Music teacher performs alongside Pharrell Williams at World Series

GUELPH – A music teacher at Centennial Collegiate Vocational Institute (CCVI)  performed at the opening game of the World Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Eric Froats was  a section leader for the visual presentation that accompanied Pharrell Williams during the preshow at the Rogers Centre in Toronto on Oct. 24.

Prior to the game, Froats said, “It is going to be a great learning experience to perform in such a large production.

“Just to see how they organize it, and how they put all the moving parts together.”

Froats, a former sergeant in the United States Marine Corps, has over 30 years of experience in marching drumming.

He’s been a music teacher at CCVI for over 11 years and is also the music director for the school.

Leading up to the performance Froats said he had to attend a four-hour rehearsal on Wednesday night, and has a six-hour rehearsal on Thursday, and another six-hour rehearsal Friday morning before the show on Friday night.

He’s planning to apply what he learns from performing at the World Series to the Marching Arts part of the music program CCVI.