SYRACUSE, N.Y – Local middle schooler Caleb Sanderman gained national attention this week after posting a now-viral video where he demonstrated a savant-like ability to fold and pack band merchandise.
“I started folding clothes when I was six or seven. My dad would always take the clean laundry out of the dryer, put it in a basket, then forget about it. I taught myself how to fold everything and arrange it into nice piles,” said Sanderman while folding a shirt, ripping off a small piece of masking tape, and marking the garment’s size. “I was inspired by videos of merch guys like Big Johnny and Lefty Luke. Those guys can fold like nobody else, and they can stand so still while a band performs. I asked my mom if I could start my own YouTube channel and things exploded from there.”
Caleb’s mother Christina Sanderman remarks on her son’s early abilities.
“He’s always loved soft goods. When he was a toddler he’d sit and watch the clothes spin around in the machine for hours. When he got older we offered to sign him up for music lessons or a sports team, but all he wanted to do was fold,” said the supportive mother. “At first we thought that was a little weird, but then we realized how much time and money it would save us. We could never have predicted he would go viral and become such a sensation. But the kid has a gift, and the work ethic to back it up. We’re just so proud of him.”
Sanderman’s videos caught the eye of veteran merchandise personnel manager Joel Baclaran, who immediately signed the prodigy.
“The minute I saw Caleb’s videos, I knew he was something special. Sure he’s young, but I wasn’t gonna let talent like that pass me by. I’m going to run him through some drills like ‘sold out of mediums’ and ‘exact change only’ to get him ready for the bigs, but this kid has it all,” said Baclaran. “I’ve managed the careers of over 100 merch guys in my life, and not a single one came close to Caleb’s skill level until they were pushing forty. If this is what the kid is doing at twelve, I’ll be booking him on world tours in no time.”
Venue managers are already in a bidding war to sign another YouTube sensation. A recently uploaded video of an eight-year-old girl yelling at a garage band for sounding terrible has people thinking she has what it takes to make it as a sound technician.