[Dixielandjazz] Re: Gig Opportunities

[Elazar Brandt]

Shalom Jazz Fans,

Afraid I must take exception to some of my venerable colleagues regarding gig opportunities. When was it ever easy to get a job as a
jazz musician, or as any kind of artist, for that matter? Art doesn't go by "jobs". The real thing is created and executed or
performed by gifted and talented and hard working people who love expressing themselves through their medium of choice, in our case,
music, specifically what we call OKOM.

Many of the greatest have only been recognized long after their deaths. Some lived and died in poverty, the world not being ready
for or failing to notice the gift they laid at its feet. It is arguably the very pain and suffering and struggling to make it happen
that forged the creations that we have come to know and love.

I mean, did Louis go to school and take classes to learn how to play like Louis, so he could get a job (one of many no doubt on the
market at the time) playing like Louis? Heck no. He played when and where he could because he loved to play, or was driven to by
whatever fire was burning in his soul, and when he got good enough, someone took notice and started to hire him. As far as I know,
that's how it works.

Sure I wish I could run my CD up the flag pole and have the world salute. I spent $xxx and so many years to produce it, and I'm
entitled to a return on my investment, right? Well, shoot me (uh, just a figure of speech, Ahmed!), but if I wanted to invest effort
and money and get a good return on it, music is not where I'd place my bets. We all play the music because we love it, and some of
us get paid for it because we've either found people with some spare cash who also love it, or else they love to see us loving it.
We have to lose the anger and bitterness toward our small market share and get out there and just love to play. I don't think I've
ever seen an angry musician who can play OKOM. Doesn't work.

One last point. From what I've seen in my short life, making art into a commercial enterprise kills it. You want job security as a
musician, you're going to end up playing Musack and MTV. But that spirit that brings the stuff we love to life is not fueled by
proper financial planning, steady 9 to 5 jobs, and a fat pension plan. I dare say it is fueled by the opposite. But as long as there
are people on this planet, some of them will pay for good happy OKOM properly performed and presented. The best way I know to find
them is to go out and play where they can hear you.

My 2 shekels' worth,

Elazar
Doctor Jazz Band
Jerusalem, Israel
<www.israel.net/ministry-of-jazz>
Tel: +972-2-679-2537