[Dixielandjazz] Where's The Love ?

[TCASHWIGG at aol.com]

HI Folks: 

I just received the brochure designed to allure me into plunking down $ 
348.00 to attend the International Association of Jazz Educators Convention in 
Anaheim, Ca. this Jan. 5-8 2005.

Many of you remember that I have been preaching to this choir of OKOMERS for 
at least two years now along with a couple of other very active Band leaders 
on the list.

I have maintained that the reason Dixieland Music does not share in the live 
musical Pizza around the world is mostly the players and Jazz Societies  fault 
from lack of promotion to a wider and more diversified audience.   The Jazz 
Societies should all be at this event getting recognition for OKOM which would 
open up many opportunities around the world for more OKOM activity.   There 
will also be International Press there to meet that will be happy to talk to 
your representatives and hear your story.

Check out this website: for verification of what I have been preaching.
It will show you very quickly who is running the Jazz Music Industry and you 
will find a distinct LACK of any DIXIELAND or OKOM presence on the site, at 
least as far as I can see.

www;iaje,org/conference/default.htm

They will have some excellent Jazz concerts at the conference, but not one 
that I can see even close to OKOM, why because none of the Traditional. 
Dixieland Groups or managers are pushing them to include OKOM in their programs much 
less teach it.

It will be an excellent opportunity to meet ALL the Jazz Literati of the 
world and the current movers and shakers of the current Jazz world as they would 
like to keep it.

We should all show up in mass and stage our own jam sessions and show them 
some Real Jazz.    :))

If you can't Lick em Join em, get on the Board and change it from within the 
same way they did to you guys years AGO.  This is what happens when OLD 
musicians Retire and stop teaching kids the REAL stuff, they are replaced with 
younger teachers who don't know it and therefore don't teach anybody new about it.  
We need to attack the Jazz World with a vengeance and insist upon inclusion 
of OKOM in all Jazz education programs and activities.  If we do not they will 
continue to ignore us in the pursuit of abstract modern electronic music.

Cheers,

Tom Wiggins