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10 Questions with ... Eric Torres
October 6, 2020
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
Fed Ex/ Club DJ got his shot on radio in NYC worked from producer to mixer to weekend talent to late night talent to night talent to company sold/station flipped to Music Choice PD MCRH/Senior Programmer.
1. What got you into radio/music?
I have loved music since childhood. Music has always been a part of my family and to this day my family performs live Spanish music on the boardwalk in Coney Island. I've always loved radio. The majority of my childhood pictures are of me with a Walkman and headphones on. My oldest favorite radio memory was listening to the Hot 97 morning show Ed Lisa and Dre every day on the way to school and making sure I didn't miss the roll call, listening to DJ Skribble, who completely blew my mind, and I would record every Glenn Friscia live from the club mix. When WKTU came back in 1996, radio became an obsession. Their on-air talent and Saturday Night Dance Factory DJs was just incredible. Hollywood Hamilton, Goumba Johnny, Speedy, Vic Latino, and Lil Cee, just to name a few. I was blessed to be able to meet all them and for them to praise on my hard work was an amazing feeling.
2. What did you dream of becoming when you were a kid?
I would say becoming either a baseball or basketball player. I loved sports and it’s what allowed me to stay busy and out of the house because my mom didn't allow me to "hang out", the neighborhood was pretty tough.
3. How are you and your family doing through the pandemic?
It's rough, but usually great things come out of the rough. I am very lucky to have purchased my first new home, so I have been busy working on that. I'm a father of three, all under the age of 6, so I get to really enjoy and build on the relationship with them.
4. Professionally, what has been the biggest impact of the Covid-19 pandemic?
The biggest impact has been my creative process. I am a people person I like bouncing ideas off of my teammates. The great thing about Music Choice is we have pretty much every format in one building so the brainstorming is very fun. I miss that most.
5. What's your family's favorite food delivery?
Chinese gets the win in my home. We are a strong team Chicken and Broccoli, and Chicken Lo Mein.
6. Biggest difference in programming Music Choice and programming a New York radio station?
Music Choice has no commercials so the slots available to be more of a new music discovery destination is a beautiful thing. The tough part was taking my mind away from the radio thought process and to the Music Choice process. I am thankful for my manager, Nadine Santos, having me to work directly with Deon Cole. I joke with him all the time that I would have been let go a long time ago if it wasn't for him helping me learn how to merge the radio and TV thought process.
7. If you weren't in music or programming, what do you think you'd be doing professionally?
Well before I got my break at 92.3, I was a FedEx courier. So, I most likely would still be there.
8. How has the pandemic affected you and your family's hobbies?
It has affected the ability to take the kids out places and keep them busy. But that doesn't mean they're not busy at home...lol. If anything, this has taught me an incredible amount of patience.
9. DJ Toro? What's the genesis of that name?
It was actually a joke that ended up sticking. When I first began to DJ, I had no name. As a kid, my friends would just call me "E" and one day during a conversation my best friend said, "Well you can't use Torres as your DJ name, let’s just call you Toro". It ended up on a flyer and it just stuck. One time I wanted to change it to my legal name, but no one knew who I was so the promoter said it's staying as Toro and here we are.
10. Who are/were some of your mentors in the business?
Man, I am sorry but I have plenty of mentors that I am super grateful for who took a chance on me.
Mark Allen, aka Tik Tak, was hosting at the club I was the DJ at when 92.3 first came into town and helped me get my first mix in to the station. Back when no other station even considered me.
Rob Wagman, my first MD who saw the passion I had and made it be noticed by my PD who also was an amazing mentor Dom Theodore. Words cannot describe the gratitude I feel for them. On air, Rob taught me how to be unique and talk to the listener. He told me that everyone walks around with a curtain in front of them, you learn how to speak and be able to get underneath that curtain and touch them and they will stay with you. He is an amazing teacher, mentor and still a great friend to this day.
Lil Cee also took me under his wing and helped push me to keep the blinders on of things changing around me and stay focused. He also was there with Will Calder, while I mixed live on air to make sure I do not sway away from the programming path (too much lol).
Michael Martin gave me my first full time gig and boosted my confidence when he grabbed me by the shoulders and told me, "Dude stop being nervous! You're here for a reason and there's not much of anything you can break overnight so just let loose."
Eventually, Gillette put me on at night up against icons I grew up listening to such as Funkmaster Flex and DJ Clue.
Niko, Astra, my last PD Rick Thomas and every teammate I have ever had in that building, I am grateful for all of their help. I am very sure people reading this and see these names would know I was a very lucky individual to learn from all of them.
Nadine Santos she was my MD at one point while I was on radio and she then became the VP/Programming at Music Choice. When CBS sold to Entercom and my station was flipped she was quick to put me to work. I will always work my behind off so all of those individuals will know I am grateful.
Bonus Questions
Pandemic aside, what advice would you give to anyone trying to get started in the business today?
ALWAYS stay passionate about what you love. Hard work always pays off and no matter how hard the struggle is, believe in yourself and your path.
If you had to eat one type of meal every day for a month, what would it be?
Pizza, hands down.
Last TV binge watch?
The Last Dance
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