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March 2010

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Students Meet Bonnie Raitt and Taj Mahal

Picture this scenario:

You’re 11 years old and you really want to play guitar. Your music therapist, Ms. Joanne Schlachter, brings you and six classmates to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center to meet blues legends Bonnie Raitt and Taj Mahal. You pull out the brand-new custom Fender® acoustic guitar that was just gifted to you and relinquish it to Taj, who tunes it, plays a nasty riff and hands it back. All you can do is look at your friend with wide eyes and say, “Taj Mahal just played my guitar!”The girl’s tennis team has made the State playoffs, and is looking forward to the City Championships on Monday, October 12, 2009, at Lincoln Park starting at 9 am. The girl’s volleyball team is now 7-2 and has a chance to win the division and county championship.

That is the sentiment that could be seen on the face of one of the seven fortunate students from PS#29 who received an exclusive pre-show performance from the two rockstars on August 10th. The duo is in the middle of a tour called BonTaj Roulet: Bonnie and Taj on stage along and together, which is raising funds and awareness for various charities.

Bonnie’s guitar sizzled while Taj blew the blues on his harp. Her fiery red hair and smooth singing complimented his cool straw hat and booming raspy voice. They came down off the stage after introducing their bands and answered questions from the aspiring rock ‘n’ rollers. “These are some of the best questions I’ve ever been asked,” Taj said as he looked at Bonnie, who nodded in agreement. “Do you want to take this one?”

“Sure,” she responded, and explained to that children that, yes, she does sometimes get homesick while touring, and no, she didn’t get to where she is without putting in hours upon hours of hard work.

Bonnie and Taj continued to provide answers and anecdotes to the kids, who clutched the new acoustic guitars with which Little Kids Rock surprised them. They were amazed to find out that they were the first people in the world to own the ESC-80 educational model Fender ® acoustic guitar, which was custom-made for Little Kids Rock.

“Keep playing,” Bonnie said as she headed backstage. “You’ll get here one day.”