“I Kind Of Like Schroeder.” – Charles M. Schulz
Introduced on May 30th, 1951, Schroeder is the boy who plays the piano. Schroeder is a major male character in the Peanuts comic strip and one of Charlie Brown’s closest friends.
Created by Charles M. Schulz, and named after a young boy whom he used to caddy with at the Highland Park Golf Course in St. Paul, Schroeder is depicted with blonde hair and oftentimes seen wearing a striped shirt.
Schroeder’s Piano Skills
He is distinguished by his advanced skills at playing the piano, as well as his love for classical music and admiration of composer Ludwig van Beethoven. He is also the catcher on Charlie Brown’s baseball team and the object of Lucy van Pelt’s affection.
Although it is only a toy piano, with the black keys painted on top of the white ones, Schroeder is still an accomplished musician and composer.
Interestingly, while he has shown his dexterity with the instrument on countless occasions, it has previously been revealed that the character finds real pianos to be somewhat intimidating.
Additionally, despite displaying a love of music, Schroeder has frequently expressed his contempt for anything outside of the classical genre again, much to the chagrin of Lucy, who oftentimes feels the need to expose him to “the sort of music people like.
Schroeder’s Love For Beethoven
His admiration for Beethoven (who he thinks was the first President of the United States) was first revealed in the February 27th, 1955 Peanuts comic strip when Lucy takes his bust of the classical composer and smashes it. In response to this outburst, however, Schroeder simply gets another one from the closet. He is also known for marking the man’s birthday every year on December 16th.
Previously, Schroeder did play music by other composers in earlier comic strips. Schulz once remarked that he had initially wanted Johannes Brahms to be the character’s favorite composer, but eventually changed his mind after deciding that Beethoven sounded funnier.
Lucy’s Love
In addition to his love for music, the character is also oftentimes seen refusing the love of Lucy van Pelt. Frequently seen leaning against his piano and professing her feelings for him, Lucy is infatuated with Schroeder.
While it is hinted that he reciprocates her feelings, Schroeder feels he must remain a lifelong bachelor so as to further emulate every last aspect of his idol’s life. Much to Lucy’s frustration. Despite his constant animosity towards the girl, he later comes to realize that she is in fact his muse and that he simply cannot play without her.
Schroeder Is More Than Just A Pianist
As the catcher on Charlie Brown’s baseball team, he has often been shown providing backhanded compliments on his friend’s pitching. He is also described as one of the best hitters on the team and has even been shown to have a love for hockey in some of the Peanuts comic strips and TV specials.
While his last appearance in comics was on September 12th, 1999, the character has also appeared in numerous animated projects, the latest of which was in a 2022 TV special.
Numerous actors have voiced Schroeder over the years including Chris Doran, Glenn Mendelson, John Daschback, Danny Colby, Curtis Andersen, Noah Johnston, and Matthew Mucci.
He has also appeared in live-action as part of the musical You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown, which appeared both on and off Broadway.
