After joining the MS Community Symphonic Band (MCSB) in 2004, David Schommer '79 co-founded and became the director and band leader of a community outreach ensemble of the group called, Mississippi Swing! Big Band. Under David's leadership, Mississippi Swing! has hosted more than 180 performances and boasts a repertoire of more than 170 musical selections performed by 20 top-notch musicians.
As Director of Mississippi Swing! and a Board Member of MCSB, David has managed every aspect of the group, which includes everything from growing musician membership and audience numbers to securing rehearsal space and hauling equipment. Add this to the hours spent on performances and rehearsals, and David has given more than 5,200 volunteer hours to what Governor Phil Bryant has proclaimed as "Mississippi's official ambassadors of musical entertainment and goodwill."
In addition to being a musician, David is a professional educator, teaching gifted classes at Davis Magnet IB School in the Jackson Public School District. In this role, he became painfully aware that school budget cuts were affecting music programs in urban schools, leaving little to no funding for band instruments, putting the cost burden on a student population living at or below the poverty level.
In response to this need, David initiated a used musical instrument drive in 2015 to collect instruments that local middle schools could use as loaners for low income students. Since then, he has developed and led a complex process that includes conducting community drives to procure used instruments or financial donations, coordinating instrument repairs and restorations, and determining where instruments will be distributed with the ultimate goal of having instruments in the hands of students ready to play music in the school band.
What began with one instrument drive has evolved to be a truly collaborative, community effort, involving educators, local musicians, instrument repair technicians, local businesses, and MCSB/Mississippi Swing! volunteer band members -with David as the driving force!
As of October 2018, 138 trumpets, trombones, clarinets, flutes, and saxophones have been distributed to 17 schools across four school districts. The Musical Instrument Drive received the 2018 Governor's Award for Exemplary Community Partnership. The instrument drive was also honored at the Keep Mississippi Beautiful State Awards Luncheon, in April.
And, most importantly, more than 150 students have been gifted the potentially life-changing opportunity to learn how to play a musical instrument because of the vision and passionate commitment of one musician, teacher, and community activist - David Schommer.
