Eric “Captain Sulu” was born in Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture in Japan, and left for the United States at the age of two.
He started playing clarinet at age 9 while still residing in Rochester, then added saxophone at age 13 and flute at age 20. He attended Indiana University in Bloomington, where he holds a bachelor’s degree in music. He also holds a master’s degree in music from University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, and has resided in Colorado since August 2011. His energy and talent round out the Funkiphino Horn Section.