[Dixielandjazz] Re: The "Business" of Music

[Steve barbone]

on 2/7/05 4:26 PM, Bill Haesler at bhaesler at bigpond.net.au wrote:

> Steve Barbone said of the latest move by the Baltimore Symphony to gain more
> audience share by moving to Washington:  > My bet would be that the below
> approach is an irresponsible waste of time and money.<
> 
> Dear Steve,
> Sounds like a great idea to me.
> A few of those ailing jazz bands in the States could move and set up camp in
> Barbone Street territory.
> Your band has a proven success record, so why not let a few others in.
> Mmmmmmmm. 
> I wonder if they would be prepared to actually work at it, as you appear to
> do.
> Naw! 
> Probably easier for them to move in then apply for a $million grant.
> 8>)

Ha Ha, I hear you Bill. BUT:

Why waste time trying to carve up a small market among more players? The
trick is to EXPAND the market where you are.

Why can't, for example, Baltimore Symphony take that $3,000,000 US and spend
it on a program for music appreciation in the local Baltimore Schools? Just
ONE idea out of thousands that exist for BUILDING THE BASE, rather than
fighting for it as it shrinks. So many ways for them to make the market
bigger. Golly Gee, if a hack like me can get a school program going in my
local market, why the hell can't the heavy hitters, with loads of money, get
off their asses and do the same, regardless of music genre? Why do we scream
about support for the arts, and then piss the money away?

Perhaps we should take a lesson from what Wynton Marsalis and LCJB are doing
educationally in schools, not only in NYC but around the USA. Most of us are
so busy condemning him (damn if I know why) that we don't have any idea at
all about what he is doing in the schools. He is helping build music
appreciation. I suggest the ignorant check LCJB and Wynton out via google
and get their eyes opened. Then go out and do likewise.

"PITY the ignorant who bitch and moan, they can't get it going on their own"
There's the lyric, who will write the music? :-) VBG.

On the other hand, we love it when other bands try and steal from us. They
undercut us, take a gig or two, invariably disappoint the audience and leave
us to pick up the pieces. Which we do, at HIGHER prices than we originally
charged, when the venue comes running back to us yelling HELP!!!!

Cheers,
Steve