Composer/Producer Eric Alexandrakis' Spoken Word Album is Nominated for a Grammy

Eric Alexandrakis was nominated for a Grammy last week in the Best Spoken Word category. The record is called ' I.V. Catatonia: 20 Years As A Two-Time Cancer Survivor. ' Eric is a classically trained musician who went through cancer, twice. This album highlights his struggles, ups & downs, and was made to bring hope to others going through the same thing.

Website: www.EricAlexandrakis.com

I.V. Catatonia: 20 Years As A Two-Time Cancer Survivor, the digital-only release from Musician/Composer/Producer Eric Alexandrakis, was nominated for a Grammy Award today in the Spoken Word category.

The release, which came out on August 28, was heralded alongside fellow nominees Michelle Obama (Becoming), the Beastie Boys (Beastie Boys Book), John Waters (Mr. Know-It-All) and Sekou Andrews & the String Theory (self-titled).

No money, no job, and no insurance. All Alexandrakis had to guide him on his journey of healing and discovery was a borrowed 4-track cassette recorder, a Super 8 camera, an art school approach to everything, and a fist-sized tumor in his chest. Although he would face his greatest challenge at only 24 years old, his determination and talent proved he could overcome even the worst of situations.

"It was a time of great uncertainty, and general physical and emotional turmoil, but along with my family and friends, music was my greatest companion and ally."

While classically trained, Alexandrakis made the decision to attend the much-lauded University of Miami School of Music. As a young man, he produced the first digitally watermarked CD for the school's record label, a tech created by inventor Scott Moskowitz of Blue Spike Inc., approaching his schooling and flourishing career with his characteristically intense gusto. Various overlapping stressful events, including all night recording sessions, relationship issues, the sudden deaths of three friends, shifty characters, and enthusiastic overexertion all culminated into an enormous stress bomb leaving Eric with a fist-sized tumor of Hodgkin's Disease.

What followed was 9 Demos On A 4-Track, recorded while a mystery pain caused by the fist-sized tumor pushing through his rib cage persisted, which was supported by Duran Duran's bassist John Taylor, and the acclaimed I.V. Catatonia, recorded during 6 months of chemotherapy. Critics around the world hailed its creator as "absolutely worth watching out for in the future."

"What I hoped to accomplish with this Spoken Word project is to get it into the hands of people suffering from cancer as a hopeful distraction, to encourage the channeling of the 'bad' into something positive and creative."

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