Gerards earliest musical influences included South American rhumbas, trumpet music of the Spanish corridas, and his father's LP collection, which included a rich mix of salsa sounds, Trini Lopez, Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, and show tunes.
In his elementary school years, he played on boxes, kitchen tables, and a checkers game board that rattled when hit with pieces of wood that vaguely resembled drumsticks.
In high school, he got a real drum set and began rocking out in earnest.While living in Paris, Gerard studied USA/Charlie Parker music with Alan Silva (IACP; Celestrial Communications Youth Orchestra). He then moved to Texas where he received formal training at Texas Christian University and the University of North Texas.
He has performed with blues, flamenco, folk-acoustic, jazz, rock-n-roll, hip hop, C&W, and Greek/Middle Eastern groups and continues to be involved in various modernist/avant/noire ensembles.
His collaboration with The Electro-Magnetics marks yet another creative turn for Bendiks, and the band seems to be the perfect fit for a man with such multi-dimensional talents and interests. In fact, the thing that stands out most about an Electro-Magnetics event is the synchronicity that flows from one band member to another during a performance. Each person on the stage brings his or her own creative energy into play, and the resulting sound they deliver is nothing short of amazing.
