Baroque and Classical forms to jazz and rock music. He also teaches music theory and composition.

Composing

Eric has created well over twenty-five musicals, both Children’s, Teen and Adult. He has published only some of his children’s musicals but many have performed his non-published works as well. He has also had many choral songs published; two are on the Azusa Pacific University Choir’s Christmas CD’s. In the late 1990’s he was commissioned by the Sacramento Light Rail Association to write a band arrangement of “I’ve Been Working On The Railroad” for their opening of new tracks to Rancho Cordova.

History

Eric has played clarinet since the 3rd grade, and in high school, he was in the Arroyo Knights marching band, which won numerous sweepstakes awards. In the 8th grade, he landed the lead in the school play, and went on to play other – both leading and smaller – roles in high school and college. He received the Best Actor Of The Year award his senior year in High School. He has also been in many choral groups from elementary through high school, where he was the tenor section leader and also performed as a soloist.

Activities

Eric travels around the country to conventions such as Music California, Christian Artists Seminar in the Rockies, and ACSI, giving children’s music directors seminars to help leaders improve their directing techniques and better motivate their students. He has also enjoyed the privilege of presenting premieres of his original musicals performed by his own choirs at Music California, and Church Music Northwest in Washington State.

Ministry

Eric is minister of music at All Souls South Placer Church in Lincoln, California, where he leads worship services.

He has consistently been a full or part time minister of music since 1980. His wife Candy has served alongside him in the churches where she is a talented accompanist.

He continues to write many children’s, youth and adult musicals, with the desire to bring many into the Kingdom of God and closer to the Lord. He counts it a blessing and a joy to share the gospel of Jesus Christ through the music and message of his musicals, and to lead young ones in the way of serving God with the talents they have been given.

Many people have been touched by the Rainwaters’ ministry through the years and every school semester culminates with concerts and musical productions that bless everyone who is present.

“INSPIRED ME TO RECEIVE MY TEACHING CREDENTIALS”

“I was nine years old when I started playing the clarinet in Mr. Rainwater’s Profound Sound Band. I remember being excited to play my very first instrument. As I moved from beginning level to advanced level, I learned a lot about my instrument as well as the other instruments in the band…

“Mr. Rainwater diligently works on the sound quality of each band as well as faithfully encouraging fellow musicians to work together. He creates such a welcoming atmosphere that even graduated students come back to play with the younger band members. As Mr. Rainwater teaches each student about their instrument, he also teaches the theory behind the music that they play. He answers questions with an insight that is incredible!

“Inspired by Mr. Rainwater’s teaching, I have decided to go to college to receive my teaching credentials in music as well as my Ph.D. I also plan on coming back to perform in Mr. Rainwater’s concerts.”

Rose Watson

Student—Profound Sound Band