[Dixielandjazz] Youthful musicians...our "future"?

[TCASHWIGG at aol.com]

In a message dated 1/13/04 11:08:42 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
jamescrussell at yahoo.com writes:

> One thing that has disturbed me is the lack of support
> from some audiences for youth bands. While the
> musicians often get a great deal of satisfaction in
> playing with and teaching younger musicians, many
> audiences don't even show up for the event. We've only
> been to the two festivals above so this may not be the
> case generally.
> 
> JIM

Good post and observations Jim, I hope others on the list read it and take 
heed.

AMERICAN KIDS SHOULD BE TAUGHT AMERICAN MUSIC IN SCHOOLS, not totally 
engulfed into European Classical music, which for MOST of them will never afford them 
any opportunity to make a living as a professional musician.

As for the audiences not showing up to see and hear the YOUTH BANDS at the 
festivals, its more than likely the same situation at most of the OKOM 
festivals.

Maybe not every one of them, but most.   Why?   Because adults paying to get 
into a Festival are paying to come and see and hear their Favorite Headliner 
or Popular Professional or semi Professional Band.  The general consensus is 
that the kids are cute and they do play pretty well but we came to hear "The 
Singing Houndog Band" or who ever the BIG name is.  Many event and festival 
promoters include the youth bands without giving them as much attention as they 
should get, at the proper times when most of the audience could see and hear them 
and offer them encouragement sometimes just by being an audience.

I have promoted many general community festivals with kid acts and youth 
groups included in the programs, The main reasons for them being there at Free 
Summer outdoor festivals is that they will usually be sponsored by a local music 
teacher, voice coach, dance teacher/academy etc., and they need a place to 
SHOWCASE their students and show Mom and dad and gramma and grampa and aunt Betty 
Sue what they have learned for all that money Mom and dad are spending for 
the lessons and the costumes etc.

The second reason is that the festival organizers know that all those kids 
will bring out Mom and dad and grandparents and the whole family to see the kids 
and they will in turn, spend money at the event on food and beverages and 
arts and crafts etc.  And they are absolutely correct.  It is always a NUMBERS 
game, the more people at a free event the more spendable income they have to 
spread around to the vendors who pay a fee to be participating.

The smart organizers always have food and beverage vendors all around the 
stages, as it goes with entertainment especially in the hot summer days, and 
everyone including the kids and the musicians and dancers get thirsty and buy 
drinks of some kind and then the kids get hungry and want to eat, etc., etc.

The kids stage always has a good crowd of folks turn out to see them, and 
they are heavily promoted for free for months by the dance academies and teachers 
making it a big festival within a festival for the kids and their relatives 
and neighbors.  So every body wins.

Kids who show exceptional talent are usually introduced to professional 
entertainers on the other main stages by their always hustling teachers and academy 
directors to try and encourage them to get into show business.  Good acts 
will often let a talented kid come up and do a number with them which is a big 
confidence and ego booster for the kid and great encouragement, now he can go 
out and brag that he played with Jim Snodgrass and the Nose Pickers Band at this 
Big Old Festival and be a mini Rock Star at school.

Sometimes they can even get their picture in the local newspaper as a special 
community kid making a name for him/her self.  This is great PR for the event 
and the Kid and the teachers and works well if all are doing it for the 
professional and right reasons to play it up and encourage the kids while giving 
them a chance to be seen and heard by a large general audience.  It also helps 
to let the kid play with better or more accomplished seasoned players than they 
are used to in school or at private lessons.

These kids need more than moral support they need direction and a constant 
flow of bigger opportunities so they don't become discouraged and quit to pursue 
other interests like sports and girls or boys or worse diversions.

I recommend that the youth groups or performers be given a significant spot 
to showcase their talent and not just be taken for granted and ignored, if 
there are peers of their that turn out to see and hear them they will get excited 
if the adult audience actually did cheers and yell and clap and support those 
kids the same as they do for the seasoned pros.   After all that is what made  
most of the seasoned pros become what they are, audience appreciation and 
applause, it is often the most profitable reward they get for their efforts, and 
what keeps them coming back to get it "ONE MORE TIME"

"Play It Again" Jimmy, or Judy, or Crissy or Bobby or what ever their name is 
even if it embarrasses them a bit in the beginning they will get over it and 
learn to appreciate the appreciation.

Cheers,

Tom  ( Give the Kids a Chance and Often) Wiggins