[Dixielandjazz] Jazz For Kids - One More Time

[Steve barbone]

Did yet another Elementary School assembly today.

Hillendale Elementary - Chadds Ford, PA

Audience 250 kids 5 to 10 years old. In the gym. Plus their teachers, plus
assorted teachers parents and their friends who were surreptitiously invited
to show up also. Total audience about 325.

The gym was not air conditioned and it was about 80 degrees inside with HIGH
humidity when we started. Close to 90 degrees an hour later. Even so, The
kids were absolutely enthralled by the music, sitting there clapping,
enthusiastically on the beat :-) VBG, mimicking the musicians movements and
cheering wildly. Standing O at the end, with the kids exiting single file
right in front of us giving their thanks, smiling and saying how much fun
they had over and over. Teachers and guests also.

Band was energized from the start. Like Charlie Hooks says, I regret that we
did not record it, but you can't have everything. We really have this
program down and it is a snap to turn the kids on.

SAMPLE: Long so delete now if you don't care about kids and Jazz.

Opened by thanking school and kids for allowing us to perform for them. Then
asked:

Do any of you know what jazz is? (about 80 hands shoot up and I select 3)

1st Girl: Jazz is soft music with a melody.

OK, that's right some jazz is soft with a melody.

1st Boy: Jazz is music you can dance to.

OK, that's right too. You can dance to some of it.

2nd Girl: Jazz is music you make up in your head.

OK that's right too. It is all of those things and more. Jazz is what YOU
are. It is a uniquely American Art Form, invented here about 100 years ago
in New Orleans. It's roots go back to Africa, Europe, Latin America, Asia
and even to Native American Indians. Almost all races contributed to it and
so it could have only been invented here, in a country that embraces all
races.

Now, lets play a little jazz. Here is a tune that you all know. Trombone and
bass play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star . . . straight. Audience claps.

OK, now we will syncopate the song, and making up some music in our heads it
will become jazz. By the way, syncopate means change the time. (Drummer
demonstrates a straight 4/4 beat, then modifies it as example) OK here we
go. Band plays a choruses of TTLS full bore, as Dixieland. Audience Roars
approval.

Thank you. Jazz also borrows from songs to create a new song. Listen to,
What a Wonderful World, and lets see if you can hear TTLS. Band plays WWW as
clarinet plays TTLS in the first few measures. Then a vocal, then the out
chorus with WWW and TTLS superimposed.

Did you hear that? Roar of YES. Soft music with a melody, as that girl said,
(point to her) danceable as that boy said (point) and partly made up in our
heads as that girl said. (point) You guys ALL get A's.

Lets talk about some of the players and instruments. The trombone player was
the principal TB for the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra for 28 years. He
was one of the 4 finest TBs in the world. Now plays some great jazz. His
name is Glenn Dodson.

Dodson steps up, describing his horn, shows how elongating the slide lowers
the notes in a glissando till it comes apart and says: "Oops, I broke it".
Kids laugh. Then demonstrates sounds TB makes, some mutes, then hold up
plumbers helper mute and says does anybody know what this is? Kids roar. He
demonstrates wah wah.

Then I announce that we will play Tiger Rag. And that since jazz is a
conversation among the players to the audience, I am sure they will hear
Glenn as the tiger roar, and the trumpet and clarinet respond by saying
"we're outta here". We musos have a name for it "Call & Response". They go
absolutely nuts over the tune and gym reverberates with cheers.

Etc., etc., etc. until our hour was up.

I could go on and on about how great is was to be in front of these kids
teachers and snuck in guests. And how great it is to front a band that plays
most of its gigs to the "NEW AUDIENCE". But I'm sure it bores most of you
because you don't believe schools in California, say, have the money, or do
believe that young people don't like this music, or other such NONSENSE.

Young people love this music. You need only CONNECT with them. How? Well if
you read this far, you should, by now, know the answer.

No money? Come on, get real. Our local School Districts do not have the
money either. But the Parent Teacher Organizations (PTO) do have the money.
They paid the bill. How much? A modest $70 a man, no leader fee, for an
hour. They do it all the time with special school assembly programs. IN
CALIFORNIA TOO. All you have to do is get involved and contact them.

No need to give it away, not with gas prices and expenses the way they are.
Book them in front of another gig so the second gig helps pay the musos for
the day. Our second gig was at a Philadelphia Cricket Club Golf outing, 40
miles away. Combined, the gigs paid sidemen $270. (for 3 hours of work). Not
bad for a "Monday Date".

No audience for OKOM? Baloney. Even if that were true, why can't a band go
out and create its own audience? We've been doing it for over 10 years now.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone