[Dixielandjazz] IAJE- TJEN - Some thoughts

[tcashwigg at aol.com]

Has anybody asked them specifically WHY ?

Might just be that the return on the investment has been so bad for the 
past forty years that they figured out that there is no shortage of 
wannabe players and teachers teaching them how to be wannabes and that 
there is little or not future in training more  mediocre and even bad 
hobbyist to compete for work  in a self destructive economic industry 
like we have.

All God's Chillun can't sing and all God's Chillun can't dance and all 
of them can't play Jazz either.

Time to thin the herd for a few years maybe :))

The system is badly broken, so we either have to fix it or shut it down 
and start another one.

Just ask your own kids or grandkids what would they rather do, learn to 
play an instrument and grow up to work for $40.00 at Trad Jazz gig or 
play football for $50,000,000.00  or Basketball, or Baseball.   Heck 
man Drug dealers and bartenders make more than most musicians and many 
of them make the money from the musicians that are working and paying 
for them at $40.00 a gig.

They might be better off firing a lot of the less than qualified 
teachers and spending the money they pay them to bring in Professional 
musicians and have them perform for the kids and teach them in 
workshops with hands on experience, now that would solve two major 
problems with the same money and create more and better paying gigs for 
real players.


Musical content:     "Teach Me Tonight "

Sorry but they ain't making teachers like they used to, and the 
Politics are also playing too large a part in the public systems.

Cheers,

Tom Wiggins






-----Original Message-----
From: postmaster at fountainsquareramblers.org
To: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com

Sent: Sat, 20 Jan 2007 7:01 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] IAJE- TJEN - Some thoughts

   Mike wrote:


I think some of it also has to do with the fact that's it's far
too easy to become a music teacher. It has everything to do with
booksmarts and nothing to do with being a proficient musician.
You just have to be proficient in teaching another student
another instrument. As long as you can pass the required state
exams and have at least a 'B' average in your music courses
you'll probably be hired as a teacher.

==================
That may be true, Mike, but in the United States of 2007 just be glad if
your local school system is still HIRING music teachers at all 
irrespective
of whether they are trained improvisers/jazzers.  Too many are dropping
music and arts programs in favor of more sports coaches.


David Dustin
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