David Hart Music

Trumpet performer, educator, and arts leader David Hart has built a career centered on creativity, collaboration, and excellence in performance and music teaching and learning. He serves as Director of Jazz at The Harker School in San Jose, California, where he leads three jazz ensembles, directs the 6th grade orchestra, and supports instrumental music programming across campuses. Hart is also co-founder and co–Artistic Director of the Harker Concert Series, an initiative that brings world-class artists to the school and surrounding community.

In addition to his work at Harker, Hart is a faculty member of the Stanford Jazz Workshop, where he is co-director of both the Giant Steps program and Stanford Jazz Workshop Mentorship Program. An active clinician and performer, he has presented masterclasses and clinics throughout the United States and internationally, including engagements in Thailand, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Myanmar. He previously served on the faculty at Mahidol University in Thailand, where he founded the institution’s first jazz trumpet studio and helped guide the Mahidol Jazz Ensemble to international recognition.

Hart has performed at major festivals such as the Monterey Jazz Festival, San Francisco Jazz Festival, Thailand International Jazz Festival, and Stanford Jazz Festival, and has shared the stage with artists including Horace Silver, Gerald Wilson, Dena DeRose, Bill Dobbins, the 8-Bit Big Band, Taylor Eigsti, and Dayna Stephens.

His scholarly work centers on fostering creativity within the music learning process, with a particular focus on improvisation pedagogy. Hart has contributed to publications including Developing Musicianship Through Improvisation and completed a doctoral dissertation examining collegiate jazz improvisation instruction. His trumpet mentors include Clay Jenkins and Jens Lindemann, and his teaching philosophy has been strongly influenced by Dr. Christopher Azzara and Dr. Richard Grunow.

Hart is also co-founder of Noise Lab Music, an early childhood music company serving families across the Bay Area through classes, lessons, and live performances designed to cultivate music-rich environments for young learners. A California native, he holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Music Education from the Eastman School of Music, master’s degrees in Jazz Studies and Music Education from Eastman, and a BA in Music Performance from UCLA.

SHORT BIO:

David Hart is a trumpet performer, educator, and leader whose work bridges performance, pedagogy, and creative development. Director of Jazz at The Harker School in San Jose, CA, he leads three jazz ensembles, the 6th grade orchestra, and co-directs the Harker Concert Series. He is on the faculty of the Stanford Jazz Workshop, directing the Giant Steps Big Band and co-leading the Mentorship Program. A California native, Hart earned his DMA in Music Education from the Eastman School of Music, master’s degrees in jazz studies and music education from Eastman, and a BA in Music Performance from UCLA.

Hart has taught and performed throughout the United States, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, and Myanmar. Formerly on faculty at Mahidol University in Thailand, he established the first jazz trumpet studio and led the Mahidol Jazz Ensemble to international acclaim. He has performed at the Monterey, San Francisco, Thailand International, and Stanford Jazz Festivals, sharing the stage with Horace Silver, Gerald Wilson, Dena DeRose, the 8-Bit Big Band, Taylor Eigsti, and Dayna Stephens.