[Dixielandjazz] Mixed race lineups, Chicago Style

[TCASHWIGG at aol.com]

In a message dated 7/25/03 7:26:07 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
Bobolink7736 at aol.com writes:

> Their band director seems to know everything there is to know about music, 
> except Dixieland which he thinks too difficult to teach in public school 
> music 
> programs.  Again, this is in Chicago.  The future of jazz looked pretty good 
> from 
> where I sat.
> 
> Best wishes,
> boblynn
> bobolink7736

Hello  Hello!

Except Dixieland?

Me thinks this might be the problem, many (not All) folks teaching music in 
the schools without having gone back themselves and learned the basics of 
American Music, our single most important and many believe ONLY contribution to 
World Culture.

I have never found Dixieland music to difficult to play folks and I started 
with Classical for a short while and then Rock & Roll, got some calls for 
Dixieland during my Rock days and slid right in and had lots of fun, took every 
Dixieland gig I could for the years when they were available and paid well.

In our schools today, many teachers teach just what their teacher taught them 
and his before him, (Right or Wrong) so therefore if they were not into 
Dixieland or OAKUM styles they taught theory and whatever their favorite music 
happened to be.  Do this long enough and sure enough the earliest music will 
indeed fade away?

I could be wrong, but I don't think Louis and all the boys in the beginnings 
learned how to play Dixieland in school either, they just felt it and made it 
up.  Seems logical to me that we could certainly take a little time and 
explain that to the kids today and encourage them to improvise and stretch their 
imaginations about music, which they will eventually do anyway if they stay at 
it.  To do anything less is BORING and will not hold their attentions when there 
are so many other things to do for young folks today.

Just my opinion,  now somebody git out there and learn them kids some 
Dixieland and BeBop before they all turn out chasing Old what's his face with the 
Saxophone,

Aha bet you thought I was gonna pick on him and start up that thread again 
huh?

Cheers,

Tom Wiggins