Amy Stocklein
Hanah Jon Taylor, far right, tutors aspiring musicians, from left: K. Sankofa, Fernando Ponce Romero, Jonathan Downs, Jarra Diakite, Benjamin Drummond.
Carrying an electric guitar, Rene Bedolla is the first person to arrive at the Saturday morning jazz expo at Cafe Coda.
Bedolla, an 18-year-old East High School student, is greeted by Cafe Coda owner Hanah Jon Taylor.
“Who is this?” Taylor says as he reaches out to shake Bedolla’s hand. “Rene,” says Bedolla. “Leo sent me.” Next, 21-year old Benjamin Drummond walks in with his saxophone. Drummond shakes hands with Taylor and sits down comfortably in a chair on the stage. Within a couple of minutes, two more musicians — 17-year old Jonathan Downs on saxophone and 26-year old piano player Reggie Thedford — join the group. “Let’s take some time to get nice and loose because I want to talk about form today,” Taylor says.
When Taylor moved Cafe Coda from West Dayton Street to Williamson Street last September, he knew he wanted music education to be one of the foundations of his new venue. While Taylor has traveled the world as a professional jazz musician since 1979, he also has a background in education. Taylor received a master’s degree from Southern Illinois University in music therapy, studying how music activities could deter juvenile delinquency in East St. Louis, Illinois. As a substitute teacher in Madison for 25 years, Taylor takes issue with how music is often taught in conventional school settings.
“Music is taught like science instead of language and it denies young kids who don’t have the patience or aptitude to read black dots on paper the opportunity to express their musical selves,” Taylor says. “And I can see the difference between children who have had music in their lives and those who haven’t.”
So Taylor launched Saturday morning “youth jazz expos.” Children ages 8 to 12 are invited to join him from 9 to 10 a.m.; youth over 13 are welcome from 10 a.m. to noon. The sessions have been popular, Taylor says. “There is a reason students come here on Saturday mornings at 9 a.m.”
Before long this morning’s group is joined by 25-year old K. Sankofa, a rapper who is interested in learning jazz and blues voice. The group starts to improvise a song with a standard blues form and Taylor tells Sankofa to sing about winter turning to spring. “Blues is really a song of liberation,” Taylor says. “The first four measures we talk about the challenge of the situation but the last four measures, here comes spring. Wow! Resolution. Liberation.”
Soon more musicians show up: 17-year old piano player Leo Dreis, 16-year old drummer Jarra Diakite, and 15-year old Fernando Ponce Romero, all East High students. Ponce Romero — a trumpet player — is new and Taylor gives him a quick audition before he tells him to join the club.
“This is not school,” Taylor tells the group. “I’m not here to help you with your homework, I’m here to develop language with you. The most important thing is that we learn to play by ear and from our hearts. So what are we talking about?”
“The challenge of the winter leading to the imminence of spring,” Sankofa answers. The group starts to play but before long Taylor stops them again. “Dynamics are important,” Taylor says. “Let’s give it a little more life. Here we go. It’s a happy blues, Reggie, pick it up!”
For another hour the group starts and stops playing as Taylor interjects questions — “my teaching method is Socratic,” he says — and gives pointers.
As noon approaches, Taylor picks up his saxophone, shouts out “together!” and joins the musicians. The music swells as Taylor stops playing and steps off the stage, smiling as he watches from a distance. The song comes to an end and everyone claps. “Thank you gentlemen,” Taylor says. “Next week we are going to work on motifs.”
Taylor’s instruments: Flute, saxophone and wind synthesizer
Years Taylor directed the University of Chicago jazz ensemble: 1989-1992
Piano the young musicians can play at Cafe Coda: a C7 Yamaha concert grand piano. “The same piano they have at the Blue Note in New York City,” Taylor says.
Taylor’s vision for Cafe Coda: “I hope Cafe Coda represents the budding and open-mindedness of this community by celebrating jazz and other creative art forms as representative of our humanity.”
What happened after the jazz expo: Several of the musicians, including all of the East High School students, were talked into joining a community drum circle happening at the front of the venue.
