[Dixielandjazz] Attracting younger listeners (very long)

[tcashwigg at aol.com]

Absolutely correct Jim,

But not only will it not attract a younger audience it wont attract any 
audience, hence no growth and the only way even the regular supporting 
or sometimes supporting  members are more than likely to stray away to 
a better organized club.

There also doe not appear to be a lot of interaction between societies 
and clubs either, and there are probably too many small organizations 
in the same region competing for the same dwindling group of patrons 
often on the same dates too.

There are no shortages of other diversions for ones leisure time so out 
of site out of mind comes to mind.

Sadly,

Tom Wiggins

-----Original Message-----
From: Jim O'Briant <jobriant at garlic.com>
To: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
Sent: Wed, 7 Dec 2005 19:55:33 -0800
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Attracting younger listeners (very long)

    Tonight I've been working on my "busy social calendar" for the first 
half of
2006, and that includes notes on which jazz clubs meet on which dates, 
and
which bands are booked for which meetings.  Somewhat to my dismay, most 
jazz
clubs in Northern California seem to be doing a pretty good job of 
keeping
that information secret.

This mailing list is constantly full of messages asking, "how can we 
attract
a new generation of listeners to Our Kind of Music?"  Well, I think I've
found a very good way to prevent potential younger fans from ever
discovering OKOM -- and that is to NOT have current websites for jazz 
clubs.

Here's an example of what I mean.  The following Jazz Clubs are listed 
for
Northern California and Central California in "The American Rag."  (I've
omitted some non-trad jazz organizations from the list.)

Friends of Jazz, Walnut Creek
* No website listed in "American Rag"
* No site found in Google Search

Monterey Hot Jazz Society, Monterey
* No website listed in "American Rag"
* Google says: http://www.surfnetusa.com/jamie/
    However, this site comes up only about half the
    times I try; the other half of the times I get
    a 404 error message -- "Page Not Found."  On one
    recent visit, the site tried to plant a Trojan
    Horse virus on my computer, but was thwarted by
    Norton AntiVirus & Norton Firewall.

Napa Valley Dixieland Jazz Society
* "Rag" says: http://www.jazzdance.org/NapaJazz
    No site there -- just a 404 error message -- "Page Not Found"
* No site found in Google Search

New Orleans Jazz Club of Northern California
* "Rag" says: http://www.nojcnc.org
    This site works well, but is not updated. The calendar
    shows all the 2005 meetings, but nothing for 2006.
* Google search brings up the same site.

River City Jazz Society, Redding, CA
* "Rag" says: http://www.reddingjazz.com
    No site there -- just a "page cannot be displayed" error message
* Google says: http://www.c-zone.net/jazzjoy/
    Decent site, but it appears not to have been updated
    since early to mid-2004.

Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society
* No website listed in "American Rag"
* Google says: http://www.sacjazz.org/
    Site comes up, and is up to date, including meeting
    schedule and guests booked through June, 2006.

South Bay Trad Jazz Society, Sunnyvale/Palo Alto, CA
* "Rag" says: http://www.jazzdance.org/
    This site exists, but has only three sections, for three
    different bands.  Nothing about the society.
* Google says: http://sbtjs.org/
    No site there -- just a "page cannot be displayed" error message

T.R.A.D. J.A.S.S., Santa Rosa, CA
* No website listed in "American Rag"
* Google says: http://www.tradjass.org/
    This site works well, but is not updated. The "next
    event" is one that has already occurred, and The
    calendar shows all the 2005 meetings, but nothing
    for 2006.

Basin Street Regulars, Pismo Beach, CA
* "Rag" says: http://www.PismoJazz.org
    No site there -- just a "page cannot be displayed" error message
* Google says: http://www.pismojazz.com/  [not .org]
    This site works well, but is not updated. The calendar
    of future meetings does go through Mid-2006.  The "upcoming
    festival" info is for this past October.

Fresno Dixieland Society
* No website listed in "American Rag"
* Google says: http://www.fortunecity.com/tinpan/blur/496/
    This site works well, but it appears not to have been
    updated since late 2002.  The "upcoming events" include
    things from November, 2002 to July, 2003.

Golden Empire Hot Jazz Society, Bakersfield, CA
* No website listed in "American Rag"
* No site found in Google Search

Modesto Dixieland Jazz Society
* No website listed in "American Rag"
* No site found in Google Search

San Joaquin Dixieland Jazz Society, Stockton, CA
* No website listed in "American Rag"
* No site found in Google Search

Sierra Trad Jazz Club
* No website listed in "American Rag"
* Google says: http://www.highsierrajazzband.com/
    This site works well, but is not updated. The calendar
    of future meetings shows August thru December, 2005.

The generation that we want to attract to OKOM is a generation for whom 
the
Internet is second nature.  "If it ain't on the web, it don't exist.  If
it's on the web but out of date, it ain't worth a second look."

If we want to attract these listeners, I submit that every jazz club 
should
have a website.  It doesn't have to be fancy, just clean and simple.  
But it
does have to be there, it has to work and it has to be up to date.  The
absence of a website, or the presence of an out of date site, both 
deliver
the same message:  "This isn't worth looking into."

Jim O'Briant
Tuba
Gilroy, CA



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