[Dixielandjazz] OKOM and kids

[Steve barbone]

Posted on behalf of David Story in Canada.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone

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From: "David Story" <daveplaysthepiano at hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 9 Mar 2005 10:04:16 -0500
To: "Steve barbone"  "Robert S. Ringwald"
Subject: OKOM and kids

For some reason I'm unable to post to the list, so I'm sending this through.
David

I've been participating since the 1980s in youth jazz festivals. We always
paid to participate. For our $$ we performed for informed judges who took
the time to work with the band and its directors in master classes after the
performance. The children had the opportunity to interact with an older
generation of jazz musicians. Some of my fondest musical memories are not
professional but avocationally with these performances. Years later I've
heard from the now adult musicians what a positive experience it was.

----- Original Message -----
From: "David Story" <daveplaysthepiano at hotmail.com>
To: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Friday, March 04, 2005 10:09 PM
Subject: Fw: OKOM and kids

Teenagers and OKOM
I lead a teenage big band in a local high school as a volunteer. We are
performing 2 early jazz pieces (om pa om pa): It don't mean a thing and
Christopher Columbus. We will be competing in a kids jazz festival this
spring in NYC. We are all excited. Our repertoire will include the above
mentioned along with another Ellington Classic, "Caravan", a  Frank Zappa
classic, "Blessed relief", and an ECM type piece as well.

I procured a stock of the Fletcher Henderson classic from net. Kids love it,
music festivals love it, judges love it, parents love it. Today we started
work on It don't mean a thing, featuring a classical violinist recreating
the classic solo from Stephan Grapelli over an early arrangement for Duke
Ellington. A hit with the kids, all the toes were tapping.

People love this music, which goes to prove: OKOM can survive if we take it
directly to them. From the front:

David Story
Dundas ON Canada