UNMC Off the Clock – In the studio with Dr. Bociek

The rock and roll life was not for Greg Bociek, M.D.

As a young man, he recorded and toured with a band in his native Canada. But after a couple of years, he quit and went to medical school.

While he gave up the musician’s life, he didn’t give up music.

Greg Bociek, M.D., associate professor of oncology/hematology, recently released a CD titled “Reflections,” which he recorded and produced in his basement studio. The CD can be purchased in University Tower’s Cornerstone Gift Shop.

The associate professor of oncology/hematology still plays his beloved keyboards and he recently released a CD titled “Reflections,” which he recorded and produced in his basement studio.

Below, Dr. Bociek discusses music, recording and his CD.

Tell us about your new CD.

There are bits of very acoustic pieces, a fairly bluesy organ tune, a few highly orchestrated pieces and a few synthesized moody pieces. It is probably 95 percent instrumental with a few female vocals thrown in.

Tell us about your creative process.

The instrument I use to start working on depends on the song. After I have developed the song structure from one instrument, I layer on more, sometimes adding up to 15 or 20 additional parts.

What’s your musical background?

At age 5 or so, I first heard the Beatles “Help.” I was mesmerized. My parents jammed me into piano lessons at 7 or 8 but I quit after about three months. I later taught myself to play by copying others. I learned to emulate keyboard players from British progressive rock bands of the 1970s and I worked professionally for two years but decided the music business wasn’t for me. About four years ago, I learned of recording software called “Pro Tools,” which would allow me to record at home.

How can we get your CD?

The CD will be for sale physically or as a download from cdbaby.com and eventually on iTunes and Amazon, etc. It’s also on sale at Cornerstone Gift Shop in University Tower, King of Kings Lutheran Church bookstore and you can get one in my office if I’m there. The cost is $15, about 20 percent of which supports the Open Door Mission of Omaha.

What’s next?

I would love to spend retirement recording young bands and teaching them about recording. We could have a deal, you know, “I’ll record you for free and you can mow my yard, shovel my snow and drive me to my urology appointments.”