ACCORD – To say that 15-year-old Accord resident Gabe Schnider has an innate ability for the guitar would be an understatement, according to Gabe's guitar teacher Matthew Finck. Gabe's ability, in fact, has led to national recognition, as he will next week embark upon a musical odyssey that will take him to Los Angeles, California, where he will perform during "Grammy Week." Gabe will perform at a series of events as part of the Grammy Foundation's Grammy Jazz Ensemble, a prestigious program that each year selects 28 highly-talented high school music students from across the country.

"It's a little overwhelming," Gabe says about his good fortune. "It took a while for it to sink in."

This series of six performances beginning on January 26 will showcase Gabe, along with 27 other young musicians from around the country, in the week leading up to the annual Grammy Awards. The week will culminate with the ensemble playing at the exclusive Grammy After-Party on January 31, and will also include a recording session at the Capitol Records Recording Studio in Hollywood, California.

But luck played only a small role in Gabe's selection, according to Finck, who says that Gabe stood out from the crowd from the get-go.

"Right from the very first day it was evident that Gabe had a natural inclination toward the guitar," Finck says.

Finck started working with Gabe after he and his parents moved to the Accord-area in 2003. He says that he was a bit shocked by how far Gabe had managed to progress, given his young age.

"By fifth grade he was already into book two of the Mel Bay Guitar Series, which is a series a lot of guitar players start with," Finck says. "He really understood the mechanics of the instrument."

Gabe says that he can't put his finger on the exact moment that he realized that he loved the guitar; rather, there were a series of things that sparked his interest.

"I had friends who had guitars," Gabe says.

Gabe says that one of his friends let him borrow a guitar for a few days, and that he really enjoyed "strumming around." He then decided that he would like to learn how to play. "I really liked the way it felt," Gabe says.

After a few lessons, he became more enamored of the instrument. But it was when he had a chance to play with his father, Oscar, that things really came together for him.

"Once my dad took out his flute, and I was able to accompany him, I think maybe that is what really did it," Gabe says.

The feeling this created, Gabe says, was very powerful. Gabe's dad, in fact, is a jazz-lover from way back. Gabe says that his father, who grew up in Switzerland, often travelled long distances during his younger years in order to find a copy of the latest Miles Davis or Charlie Parker album. And it's apparent that some of this passion has rubbed off on Gabe.

Gabe's mother, Rene, says that, although she has always had enormous faith in the ability of her son, the fact that he was chosen out of so many applicants is something for which she was not fully prepared.

"It's very surprising," she says.

Rene says that the guitar is one of those instruments that many kids play, unlike other instruments like the trumpet or the saxophone.

"We always have to wait in the longest line," she says about the auditions she and Gabe have attended. Gabe being singled-out in such a large group is really something special, she says.

Rene also says that she is impressed by Gabe's ability to take on such a project.

"He did all of this himself," she says. "No one told him that he should apply."

Gabe went about putting together a band, and then filmed the band playing together. These performances were then put onto DVD and submitted.

"He even did the post-production work," she says.

Gabe, in fact, has a history of taking on — and succeeding with — large projects. Last spring, he put together a concert benefit for the St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, raising approximately $1,500 for the cause. Gabe doesn't back away from challenges, according to Rene.

"He really thrives on that," she says.

Gabe says that he's just excited to be playing with a group of his peers. In the recent past, he has had difficulty finding kids his own age who are into the kind of jazz music he enjoys. It's been even more difficult to find those who play a musical instrument at a relatively high level. The Grammy ensemble will give Gabe a chance to experience playing with kids who are among the best at their respective instruments, something for which he is grateful.

Gabe is also grateful that he is surrounded by people who have allowed him to thrive. He wants especially to thank his guitar instructor, Matt; his parents; and the instructors and staff at the Poughkeepsie Day School, the high school he attends.

"So many people to think about," Gabe says about his support network. "I know I'll leave someone out."