Eric Schrotenboer

Eric Schrotenboer remembers as a young boy sitting on the piano bench alongside his grandmother, Daisy Meengs, watching in awe as her fingers glided effortlessly over the keys and the sounds washed over him.

Blessed with the gift of music, Daisy’s grace and elegance at the keyboard were an inspiration to her grandson, who followed his maternal grandmother down the musical trail she blazed.

Schrotenboer, a 1997 graduate of Zeeland High School, is now an award-winning pianist and composer who writes and plays music for full-length feature films, documentaries, animated shorts and other projects for Grooters Productions in Holland.

He is also a self-produced recording artist with six CDs to his credit. The sixth, which is to be released this weekend, brings Schrotenboer full circle, back to where it all started.
“Prayers,” which will be released for the first time this weekend, is a 10-song, piano-only disc including some of the most well-known hymns of all time.

“I like to say that my piano playing ability came from my grandma,” Schrotenboer said. “She was an unbelievable piano player ... and these are some of the hymns that she would play.”
The disc is comprised of nine traditional hymns and one of Schrotenboer’s original pieces. He hopes the hymns touch people the way they touched him when his grandma played them.
“My hope was to do a simple album that acted as a tool that would help people with their prayer life and quiet time,” Schrotenboer said. “I think we are able to pray in many different forms and one of those is music.

“There are a lot of older, traditional hymns (on the CD) and for the people who know them, hopefully the words will come to them as they listen to the music,” he added. “Those that don’t know the words will hopefully love the music.”

“Prayers” was recorded over two nights in March at First Reformed Church in Zeeland, where Schrotenboer was the worship leader for several years before moving to Grooters Productions. It is also the church at which his grandmother was the choir director for many years.

The project was engineered by local sound engineer Tim Heneveld. Heneveld, whose been the engineer on several of Schrotenboer’s previous albums, said “Prayers” was a simple recording set-up. It was just an artist, a piano a microphone and a digital recorder.

What it captured was the raw energy and emotion of Schrotenboer’s interpretation of the music.
“It was set up basically to try and get the electronics and the false front that comes with albums now days out of the way and let the music come through and go back to its roots,” Heneveld said. “It’s a really raw recording. There wasn’t anything done to alter the sound from when he was playing it.”

Heneveld said it takes a rare talent and an artist willing to lay it on the line to attempt such a recording. And, he said, Schrotenboer pulled it off beautifully.

“Sometimes, that can be a soul-bearing experience because you are unprotected or uncushioned from a lot of the extra glossiness of the production that can hide imperfections,” Heneveld said. “I think it came out incredible. It’s an intimate interaction between you and Eric as he’s playing the piano. There is nothing else in the way.”


Schrotenboer will return to the scene of the recording Sunday night for a concert featuring many of the hymns from “Prayers” during the evening worship at First Reformed Church, 148 E. Central. The service begins at 6 p.m.

“I’m going to be playing through the stuff that is on the CD and probably some new songs,” Schrotenboer said. “The cool thing is that I’m able to do it with Youth for Christ. We’ll be able to do a free-will offering for Youth for Christ Sunday night.”

The new CD will also be on sale for the first time Sunday night.

On Monday, Schrotenboer will be hosting a CD release party from 7 to 9 p.m. at Jude 3 Christian book store in Holland Township. He said he will be hanging out and playing some music, as well as chatting with any fans who show up.

It could be one of Schrotenboer’s final public appearances in the area for a while.
Schrotenboer and his wife, WZZM TV-13 personality Meredith TerHaar, are moving to Panama City, Fla., in about a month, where she will take over as the news anchor for the NBC affiliate there.

“It’s a great opportunity for her. `It’s a little bit of a move, but hopefully it will open some things up for me,” Schrotenboer said. “My hope is to still work with Grooters Productions and still do music with them.

