[Dixielandjazz] Re: The "Business" of Music

[Charles Suhor]

Hey, folks--

I hear the concern in this thread for the folly of the Baltimore 
Symphony competing for an already limited audience instead of 
imaginatively trying to expand the audience for classical music, etc. 
But do I read rightly a disdain for federal, state, and corporate 
grants, and $ for arts dissemination from fundraising campaigns? I 
could cite flaws in all of those kids of gifts--wastefully elegant 
brochures mailed over and over again, grants to dubiously worthy 
individuals and projects, neglect of certain areas, genres, etc. But on 
the balance, gifts to the arts and humanities help many people in need, 
serve students and the public well, and sustain arts that don't have 
the support enjoyed, say, by hip-hop stars, gameboys, and porno 
websites.. Supply and demand and the free market aren't the whole 
story. Also, there's both/and rather than either/or. Many artists learn 
to peddle their work skillfully in the public at large, and also go for 
the grants and subsidies with success. Maybe I've misread this, or 
maybe there's a libertarian view being expressed that I happen to 
disagree with.

Charlie Suhor


On Feb 7, 2005, at 8:18 PM, Steve barbone wrote:

> 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
>
>
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