User:Motivic/David schnittman

David Schnittman is a Music educator and performing musician having toured, for example, for the USO/DOD Armed Forces Entertainment as well as with Johnny Shines. His performing and recording credits include the following instruments: Upright and electric basses, guitars, piano/keyboards, trombone, trumpet, French Horn, saxophone.

David Schnittman was born in New York City in 1962. He attended Stony Brook University (B.A. cum laude, Music 1984) and also attended graduate school there, working towards a Masters Degree in Musicology until 1986. He was granted a "Masters degree equivalency" certification by Cabrillo College in Aptos California (http://www.cabrillo.edu/) for the purposes of teaching in the department of Music at that institution.

David currently resides in the San Francisco Bay area where he is a private music instructor (http://www.themusictree.com/) and professional musician of some renown(Morgan Hill Times, voted "Best Music Teacher, 2008"), performing both as a solo act and with his group DSQ (The Dave Schnittman Quartet: www.davidschinttman.com). He is also the director of bands at"Charter School of Morgan Hill".

In 1996 David created "Music Jam" in partnership with "EMQ children and family services". David had been a counselor and later a program supervisor at EMQ and after he left was asked to create a music program for their "Program Uplift" (http://www.emqff.org/services/wraparound.shtml). David has been the Musical Director for "Music Jam" since its creation and he uses his deep musical understanding of modern "pop" musical styles and his knowledge of how to both play and teach a wide variety of musical instruments to help children and teens who are "SED" (severely emotionally disturbed) bring musical performance into their lives. Many of these students are highly vulnerable to negative influences around them. "Music Jam" is best understood as "Experiential Music Therapy" that allows troubled youth the opportunity to be part of something creative and positive at a time in their lives when such opportunities can be very hard to find. In a few short minutes these youngsters are literally part of "the band" playing, most often, guitar, bass, keyboard or drums. The positive effect on the participants is often substantial. The program itself is a weekly 2.5 hour workshop that is open to the public and is free of charge. "Music Jam" provides the musical instruments and equipment necessary by virtue donations and grants.