Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Do Kids Respond to Jazz?

[LARRY'S Signs and Large Format Printing]

Here is the problem.  There is no Jazz /OKOM infrastructure.  That is, there
are few stations that broadcast jazz on the radio and I really don't think
that kids really listen to the radio all that much anyway.  AM is a total
loss because all you can find is talk radio, country music or religious
programs.  FM isn't much better.  There are some soft jazz stations that
seem to play Kenny G non stop.  I hear very little improvisational jazz (I
think that's still the definition of jazz) even on the so called Jazz
stations.  Everything seems to be slick, scripted and packaged.  When was
the last time you heard on the radio a mistake or a horn squeak?  Well those
are the things that happen in live jazz and sometimes things just don't work
out and someone misses a note or something.  Not so today because they have
the studio and can make infinite takes and re dubs.  That just sort of sucks
the life out of improv.

In the schools they package jazz as an academic exercise; reports, tests,
etc.  I don't care how you cut it, that isn't fun.  Music of any sort has to
be fun.  For teens there is a very strong sexual content to music.  Don't
you remember Belly Rubbers?  They were called that for a reason.  It was
that way for us too.  OKOM just can't compete in that department any more
and the schools can't promote what many of us liked about our music, that
is, you could hold a girl up close and the rest is the baby boom.  Today
there isn't much touching but there is a lot of looking.  They might listen
and even enjoy OKOM but they will always go back to the things that teens
are best at and the music that their generation has chosen that will do it
best for them.

I would agree that when we play we get really good responses out of young
people.  I played a wedding gig several weeks ago and there was a guy about
25 that pulled up a chair and sat right in front of the band for the first
two sets.  I asked him if he had any requests and he said no but he said he
had never heard a band like that before. (Trumpet, sax, rhythm and singer)
He was really enjoying what he heard. Unfortunately younger kids react to
peer pressure and what they are bombarded with.  Yes they do like this music
while they hear it but sink right back and buy the latest hits.

It's easy to see the problems but doing something about it is our job. I
really applaud everyone's efforts in promoting jazz because you may reach a
few young talents and influence them and slowly we may bring popular music
back to some semblance of music.  I think that Steve, among others,  is
really right on with his efforts to bring jazz as we know it to young people
across the country.  While it is an up hill battle I think it's worth it.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <DWSI at aol.com>
To: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 24, 2005 2:24 PM
Subject: Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Do Kids Respond to Jazz?


> I think Steve captured an essential truth about OKOM when he wrote:
>
> Do kids  love jazz? No doubt about it, as long as it is made  relevant.
>
> Cheers,
> Steve Barbone
>
>
> The eternal challenge arises from the simple fact that OKOM is so
relevant
> to us (most of us being old white guys), and so irrelevant to them  "kids"
who
> do not share our history. How could they? They weren't born yet.  Rap and
the
> specific songs they hear on their music stations are  relevant because
they
> are living it now. But I have to ask Steve one question:  How can you make
OKOM
> relevant to these kids generally? Maybe that's the real  question.
>
> Dan Spink
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