Harmonica virtuoso Allen Stratyner recently discussed his initial prelude into music.

"I was four or five years old. My paternal grandfather, who lived on the lower east side of Manhattan, bought me a harmonica from Blanc's Music Store. I played songs like "Mary had a Little Lamb" and "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" and anything I heard on the radio. Years later, I had a friend in high school, Steve Rothman, who introduced me to the blues harmonica. We started a band called, "Uncle Meat's Mongolian Mucus Blues Band", a homage to Frank Zappa. We developed a repertoire of songs and we wanted to try and find some gigs. We contacted the Jewish Community Center in South Yonkers and auditioned to play there. That so-called audition ended up being a three-hour, freebie gig for a dance party, and they never called us back to do a paid gig! That was our first experience in the music business. In college, I received a phone call from my parents telling me that Steve had died in a car accident. "He was one of my biggest musical influences early on in my life," Stratyner recalled.

Allen's parents were both involved in aspects of music. "My Dad was a CPA. Two of his biggest clients were jazz greats Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Getz. One of the earliest live concerts I saw was Dizzy and his quartet at the legendary Birdland, located just north of West 52nd Street in Manhattan. It's hard to hear that kind of musical genius without being inspired to play music yourself. My Dad also taught a college level course, "How to Start a Successful Band." It covered topics like creating a band press kit, and how to develop a fan base. My father is the one responsible for showing me the ropes of the music business. While I was in high school, my Dad and his good buddy, Art Kass, an Executive at MGM Records, produced records for several musical acts. Art later became the head of Kama Sutra and Buddha Records. Every so often he would give my Dad a stack of disc jockey label 45 rpm records, and I got to hear them before their public release. I played my harmonica along with those records as a kid and that's really how I learned the basics of playing the harmonica. Whatever inherent musical talent I have comes from my Mom, Hedy, and her side of the family. Her grade school principal heard her sing once and was so impressed that he bought her a piano and paid for her private music lessons. She decided on having a family, or I'm sure she would have had a professional musical career. Mom had a semi-classical voice. She'd always sing at home and sometimes she would sing at Bar Mitzvahs and other functions at the Lincoln Park Jewish Center, where my family attended religious services. I will never forget how happy she was when she visited us in Indianapolis and I surprised her with a recording session with the great Producer/Engineer, Al Stone. She recorded the song 'Memories' accompanied by a pianist, and never forgot that experience. My maternal Grandfather played potbelly mandolin. Mom's Brother, Uncle Manny, played chromatic harmonica with Borah Minovich's harmonica band in the 1940s."

One experience that foreshadowed Stratyner's future involvement with blues music happened when Allen was a kid in Yonkers, New York. "I remembered going Trick or Treating at a neighborhood house where the big band leader, W.C. Handy lived. He is credited with being the father of the Blues. Many years later, I went to an Indianapolis blues club to see Steve James, a world-class acoustic blues guitarist. While chatting with Steve James during his break, we were shocked to learn that we had both grown up in Yonkers, and had attended the same kindergarten class at PS #28. His last name back then was Cicchetti and he lived about a block away from me! We were childhood friends, making clay dinosaurs and playing together. We recalled our going to W.C. Handy's house on Halloween. He now writes for Guitar Player Magazine, and plays all over the world," Stratyner reminisced.

Being accepted into Butler University brought Allen to Indiana. "I came to Indianapolis in 1968 to attend Butler University. I majored in sociology and psychology at Butler and later returned to IUPUI to study computer technology. While at Butler, I'd go off at night to various clubs and sit in with bands on harmonica. There weren't any open stages back then, so asking bands if I could sit in is really how I continued to hone my harmonica playing skills. I owe a lot to bands like "Chooch and the Enchanters" and "Cinnamon Empire" for being kind enough to let me play with them. From time to time I also sat in with a friend, John Hiatt, at a little basement café set up in the Newman Center, across from Clowes Hall. Of course, John has gone on to become a world-class musician/songwriter, and I'm very proud to have known him and so happy for his great success.

