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Electrical Apparatus, Mar 2004 by Hoff, Joseph S

The music man

Johann Sebastian Bach's "Cantata No. 147" turns many people to fire and ice inside. "Orchestral Suite No. 3," others insist, more viscerally lifts the human spirit. By contrast, John Philip Sousa's "Semper Fidelis" charges the air with percussiveness and sends people off marching. George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" enables the human spirit to soar. In some cases, music even mobilizes whole segments of the population.

Jeffrey "J" Hager knows as much. That's because music is in his bloodline. Hager's grandfather, Gilbert, was a drummer in the NBC Radio Orchestra. Hager's dad, Ted, sings and performed in some of his father's bands. Today, he mostly sings in the shower. Hager's brother, David, wrote the Cleveland State University basketball fight song and is a trumpeter as well as arranger. Hager's wife, Marge Adler, is a pianist and arranger and has played organ for the Cleveland Indians and piano for Barbara Bush, the Cleveland Opera, and for Playhouse Square. J Hager, who serves as international sales manager for Martindale Electric Co. in Cleveland, Ohio, sidelines as a trumpet player in the Travis Haddix blues band.

Hager began playing the trumpet at the age of eight. Early on, he performed in Polish bands, which play polka and tango music. His sensibilities have since changed somewhat.

"I'm in a blues band right now," Hager says. "The last 10 years, I've been with Travis Haddix."

The band comprises a guitarist, bass guitarist, drummer, two trumpet players, a sax player, and a keyboardist.

Hager traveled with Travis Haddix to Switzerland in the winter of 1993-94. While abroad, he called on customers such as Von Roll Isola and ABB during the day and played music at night. Blues music has also enabled Hager to perform in cities across the U.S., including Chicago, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Detroit, and Erie, Pa. Hager recently performed with Travis Haddix at the 2003 King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena, Ark.

Citing the fickle nature of the music business, J Hager thinks that the popularity of the blues genre will persist in the years to come.

"There is such joy in blues music," explains Hager. "There is a cathartic release when you play the blues-not only for the musician but for the audience."

Among his influences, Hager counts: Miles Davis; Freddie Hubbard; Tower of Power; Earth, Wind, and Fire; Gershwin; Debussy; Mozart; and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith.

He does stress the importance for musicians in having their own message, however. He is also aware of the similarities between music and his sales position at Martindale Electric Co.

"A lot of listening and improvising go into Polish music and blues," says Hager. "Listening, performing, and improvising j when necessary come into play in sales as well."

Furthermore, math is fundamental to music and motors, which accounts for the ease with which J makes the crossover between the two.

"I believe selling and music both involve the ability to know your part well, improvise on the spot, harmonize with others, perform like you mean it, work well with others, and make the customers happy," explains J Hager. "When your customers, co-workers, employees, and suppliers are happy, everybody wins."

That is music to customers of J Hager and to Martindale Electric Co.-JSH