Musician Eric Fridrich understands the importance of a life with music.

Years ago, Fridrich was very ill and doctors couldn’t pinpoint the cause.

“I was getting worse and worse,” Fridrich said. “One day I decided, ‘I don’t know what is going on, but I’m going to play music.’ And I jumped with two feet into the world of making music.”

Later, doctors diagnosed Fridrich with diabetes. He credits music with giving him joy and inspiration during his illness. He believes music helped slow the progression of the disease.

“I truly believe it saved my life,” he said.

So when school budgets began to tighten and music programs were being cut, Fridrich, along with Nathan Wright, wanted to help keep music in the lives of children. They founded a non-profit program called Savor the Sound to fill the gaps in music education.

Savor the Sound is still in its infancy, but Fridrich has been happy at what’s been accomplished in the first year, including organizing preschool music programs and awarding youth musical scholarships.

Fridrich cited studies showing that music can affect the development of children. Music helps increase brain activity and improves aptitudes in math and English.

As a young child, Fridrich composed music in his mind. He’d go to bed at night creating symphonies in his head.

“My mind is like a recording studio. As a kid, I thought it was a normal thing,” he said. “But everyone has their own thing that comes natural. For me it was music.”

But Fridrich didn’t discover his true gift of music until he was in his 20s.

He doesn’t want that late discovery to happen with other children.

He hopes through programs like Savor the Sound, children’s gifts and talents will be recognized and nurtured from a young age.