[Dixielandjazz] The Future

[Robert S. Ringwald]

Forwarded by Bob Ringwald:



I'm a member of a trad dixieland 8 piece youth band [The 51st Eight] from
Canada. We originate from Chilliwack, BC where the annual jazz festival was
a huge part of our highschool years. Student volunteers help out, student
bands play at a free venue and there are workshops put on by a pro host band
before the festival starts. Music teachers ensure that if their students
weren't at least playing in or going to the festival, they definitely knew
about it. Because of all this, the festival became a very youth friendly
event; nightly jams involving students, pros sitting in with youth bands,
etc. The '51st Eight' was formed by a clarinet player who wasn't allowed in
the regular jazz band and we continued playing after graduation. After we
left, another group '8 misbehavin' was formed [strictly by student
initiative] at the school. One can only hope that things continue as they
are now, the festival attracting young people and the high schools actively
promoting this type of music.

However, it saddens me to realize that this does not happen everywhere. The
encouragement we ['51st Eight'] have recieved here in British Columbia and
abroad in the US has been phenomenal. Through substantial support from the
Vancouver Jazz Society, we've been given amazing opportunties and are
forever in debt to them. Most of our band has been sponsered to attend the
Sacramento Youth Trad Jazz Camp, it being the highlight of my 2002 year. The
society also hooked us up with Simon Stribling who became our mentor,
helping us to record our 2nd cd in his studio. This 2003 year we have
already played or are about to play in the following festivals: Sacramento
Jubilee, Hope Mountain Blues Fest, Pentastic Hot Jazz Festvial, Vancouver
Dixie Festival, Sun Valley Jazz Jamboree, North Island Hot Jazz Festival,
Chilliwack Hapy Times Jazz Festival, Victoria's TerrifVic Jazz Party. We're
forever looking to increase this number of fe stivals, along with gigs we
play around the lower mainland. Our gigs ranging from barbeques to dances to
city events on the court house steps. We're presently enthusiastic enough
about the music to realize that the lack of people listening and who have
never even been exposed to it is truly one of the saddest things and have
taken it on ourselves to be heard by many. It's hard to believe that other
people aren't also taking a proactive role in its future. I find the more I
love something, the more I find it impossible not to share it with other
people so that they too can experiance some of the same joy it brings me.

I can't possibly stress how important youth programs are; getting students
involved in a festival, visiting their schools, having student rates for
gigs, providing workshops, etc. I'm an optimistic realist who more than
anything wants to believe that 15 years from now when I'm 33, there will be
a market for this music. Nevertheless, I ensure you that if this does not
occur, I won't sit about griping about it, but rather continue to do my best
playing and shamelessly promoting it.

Vashti Gray
The 51st Eight, British Columbia, Canada
piano
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