"In the mid-1980s, I began playing semi-professionally. I met Stan Smith, a songwriter, guitarist and clarinet player who now lives and plays in Austin, Texas. Stan asked me if I'd like to play some gigs with him, and we played as a duo at a club called the Hummingbird at 71st Street & Keystone (now Birdie's), opening for Leon Redbone, John Sebastian and Corky Siegel of the Siegal Schwall Blues Band. I am mainly a blues harmonica player. However, I've played all kinds of music over the years," he mentioned. "I was asked to play in the "Yank Rachell Blues Band." Yank had played with one of the most influential blues harmonica players, John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson. Sonny Boy was responsible for changing blues harmonica from a background, rhythm instrument to a solo instrument. All the early great Chicago players listened to and imitated him. It was such an honor to play with Mr. Rachell, and he taught me so much about playing the real blues music. Years later, Yank asked me to play harmonica on what was to be his last studio recording, "Too Hot for the Devil." Also in the 1980s, I got to play with Little Walter's guitar player, Louis Myers. The members of the Yank Rachell Blues Band and I backed up Louis and pianist Pinetop Perkins at the Place to Start at 54th Street and College Avenue before it became the Jazz Kitchen. (Throughout these years, Stratyner appeared on his friend deejay Jay Zochowski's "Nothing but the Blues" on WFYI helping to raise money by giving away 15 minute harmonica lessons taught over the telephone.) Jay not only hosted this great blues show, he also produced memorable blues concerts at local public libraries, and big blues shows at the Penrod Art Festival. The Blues community owes him a lot for his continual promotion of this music we love," Stratyner noted.

"My greatest musical influence is my friend, singer/guitar player/songwriter, Pat Webb. Pat is a troubadour, who played acoustic guitar throughout the country during the 1960s folk movement. We met in the early 1970s at a popular Indianapolis club called "Crazy Al's" [at 54th and College Avenue]. Pat taught me that great musicians always play 'the heart of the song.' He always says that good musicianship isn't about showing off how much you know, but rather using your abilities to make the song sound as good as you possibly can. That's one of many things Mr. Webb has taught me over the 35+ years we've played and recorded together," he said.

Stratyner shares his harmonica playing skills in a local class. "A friend taught it the first year, and then he asked me if I could take the class over because he was moving to Woodstock, NY. I wrote my own class notes and developed the class from my own personal experiences learning to play. I love teaching people how to play and have been doing so for about 20 years. The classes teach all the basic techniques one needs to play blues and other musical styles. I emphasize the ability to play by ear, i.e., learning by listening without written music. That's how most of the old masters learned to play and it still works today. I also love to teach people about the history of blues music and the harmonica playing masters of the past who created the musical styles and techniques used today. My next class will run October 9 through November 13 at the Jewish Community Center," he explained. Aspiring harmonica players can call the JCC at (317) 278-7600, or call Larry Rothenberg at 251-9467, ext. 2233 or email lrothenberg@JCCindy.org to get additional info and enroll in the fall class.

Stratyner explains what makes the blues a unique musical form. "Blues is all about telling a story with words and music. It's a very simple, three chord structure. When you play a solo over a 12 bar (section) blues, you build musical tension, and then release it as you come to the end of one 12 bar cycle, and get ready to play the next 12 bars. The best players make every note meaningful, and you have to be creative to do that playing over just three chords."

Today, Allen Stratyner plays with his friend, instrumentalist and singer/songwriter Rich Hynes, and from time to time with the Last Drop Jug Band, and Slide Harpo.

Allen and Rich are on You Tube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Rs3ZTWYJN4 and Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheNaptownJugBusters/info.

"The most rewarding thing about being a musician for me is that playing this little tin box of reeds has given me so many wonderful experiences meeting and entertaining people. Over these many years I've had the opportunity to play in many different venues, like at the Pan American Games, the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, and the Slippery Noodle on Super Bowl weekend when the great Buddy Guy headlined. It's so satisfying on those occasions when you are playing at the top of your game and can communicate through music with your fellow players and the audience. I always enjoy sharing my experiences with students; giving them shortcuts to playing the harmonica which I had to learn on my own through trial and error, and teaching them to use the tools they need to build their music, just like a carpenter uses his tools to build a house. I'm most thankful for my understanding wife, Joan, and daughter, Sarah who have allowed me to follow my passion through these years. They are the ones who put up with me coming home late at night, and forgive me when I miss out on family functions from time to time. I'd have to say I'm a very lucky guy, and I'll probably be playing the harmonica till the day I die," he concluded with a big smile on his face.