Jam Lesson

Isthmus, March 21, 2019

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.”