[Dixielandjazz] The Case For A New Kind of Popular Music

[TCASHWIGG at aol.com]

In a message dated 1/2/04 7:05:42 AM Pacific Standard Time, 
barbonestreet at earthlink.net writes:

> While this article is not OKOM, the parallels are striking. Sometimes we
> think that only OKOM is in trouble, when in fact, the entire world of
> music is in trouble. Below is an interesting read that can easily be
> modified to help those of us who play the music, and record it, do it
> better.
> 
> 

Well, the way my somewhat younger ears and eyes see it, this article fits 
OKOM perfectly, it was just written about forty years too late for it to do much 
good for OKOM.

Had it been widely circulated forty years ago and read and adhered to by 
OKOMers it is quite possible and highly probable that OKOM would still be a 
stronger force in the music marketplace today.

Perhaps as the writer said, If many of us had worn the LEARNING a bit more 
Lightly we would not have bored so many audience members into desertion to other 
forms of music.

Technology is a wonderful thing, but even that can be taken too far so as to 
lose any emotional touches with reality and today's pop music is a classic 
example of just that, all technical and perfect but boring and so superficial 
that hardly any song ever reaches down inside the listeners and stirs up any 
feelings at all.

There are many technically brilliant and talented musicians out there who are 
trying desperately to communicate with music but they are speaking a foreign 
language to most of the audience, and only impressing other musicians who are 
not buying their recordings anyway.

Good music of all kinds is the International Language, too bad more musicians 
have not yet learned to speak it or perhaps they really don't have anything 
to say, but just want to exercise their technical skills.  If the music does 
not swing or stir up inner emotional response from the audience then it usually 
is boring no matter how technically perfect it is or what format of music it 
happens to be.

Music is a wonderful medium for communication and is often a better 
intoxicant than good libations, unless of course you mix generous portions of both, and 
an audience can and will adjust the formula accordingly depending upon the 
level of communication established by the musicians who may or may not be 
experimenting with the recipe as well.

Needless to say when the batch is mixed at the proper proportions Magic 
Happens.

Perhaps if I took a large flask to the Opera or Symphony I would enjoy the 
performance more, naw! They might get upset If I insisted upon them playing a 
request for an OKOM tune.  :)

Cheers,

Tom Wiggins