Lyme Patient Releases Smooth Jazz Album: Easing the Pain with Approachable Melodies

Bay Area Lyme Spotlight Series

“My goal was to create happy, melodic, and approachable music that everyone in the Lyme community can enjoy during infusions, when they are feeling down, or just need a distraction of their own.”

– Steve Ehrlich, Lyme patient

Steve Ehrlich emigrated to the Bay Area from South Africa in 1989. Chronic Lyme Disease cut his career in the software industry short, and he turned to writing music. His virtual band, The Inter Section, released its debut album, Jazz and All That, in November 2024. He spends his days on his sofa writing music with his dog, Teddy, making sure the notes are correct.

In this blog, Steve tells us his story:

Like many people reading this blog, I have ‘Chronic Lyme Disease.’ My battle with Lyme and its equally malicious co-infections, Babesia and Bartonella, began 15 years ago. Similar to the experiences of fellow Lymies, it took a year to be diagnosed, and dozens of doctors and hundreds of medications and supplements have done little to quell the 30 symptoms that rollercoaster through my life every hour.

Eight years ago, I had to end my 30-year career, at which point I realized two things: first that a sofa with heated blankets on my back and legs was the place I needed to be, and second, that one can only stare at the TV screen and ceiling for so long. To take my mind off the pain, I needed a distraction. I turned to writing music, something I had been doing since I was a child.

I was able to find software that allows me to transfer the musical ideas in my head into sheet music and play it back. With the nudging of family and friends to “create an album,” I decided to do so.

Without the ability to now play an instrument, I hired professional musicians to record 12 instrumentals, and sound engineers to mix and master them. My goal was to create happy, melodic, and approachable music that everyone in the Lyme community can enjoy during infusions, when they are feeling down, or just need a distraction of their own.

Nine months later, I released Jazz and All That, a smooth jazz album performed by my virtual band, The Inter Section, on all the major streaming services. Perhaps you’ll feel the joy, passion, and soul I embedded in the music and enjoy it enough to purchase the album (at a price you choose) because all proceeds go to Bay Area Lyme Foundation and LymeDisease.org.

I wrote and produced an entire album from my sofa. I hope you find your distraction and create something wonderful from yours.