[Dixielandjazz] PUBLIC AWARENESS OF MUSIC

[Stephen Barbone]

List Mates

The below article appeared in a magazine aimed at the Music Retail Store
Industry in the USA. It is excerpted for brevity. It is an interesting
take on why there seems to be more musical work these days than there
was in the past decade or so. Band Leaders may especially want to read
it.



Has music making finally reached public awareness
Dan Vedda “Music & Sound Retailer”  July 2002

Thanks to the volume of exposures  over the last few years, recognition
of the positives of making music, and the role of the music industry
(and I am specifically referring to events and participants outside of
the entertainment industry) are reaching critical mass, by seeping into
the day to day awareness of editors, authors and broadcasters. In a very
short time it will have trickled into the public consciousness as well.

Why do I think this is any different that the promotional opportunities
or media schmoozes of the past? Well, for starters, its the nature of
the exposures. In the May 2002 edition of “Fortune Small Business, the
big headline is “Hot Small-Cap Stocks” and the inside article offers a
half page on the positive situation of Steinway. The pleasant surprise
is that they put Harry Connick Jr., on the cover . . . In this case the
editors obviously felt that mentioning Steinway and endorser Connick
Jr., was a plus for the issue, even though most of the magazine was
devoted to other companies and information.

That same week my mail contained a catalog from a company that makes
logo imprint uniforms. The cover photo showed the proprietor and staff
of a violin repair shop. There had to be some decision that the violin
shop setting had a reasonable amount of visual and emotional appeal.

Other instances tumbled in behind these. A bank’s college fund ad
depicted a little girl playing cello. “The Cleveland Plain Dealer”
devoted a whole lot of newsprint in its op-ed section - for three days -
to the need for a vibrant arts community.

I really believe this represents a sea of change. We aren’t dealing with
some over hyped personality driven media events here. This isn’t about
Mick being knighted by the Queen, or Alice Cooper’s new restaurant. No,
these are examples of the importance of and attraction to music and art
that has begun to re-surface at the proverbial grass roots level. It
isn’t simply coverage of music - its music being used as a positive
cultural reference point. It’s product placement in the American psyche,
and the product is ours. Hooray.

So what should we do about?

Comment: The article then went on to list positive steps that retailers
could take to increase business. Stuff we all know about like School
Programs to get to the kids,  Community Events, Community Support etc.
etc. Barbone Street, for one, see a lot more music opportunities out
there than were existent a few years ago. We have to turn down gigs, or
refer them elsewhere these days. OKOM of all styles should be leading
the charge at the Grass Roots in our local areas.