Good notes for Summer Jam
at Settlement Music School

By Jon Campisi
Times Staff Writer

Leonard “Hub” Hubbard knows a little something about having a successful music career. After all, the Philly native made a name for himself playing bass guitar for the innovative hip-hop group The Roots, which has gained worldwide fanfare and critical acclaim.
So it should come as no surprise that the Grammy-winning artist was asked to return to his own roots, so to speak, and help guide local fledgling musicians in their quest for greatness.
For two weeks, Hubbard will speak to young, up-and-coming musicians during the Settlement Music School’s Summer Jam 2008, a program geared toward garage-band types, ages 12 to 18, who aim to make a name for themselves onstage.
The program, in its second year, will be offered at the Germantown and Kardon-Northeast branches of Settlement, a Philadelphia institution that is celebrating its centennial this year. The Germantown slot is filled to capacity, but the Northeast location still has some availability for the program, which will run weekdays from June 23 to July 3, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Hubbard, who declined to reveal his age, attended Settlement from the time he was about 14 until he was 18. He learned about the private music institution while attending Overbrook High School; advisers recommended he visit Settlement for skill-building.
While Hubbard began playing music at a young age — he took up piano when he was about 5 at the urging of his mother, herself a pianist — it was his time at Settlement that he credits with helping to plant the seed for a full-time music career.
“It was great,” he said, noting the guidance and nurturing on the part of the professional musicians — the only type of instructor at Settlement — at the Mary Louise Curtis Branch, the South Philly location where he studied.
Today there are six Settlement locations, including the early 20th-century original, South Philadelphia. The others are in West Philadelphia, Germantown, the Northeast, Jenkintown and Camden, N.J.
The school was started by two friends from Philadelphia, Jeanette Selig Frank and Blanche Wolf Kohn. Today, Settlement is recognized as the largest community arts school in the country, quite a feat considering its humble beginnings.
Hubbard, who will spend two hours of each day with the students in Summer Jam, will touch on everything from showmanship and skill development to health and nutrition and music as a career choice. The entertainer and talented musician (who showed off his seldom-seen piano skills during a recent interview with the Times) said his goal is to allow the youngsters to learn from someone who has been
there, and done that, when it comes to the challenging world of professional music.
“That’s the idea, to tell them the different things that I had to learn for myself,” he said. “Catching these children at a young age . . . you give them that foundation.”
Bob Capanna, Settlement’s executive director, said having someone of Hubbard’s caliber join the program can work wonders, since it will allow students to see how far they can go if they simply have a vision and make an effort.
“The basic message behind the whole Summer Jam program is the more you have in your arsenal, the more successful you’ll be,” he said.
Hubbard, he added, exemplifies what it is to be both a talented musician and a great performance artist who really knows how to put on a show.
“The whole intention of the Summer Jam program is to try to encourage kids who have an interest in the kind of show-biz aspect of that genre, and at the same time recognize that it is a skill-based endeavor,” he said.
Hubbard said history has shown that youngsters who study music, or some other art form that may pique their interest, do better in other scholastic subjects. The idea, he said, is to have a wide range of knowledge.
“The more you know, the further you can go,” he said he’ll tell the students.
Hubbard doesn’t just talk the talk, he has walked the walk, and he has the success to show for it. Having grown up in the city, he acknowledged that there are many ill temptations, such as drugs and booze, but as a wise adult figure once told him, a career goal is all one needs to help avoid making negative choices.
But coaching someone for a career in music is not just about learning how to play an instrument or become an eye-catching entertainer; it’s about those things that will permit performance longevity. That’s where Hubbard comes in.
“You being aware of your mental, emotional and spiritual health, and having somebody tell you that at a young age, is important,” he said.
Hubbard, who left The Roots nearly a year ago, will also touch on issues like touring, since certain parts of being a professional musician require good mental preparation.
“There’s not a lot of contemporary literature or Web sites where the kids can go to get the full scope of what it’s like to actually be out on the road,” he said.
And contrary to the old stereotype of “sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll,” life as a professional musician is anything but one big party, at least for those who truly want to make it in the business. It requires dedication on many fronts, not the least of which is taking care of one’s own body.
“I tell kids you can’t play a show from the hospital bed,” he said.
Hubbard’s insight is such that the school couldn’t pass up a chance to have an old alum impart some knowledge to youngsters whose musical interests go beyond the scope of traditional instruments, such as those most often taught in public schools, like the violin and clarinet. Hence the appeal of Summer Jam.
“You’re taking instruments not found in the Philly Orchestra,” he said. “It’s a chance for kids in that arena to have a chance to work with somebody who is playing major stadiums. Those children coming up have a chance to be one-on-one with someone who’s doing that.”
Kristine Parsons, director of communications for Settlement, said students should be jumping at the chance to learn from an established working musician, especially since it’s such a rare opportunity.
“The way they’re going to stand out above the crowd is to have some top-notch, quality training,” she said.
As part of the program, participants will get to record their own CD and even play a show at a local venue.
While the fee for the Summer Jam program is $555, Parsons urged parents not to worry; financial assistance is available to those for whom money is an issue.
And while there is an audition process, Parsons said no students will be turned away. The audition is simply a way for the school to place students with others at their respective skill levels.
Bill Peters, director of the Kardon-Northeast branch, said part of the appeal of Summer Jam is that it enables students of various skill levels to come together, offering an opportunity for camaraderie.
“We don’t need super players . . . the idea is we can give the kids direction as well as instruction,” said Peters, who has worked for Settlement for close to 30 years, having started as a guitar teacher in 1980.
Teens participating in Summer Jam, however, are expected to have some musical knowledge. Many of the participants are youngsters who may be self-taught and just need a little coaching, he said.
“They don’t need to be advanced players, but they need to have some knowledge of the instruments,” he said.
For Hubbard, it’s as much a chance for him to pass knowledge to aspiring musicians as it is to explore his own versatility.
“You don’t realize what you bring to the table until you sit at the table,” he said. “Not every musician is a good instructor.” ••
For more information about Settlement Music School, or to register for Summer Jam 2008, visit www.smsmusic.org
Reporter Jon Campisi can be reached at 215-354-3038 or jcampisi@phillynews.com