[Dixielandjazz] Advertising Redux

[Steve Barbone]

Get TV coverage.

Last year, I got a 5 minute clip on Channel 12, the local PBS channel in
PRIME TIME, because we did a musical program at Clifford Brown's former High
School in Wilmington Delaware, two weeks prior to the Clifford Brown Jazz
Festival there.

Channel 12 wanted to plug the festival with a "news" clip and asked the
Festival producer who might be "right" for it. The producer recommended
Barbone Street even though we are an OKOM band, and do not play hard bop.
Because they like us, our music doesn't offend anyone, and we know how to do
interviews. We would be ambassadors of culture, for the city.

Channel 12 then asked if we would play for 45 minutes at the high school
cafeteria during lunch, in trio form,(rest of band was unavailable) which
they would televise, and then go to the auditorium, on the stage where
Brownie played as a kid, where they would interview Ace Tesone (bass who had
recorded with Brownie), Sonny Troy guitar and me (both who knew Brownie).
The interview would focus on our remembrances of Clifford. No money would be
paid to us. 

I agreed. Paid Ace and Sonny $200 each out of my slush fund from leader fees
(without their knowledge that it was my money) and donated my services.

The resultant music, shots of the kids and us, plus the interviews were then
shown in a 5 minute clip at 5:55 PM, the day before the Festival opened, at
the end of the Delaware News program and just before the McNeill News Hour.
I suspect about 50,000 people saw it, got 5 gigs from it and was pleased as
hell. Two gigs came from the City of Wilmington who were very pleased that
we did it Free, and reciprocated. My investment paid off as subsequent
leader fees directly attributable to that exposure exceeded $2500.

Total cost? $400 plus my expense of driving 40 miles round trip and 2 hours
of time in the middle of a week day. Result? Priceless.

Think outside the box, play those Summer Concerts and get newspaper and TV
Coverage as a result. Plus additional gigs. BE VISIBLE. It isn't that hard.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone