[Dixielandjazz] Dixieland Youth Band Festival - CONTRTIBUTION S FOR?

[Steve barbone]

on 3/4/05 3:55 PM, Williams, Bob at robert.c.williams at eds.com wrote:

> Steve et al:
> 
> This is intended to be an academic, adjudicated event with judges and
> clinicians, sanctioned by the International Association of Jazz Educators
> (IAJE).  Schools are accustomed to paying to participate in these
> "competitions" to offset their costs.  Ideally, yes, we would like to be
> able to have the entire event sponsored, and hope to be able to do so if we
> are successful.
> 
> Paying the kids is out of the question.  This is not a performance event, it
> is a competitive event.  Offering the kids money would come off as extremely
> distasteful and simply is not done, and is NOT the way to get schools to
> become involved.

REALLY? Please remember that the American String Teachers Association held a
competition among players (INCLUDING JAZZ PLAYERS) wherein Regina Carter
also performed as the headliner. In RENO NV 2 weeks ago. The kids sent in
tapes etc. It was adjudicated by accomplished music teacher members of ASTA.

PRIZES WERE AWARDED. E.G. Jonathan Russell and his family were flown out
FREE, Expenses paid, and Jonathan received a $500 prize. The MANY kids who
won prizes (UGH FILTHY MONEY :-) VBG) also performed there. They were from 9
to 18 years old.

Perhaps the difference between ASTA and IAJE is philosophical? Like is IAJE
(or somebody else) trying to profit off the kids at Festivals, while ASTA's
focus is on teaching them and rewarding them for superior performance at
Festivals but making their profit on lessons? For a Marketing guy like me,
the motivational differences (RECOGNITION) seem very clear.

You say it is "simply not done?" ... Then Gee Whiz, go do it!!

> Our intention is to make this event look like the kind of "festival" school
> band programs are used to, in an effort to legitimize traditional jazz as
> worthy of being taught in the public schools here.

Suggest you realize that TRADITIONAL JAZZ IS, AND ALWAYS WAS worthy of being
taught in the public schools. Did you not absorb a recent post of mine about
the recent High School music festival in Delaware that had jazz and
classical music as its focus. Barbone Street (which is classified as trad
jazz) and Westminster Brass (classical) performed at this 2 day festival,
along with a total of 20 middle and high school groups before audiences of
about 1000 people each night. It was all FREE to participants and
adjudicated by PROFESSIONAL MUSIC TEACHERS. While there were no monetary
prizes, there were trophies awarded. RECOGNITION, once again.

And to top it off, Barbone Street was booked for a High School Graduation
party by a couple of seniors (girls) from one of the High Schools. After
hearing us and demanding our autographs, they convinced their parents that
our band simply HAD to play their party.

Perhaps you folks might think outside the box once in a while and innovate
instead of doing the same old, same old. All it takes to get trad jazz
taught in the schools is a dedicated music teacher. Then a dedicated head of
the department in the school district. Want to get that? PLAY A RELEVANT
JAZZ PROGRAM IN THE VARIOUS SCHOOLS.
 
> This is only one of a number of things our education programs are attempting
> to do, including funding private lessons, running and awarding scholarships
> to jazz camps (our traditional jazz camp is second to none -
> http://www.sacjazz.org/camp/), encouraging kids to put bands together and
> perform at our monthly meetings, and, YES, even getting 9-year-old Jonathan
> Russell out here to perform.  I think Mr. Ringwald will be very happy to
> read your offer.

I laud those events above that STJS sponsors. You are to be commended on
them. But take it to the finish line. Get paying gigs for the kids too. I
also hope that DJMLers will contribute towards PAYING gigs for kids and that
all the band leaders will go out and get paying gigs for kids. That's the
best encouragement there is and is where the PROGRAM FINISHES.
 
> We don't have Steve Barbone in Sacramento, so we do the best we can :-> VBG.

Why the hell not? :-) VBG

If a hack like me can make it all happen, there certainly should be a
plethora of left coasters that can easily surpass what I and others like me
are doing. From here it looks like the major problem is that California
teachers do not think creatively and go to the next level.

LIKE IMPROVISE!!!! 

Cheers,
Steve (going to NYC to hear the Pipa now) Barbone