Rich Ehrman, 52, pianist, movement therapist

RICH EHRMAN

Rich Ehrman, a pianist and percussionist, died from a heart attack on Nov. 19 at his home in Cambridge. He was 52.

"He was unique in that he had the strength to pursue his dreams . . . which were eclectic and not mainstream," said his brother, Peter of Brooklyn, N.Y. "It took a lot of effort not to conform to the wishes of society. There were definitely expectations he had to go against, but he was very successful at all of the alternative endeavors in which he engaged."

Mr. Ehrman practiced the Feldenkrais method, a therapy centered on movement, to help musicians with chronic movement problems.

He ran a private practice for performing artists and senior citizens and taught classes at the Berklee College of Music, from which he held a bachelor's degree in professional music.

He was introduced to the method as an injured musician and used it to return to normal functioning.

He then trained to become a practitioner and in 1995 began teaching a class at Berklee called Awareness through Movement.

"Not that many people in music schools were doing what he was doing, so he was really a trend setter," said Liz Ehrman, his wife of nine years.

The Berklee course became more popular every year, and Mr. Ehrman was soon offering more classes.

In a brochure describing a class, a former student described how he helped her play the cello without the pains in her wrists, elbows, and shoulders to which she had grown accustomed.

"I was trapped in a cycle of cause and effect. It wasn't until I started studying with Richard that I was able to navigate a path out of the pain," the student said.

Mr. Ehrman also was a member of the International Federation of Feldenkrais Practitioners.

"He was a very passionate individual who took everything and everyone very seriously," his wife said. "He was an incredible listener, which allowed him to connect with people all over the world. His life wasn't about having the perfect house or living in the perfect suburb, it was figuring out what was true in life. Feldenkrais led him more deeply into an understanding of life."

Mr. Ehrman joined the staff at Berklee in 1983 and served as concert office manager. He also was a part of the Concert Operations/Special Programs Department.

Outside of work, he participated in the Agbekor Drum & Dance Society, featuring traditional African singing and drumming and a Gamelan orchestra, a musical ensemble out of Indonesia.

His interest in Asian studies blossomed from his study-abroad experience at Seinan Gakuin University in Japan while he was a student at the State University of New York at Oneonta from 1974 to 1977.

Mr. Ehrman grew up in Bay Ridge, N.Y., where he developed a love of New York Yankees baseball.

"He always stayed true to his home team," his wife said. "It didn't always make him popular here, but he sure won a lot of bets."

Mr. Ehrman also played chess.

His wife said she recently started reading her husband's journals and is rediscovering how much of a "seeker" he was.

"He thought about death, and he thought the best way to deal with it was to live each day fully," she said. "His favorite quote was, 'Let the mind be like a stomach, open on both ends.' He thought it was important to process new information and store it for a little while but then to let it go in order to have room for new ideas."

She also recalled his kindness.

"A week before he died, we were circling a parking lot, and somebody offered us a parking space. But by the time we had circled around to get it, we found another one. Yet my husband ran across the parking lot to find the person who offered the spot and thank him."

Since they were married, the Ehrmans have lived on the third floor of the Congregation Eitz Chayim in Cambridge, where Liz plays the cello.

In looking for a home, she said, the ability to practice music freely without disturbing neighbors was a top priority for them.

Living in such proximity to the couple, Rabbi Liza Stern knew them well.

She decided to hold a memorial service for Mr. Ehrman. "I always think people need the opportunity to remember and share," she said.

The memorial service, held in November at Congregation Eitz Chayim, echoed the theme of education, as a number of guests recalled what they had learned from Mr. Ehrman.

"I think he had a gift for connecting with people around shared interests," Stern said. "He would enthusiastically invite his friends to learn about something or share something. I was impressed to find that out about him."

Michael Veal, who came to know Mr. Ehrman at Berklee, said his friend introduced him to music that "changed [my] life forever."

"Listening to music never sounded as good as it did in his house," Veal said. "Rich savored the experiences of life. Whatever it was, he was fully immersed."

The two shared a friendship based on a common love for what Veal described as the "three poles of our musical existence": musicians Fela Kuti, Sun Ra, and James Brown.

Liz Ehrman plans a second tribute to her husband on Jan. 22 at the David Friend Recital Hall at Berklee from 4 to 6 p.m.

In addition to his wife and brother, Mr. Ehrman leaves his father, Stanley of Marlboro, N.J.; a sister, Gaile Amigone of Buffalo; and three nephews.