[Dixielandjazz] Do Kids Respond to Jazz?

[Michael Woitowicz]

Steve,

I would be interested in receiving your treatise on band marketing. I'm
always open to new ideas.

By the way, take a look at my new website below.

Mike Woitowicz
The Banjo Barons Ragtime Band
The Dixie Barons Dixieland Band
www.banjomusic.biz

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve barbone" <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
To: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2005 11:44 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Do Kids Respond to Jazz?


> DAN SPINK AT DWSI at aol.com wrote:
>
> > 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.
>
> Ha Ha, Dan, Why would you think we old white guys are irrelevant to the
> kids? Our band disproves that every day. Not too long ago I was referred
to
> by a kid shouting out from the audience as a "70 year old sex symbol" . .
.
> and she (the shouter) was 28, gorgeous and quite serious.
>
> The simple answer is to play "Swinging" OKOM "JAZZ" where the kids are.
>
> Suggestions:
>
> Check out my website: Click on Venues to see where we play, or on schedule
> to see where we are playing. http://www.barbonestreet.com
>
> or
>
> Ask for my 10 page treatise of band marketing suggestions entitled "The
New
> Audience For Dixieland". It has some suggestions for INTERESTED band
leaders
> and/or JAZZ musicians about reaching the kids. We do it all the time. I
send
> it FREE to anyone who asks. (Microsoft Word Document)
>
> or
>
> Re-read my posts on the Playing at the High School Graduation Party,
Playing
> at Brownies High School, Playing at Chadds Ford Elementary School, Playing
> for College Fraternities, Playing for Swing Dancers etc., etc., etc. The
> "how we do it" is there if you read them thoroughly. That's why I post
them.
> Not for my aggrandizement. The folks on the DJML are not my audience and I
> have neither the desire to play at OKOM Festivals, nor the lack of
business
> acumen to take the financial hit that would occur if I were to do so. I
> would benefit, however, if other bands made this music popular in their
> territories. We all would benefit. That is the axe I grind.
>
> Forget the history of Jazz. That is for pseudo intellectuals. PLAY THE
DAMN
> MUSIC IN A SWINGING JAZZ MANNER. Forget stupid songs like "My Cutie's Due
at
> 2:22" or "My Canary Has Circles Under His Eyes" (unless you have a comedy
> act like Spike Jones or The Boondockers which would also get to the kids)
> and just PLAY THE HELL OUT OF MUSIC THAT SWINGS FOR DANCERS.
>
> The sad truth today is that most bands playing "Dixieland Jazz" today have
> NO BALLS. They are playing warmed over Pop Tunes, that were overlooked
when
> they were written 70 + years ago because they were no good then either.
And
> playing them in an insipid arranged manner that excites us old farts
because
> we were brainwashed on the OKOM Festival circuit, by pseudo intellectual
> jazz literati that this crap is "Artistic Jazz".  Quite similarly to the
> Emperor's court in the fable of "The Emperor's New Clothes".
>
> It is neither jazz nor relevant today to most people, let alone young
> people. Want to get the kids? Play the music like Louis played it with his
> all stars, or Condon played after World War II, or how those black players
> in NYC played in the 1950s/60s. Mix in a little showmanship and treat the
> kids like you wanted to be treated when you were a kid. BUT DON'T PREACH
> JAZZ HISTORY TO THEM. None of us is qualified to do that in the first
place
> and it is not important in the second place. PLAY FOR DANCERS AND GET THE
> AUDIENCE INVOLVED.
>
> Sorry to ramble. But I'm going on 71 and coming down from a long
exhausting
> gigging day with lots of kids in the audiences as well as one 85 year old
> lady who is also still a kid. She came up, danced to and sang Bill Bailey
in
> an energetic fashion that all of us so called jazz musicians would do well
> to emulate. She too excited the kids in the crowd.
>
> Cheers,
> Steve Barbone
>
>
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