Raising a Prodigy: Doug & Eamonn Hubert

(Photo by Eli Honovich)

Walking into an Irish pub on St. Patrick’s Day, everything is as expected. Glasses clink and slosh over. Shouts of “cheers!” pierce through the fog of chatter. A bartender wipes her brow, wipes the bar, and swivels on a foot to take another order. It is a frenetic Where’s Waldo of green-sequined shamrocks and emerald beads. Indeed, the standard St. Paddy’s antics are afoot - and unsurprising, except for one thing. On a wood-tiled dance floor in the center of the bar, expertly plucking the final verses of “Danny Boy” on his green-stringed guitar, there stands an eight-year-old boy.

I share a glance with a nearby spectator. “The kid’s a prodigy,” he exclaims. “He plays better than most adults who come here.” Another inserts, “that guitar is bigger than he is,” with a grin.

Eamonn Hubert has been playing guitar since age three. “He was picking up my guitars and walking around with them as soon as he could lift them,” recalls his father, Doug Hubert. Now, as a third-grader, Eamonn plays lead in a father-son blues/rock guitar duo, his dad emceeing and supporting on rhythm. Eamonn’s mother, Jimae, acts as their manager.

A self-taught musician and high school science teacher, Doug has been playing guitar in the Triple Cities for over 15 years. Despite his experience, Eamonn quickly exceeded his father’s ability. “We got him some chord charts,” Doug remembers of five-year-old Eamonn, “I showed him what I knew in terms of some scales - pentatonic, minor blues, minor pentatonics, and some things like that. So, pretty much, he absorbed everything I could show him within-- within no time at all.”

They also discovered early on that Eamonn had perfect pitch. “Once he learned what notes went with what strings, and he figured out all the notes in the scale, he could hear things and say, 'Oh, that's a B. And that's in the key of F,’” his dad recalls. “And I mean weird stuff - like 'the air conditioner is in the key of F sharp,' you know? And so it got us thinking - is this a pitch thing? So, we started doing some research on perfect pitch and, sure enough, he has perfect pitch.” Less than one in ten thousand people have this rare ability, which in part explains Eamonn’s remarkable ability to pick up music so quickly.

For the past few years, Eamonn has worked with several guitar teachers - professional musicians including Nick Gravelding of the Gravelding Brothers Band and Cody Carmen of the Tomahawks – and his exceptional ability has drawn attention beyond of the Triple Cities. This past year at Guitarmaggedon, a large-scale benefit concert for the Scranton Cultural Center, he played alongside Clarence Spady, a well-known Northeast blues musician. A few months later, Spady called Eamonn on stage to jam at another gig. “Clarence just gave him his guitar and said, ‘here you go’,” his father chuckles, “and Eamonn jumped in with the band. […] He led everything from start to finish.”

Because of his skill and confidence on stage, it is easy to forget how young Eamonn is. But, when asked about his interests besides guitar, he responds like any excited third-grader: “storms, shipwrecks, Minecraft, fishing, Legos, and playing outside.” And when he takes a break two hours into the St. Paddy’s show, he runs up to a table and scarfs down some French fries while talking excitedly with his friends.

As his dad explains, Eamonn’s age presents some challenges in the realm of professional music. “There's the component where he's an eight-year-old kid, so, as a dad, I have to be able to read that part of things, which is tricky. As an adult, you can suck it up and say, ‘I'm hungry, but I'll wait and eat after', but when you’re an eight-year-old, it’s ‘now.’ I have to be a parent and bandmate and band leader at the same time. It complicates things a little bit."

This past summer at the New York State Blues Festival, Eamonn won second place in a scholarship competition for musicians under 18, with an 18-year-old placing first. At the time, Eamonn was only seven. “I think because of his young age, they were especially blown away by him,” says Doug. After seeing Eamonn at the competition, the event organizer asked him to sit in with a band at the festival, even though the runner-up does not usually perform. “They gave us a very rough studio recording of the song they wanted him to do and, of course, he had it figured out in no time,” he laughs. “Good lord! He had it figured out the first day he heard it.”

Just the other week, the casting director from the Broadway production of School of Rock contacted the Hubert family. At request, they submitted an audition tape for the lead role of Zack, the guitarist. “I think he's got a pretty good shot,” Doug said hopefully, “since they sought him out. In terms of an opportunity for him, obviously, it would be huge.” Unfortunately, if Eamonn were to get the part, it would put a hold on Doug & Eamonn, as well as their five-piece blues band, Hot Dogs & Gin. “If he gets this role,” Doug anticipates, “things are probably gonna explode here quite a bit in the next year.”

Despite Eamonn’s extraordinary talent, professional music hasn’t been without its challenges for the Hubert family. Eamonn is on the autism spectrum and has also been diagnosed with ADHD. Doug expresses gratitude for the early interventions of his son’s speech therapist, occupational therapist, and others. “If they had not helped him early on, it's not likely he would be where he is now. They helped him get past a lot of the sensory issues that would have made playing music very difficult.”

It required some time to learn about Eamonn’s unique behaviors and triggers, explains Doug. “Sometimes he has meltdowns about stuff that neurotypical kids would be like, ‘this is no big deal.’ During a show, I don't wanna push things to the point where he loses it. So, being able to read those signs and listen to him if he says, ‘I really need to take a break' - we're taking a break. I do more of that over time. It just took a little while to figure out that dynamic."

Doug describes Eamonn’s diagnoses as a “certain set of circumstances, not necessarily limitations,” which require a bit of patience and a flexible approach. As a teacher who works in special education, Doug was particularly well equipped to adapt to Eamonn’s unique set of circumstances. “Some of the things that I have learned in working with kids in that group have certainly helped inform me about some of the behaviors and things I see with Eamonn,” he reflects, “and the other way too, especially with kids on the spectrum. So, I have had a lot of those ‘aha!’ moments, both at home and at school.”

Doug’s patience with his son has certainly borne fruit. At the St. Paddy’s show, Eamonn plays through a three-hour set, amidst the chaotic revelry, with grace and confidence - a feat he is by now accustomed to. The two musicians share a visible bond. Eamonn tunes his guitar by ear and whispers to his dad behind the mic. He glances over at his dad’s fingers to coordinate. During a cover of Bon Jovi’s “Living on a Prayer,” they harmonize together at the mic. “He doesn't have any stage fright whatsoever,” marvels his father, “which just blows my mind.”

Doug credits the community for giving Eamonn the opportunities he needs to get comfortable on stage. “We've been consistently amazed by the local music community. Musicians, venues, that have given him an opportunity, given us an opportunity.”

When asked if he gets nervous up on stage, Eamonn responds simply, “When I'm on stage, I feel confident.” Then, he adds, “I love playing music with my dad!”

Catch Eamonn and Doug playing with Hot Dogs & Gin April 8th at Shelter Slam (Endwell Greens Golf Course) or on April 21st at The Taphouse (Binghamton). For more info, check out Hot Dogs & Gin on facebook.