[Dixielandjazz] communication

[Jim Kashishian]

Larry wrote about speaking to the audience & Steve wrote about large video
screens being used in concerts.
 
There, of course, are no written rules on the "speaking" part of the
question.  Within the U.S., I can understand that chatter is important.
However, we play for a multilanguage audience, & I find sometimes that
chatter drops on deaf ears, so to speak.
 
Sometimes, like last night, I can sense a greater % of Spanish speakers, and
will add a few tidbits here & there.  But, I can feel immediately when the
crowd has fewer Spanish speakers, and then don't do much speaking.
 
I would not go 100% English in deference to my own band (which is Spanish
speaking).  Plus, English is not necessarily the largest language we hear
nowadays.  It is more likely French, Italian, Russian, Bulgarian, etc, etc,
etc.  So, one can see the problem we have, and why I've found music to be
the best communicator.
 
I leave the singing in English mainly because any translation to Spanish
adds up to double the amount of syllables to the translated word, and the
swing just goes to pot!
 
........"cerca al mar, cerca al mar, cerca al mar tan bonito" sucks!      :>
 
Video screens:  we get them in larger concerts.  At one dinner for 2,000 big
time bankers, they used seven cameras to focus on us.  3 were on the
shoulders of cameramen on stage.  I could see one of the huge screens out of
the corner of my eye.  At one point, during a great trumpet solo, the
cameraman zoomed in on our trumpeter's "Real Madrid" football club ring.
The ring filled the whole screen.  Not very musical, but really, really
funny!  
 
As a side bit to video/tv cameras:  the trombonist will always get the
limelight.  The camera guys just love the whipping slide.  They also love to
zoom in on the reflections in the bell of the horn.  And, if you feel the
cameraman's attention is drifting & you risk the chance he might be thinking
of filming the drummer for awhile, you can always, always grab his full
attention again by using your plunger mute!  Trombonists RULE on the camera!
:>    I mean, what can you zoom in on say, the pianist?....his fingers (big
deal!);  on the drummer?....tap, tap, tap on the hi-hat (or the ever present
grimmace drummers have on their faces!);  bassist?...fingers again;
clarinetist?...usually the mouthpiece (for lack of anything else interesting
to look at!); and the trumpeter?....his ring (of course!).  Nope, the
trombonist gets most of the attention!
 
Jim