I first heard of this week’s Greek spotlight when he and were both in Millikin Men our freshman year. He had a solo at our Vespers concert and blew everyone away. This man is none other of than, Eric McCarter.

Eric McCarter is a junior commercial music major from the south side of Chicago. McCarter is a member of two Greek fraternities, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and Delta Sigma Phi.

He went Greek because he, “wanted to step outside of his comfort zone and be apart of something bigger than himself.”

He enjoys being a part of both of the brotherhoods and enjoys having a bigger support system of men on campus.

“Being in Greek Life is great because you always have someone who will be there to support you,” McCarter said.

McCarter has been performing music since high school, but he has been singing his whole life. He came to Millikin because he wanted to improve his musicianship and work on building his artistry.

McCarter said, “Being here has opened so many doors for me, and allowed me to learn more about music and engineering. The commercial music program is very optimistic, and they really strive for their students to be successful.”

Artists such as Beyoncé, Whitney Houston, Ella Fitzgerald, Michael and Janet Jackson and Stevie Wonder have inspired McCarter. He completed the ProTools immersion this past summer and now has a certification in the field.

In addition to being involved with Greek Life and his major, McCarter is a member of the Multicultural Voices of Praise, OneVoice and the Millikin University Choir. He joined the Multicultural Voices of Praise his freshman year.

“It was a way for me to connect with my spiritual roots and perform music that I had grown up with,” McCarter said.

McCarter hasn’t always been interested in Jazz music, but he really took a liking to the genre when he was a member of BluBop his freshman year.

He said, “I really enjoyed the techniques and instrumentation in Jazz and learned by working with Jenny Samples.”

He then transitioned into the ensemble OneVoice his sophomore year with professor Weindehoffer.

“Doc has a variety of music that he chooses for the group, and we work in genres outside of Jazz sometimes,” McCarter said. “OneVoice is also a great ensemble to be apart of for my major.”

McCarter is also the Physical Graffiti and president for the 2015-2016 school year. Physical Graffiti is a hip-hop dance crew that has been on campus for 10 years. The group celebrated their 10th anniversary last year. McCarter has big goals for the group this year, including performing on other campuses such as Purdue and the University of Illinois. He also wants to have them perform at dance showcase in Chicago.

McCarter is a man of many talents. Millikin has given him multiple opportunities, and he showcases those talents. In the future, McCarter would love to make a living in music. After college, he wants to perform on cruise ships. He also is interested in possibly buying his own studio and even creating a record company.

Going Greek is one can be one of the best decisions of your college career. I know McCarter has benefited from being in different Greek organizations on campus.