“It’s a bummer to move, but it gives me the opportunity to start my own business.”
The CD “Prayers” will be available locally beginning Monday at Don’s Flowers & Gifts in Zeeland and at Jude 3, Tree House Books, Hope College Geneva Bookstore and Family Christian Book store, all in the Holland area. - The Holland Sentinel

Like?many?Hope?College?students,?the?
words?of?Psalm?23?ring?familiar?in?my?ears.
??“The?Lord?is?my?shepherd;?I?shall?not?want.??
He?makes?me?lie?down?in?green?pastures;?he?leads?me?
beside?still?waters.??He?restores?my?soul….”??
??Although?these?words?are?impressed?permanently?on?
my memory through the influence of countless rela-
tives and Sunday school teachers, I must constantly
be reminded of the psalm’s significance. With the
busyness of the college schedule, it is often difficult to
remember the importance of green pastures and still
waters.??
??The?other?day,?however,?I?was?
once again reminded of this familiar
psalm.??
My reminder came after a listen to
Eric Schrotenboer’s solo piano album
entitled “Still Waters”. The album,
which was released in 2000, is one of
five piano albums released by the com-
poser and pianist since 1996. Schro-
tenboer is also a 2001 graduate of Hope
College.????
The album opens with a calming rendition of “Joy-
ful, Joyful We Adore Thee” that gradually picks up
tempo in order to create an energetic spirit of praise.
The following pieces include contemporary arrange-
ments of traditional favorites such as “All Creatures
of our God and King,” “It is Well with my Soul,” and
“For?the?Beauty?of?the?Earth.”??
??The?mellow,?yet?inspiring,?tones?of?“Come,?Thou?
Fount?of?Every?Blessing”?embody?what?the?entire?
album?is?about—still?waters.??After?listening?to?the?ar-
rangement,?I?was?gently?reminded?of?the?tranquil?times?
Schrotenboer’s album is impressive because it ac-
complishes two difficult achievements. First, it trans-
forms traditional hymns into contemporary arrange-
ments?that?sound?fresh?to?listeners?of?all?generations.??
However, the original essence of the hymn is not lost.
??“I?love?being?able?to?take?traditional?hymns?that?
have meant so much to so many generations and
rework them in a contemporary way,” Schrotenboer
said.??
Secondly, Schrotenboer’s album can
serve as both soothing background music
and a source of fervent praise. While
listening?to?the?album,?one?is?able?to?go?
about?their?daily?routine;?the?familiar?
melodies?that?are?intertwined?through-
out?the?arrangements,?however,?serve?
as?an?uplifting?and?empowering?
source.
??Although?few?pianists?have?
achieved the inspirational power
present within Schrotenboer’s hymn arrangements,
some listeners may be reminded of Chris Rice’s album
entitled?“The?Living?Room?Sessions.”
Schrotenboer continues to demonstrate his abil-
ity to produce such inspirational work. In the com-
ing?months,?he?will?release?another?album?entitled?
“Prayers.”??
“My hope is that this music can serve as a tool for
people?as?they?have?their?‘quiet?times,’?whether?that?be?
devotions, prayer, or even study sessions,” Schroten-
boer said about his latest album. The album includes
renditions?of?hymns?that?are?also?prayers.
His previous piano albums include: Psalms and
Spiritual Songs (2002), Fruit
of the Spirit (1999),
Bethlehem (1998), and
Forever Faithful (1996).
Schrotenboer, who works as
a creative director, producer,
and composer at Grooters
Productions in Holland, has
also?won?numerous?awards?
for his musical compositions
for film and television.
Schrotenboer says that he
enjoys the creative aspect
of composing music. Throughout his career, he has
enjoyed?the?opportunities?of?playing?at?the?Crystal?
Cathedral?in?Los?Angeles.??He?has?also?enjoyed?writ-
ing music for a Focus on the Family video series,
the majority of the films at The Creation Museum in
Cincinnati, Ohio, and a documentary film entitled
“The Anatomy of Hate.” The film will premiere at the
Boston International Film Festival on April 21.
??
“All music can
be played for
God’s glory.”
? ? ? -Eric Schrotenboer
Schrotenboer acknowl-
edges the influence that his
time?at?Hope?College?had?on?
his music career.
??Hope?College?was?an?envi-
ronment that challenged him
musically and spiritually. He
was significantly impacted
by involvement in the music
department and chapel pro-
gram,?he?said.??
“Hope was always a cre-
ative and encouraging envi-
ronment for me,” Schrotenboer said. “Hope taught me
that through a variety of instrumentation and music
styles, all music can be played for God’s glory.”
No doubt, it is this glory that Schrotenboer beauti-
fully reminds his listeners of through his music. After
picking up one of his piano albums, even a busy
college student’s soul can once again experience the
peaceful calm of still waters. - Hope College Magazine