On a recent visit to Prague, David Schroeder – program director for Jazz Studies at NYU Steinhardt – gave harmonicas to kids at Czech elementary schools and shared some of his harmonica-playing secrets with them.
This is not the first time that Dave has brought his love of the modest instrument to children. In addition to visiting schools in New York, Dave brought harmonicas to dozens of children in Guatemala. The idea for the Prague workshop came about after NYU Prague director Jiri Pehe saw one of Dave’s concert New York. “First Jiri [Pehe] asked me to teach him the harmonica,” said Dave, “and then when he heard about my kids’ workshops, we decided to do some here for Czech children too.”
All children received their very own harmonica: Rule #1 for the harmonica – never share your instrument (and Rule # 2 – never eat spaghetti before you play). Children learned to inhale and exhale into their harmonicas, making the sounds of trains approaching. The bravest children improvised solos- because, as Dave told them, “the fun thing about music is when you get to make things up.”
Dave ended the workshops with a solo of his own – incorporating variations on Dvorak for the most sharp-eared kids. “Keep practicing, and next time I visit, you’ll all be playing this way,” he told them.
Dave’s next stop is Mongolia, where he’s been asked to teach 70 kids. Perhaps it’s the start of a worldwide jazz revolution – one harmonica at a time. This will be a side activity as the main reason for Dave’s trip is to have his Steinhardt Jazz Faculty group Combo Nuvo, www.combonuvo.com, perform with the Mongolian National Symphony.