[Dixielandjazz] What we lack

[billsharp]

We learned to appreciate the music because there was plenty of it - - 
in highly accessible, free , or very cheap places to hear it, Shakey's 
Pizza for example.  For the mere cost of a pizza and some libation, 
hours of listening could be had.

We have all these festivals, but are they cheap and accessible to the 
young folks? - -duh . . .no!  Are there really very many places  across 
the United States where they can go to hear OKOM on any kind of  a 
regular basis?   It's hard enough for the musicians to be able to find 
a place to play it, just on an occasional basis, let alone for 
listeners to find such a place, especially the young.

Here's an idea directly from the streets of Las Vegas, one of the 
entertainment capitals  of the world - - just a few days before an OKOM 
festival, place "hawkers" on the streets handing out free passes to 
youths .   Better yet, if there's college campus nearby, that is the 
crowd you want to attract -- -  they are always looking for a fun thing 
to do on a weekend, after a tough week of hitting the books. On the 
pass it tells them to show up with their student body card and five 
bucks, and they can get in for a day of dancing and entertainment.. 
Maybe  toss in a free can of soda at the event.  Have a Youth Sign-in 
table, where they get the soda. and someone directs them to the venues 
where the younger bands are playing and there is room to boogey , 
scream and shout and "get down".

The youth we're trying to attract do not want to go to avenue where 
they just sit and listen, sit and listen, and sit and listen.  That's 
mostly all that our age audience is doing. This and every generation's 
youth demands that they be able to move while the music's playing.  
When OKOM of music was really "happening", wasn't it when the audience 
used to be able to crowd around the stage and connect with the artists? 
   To really attract the youth, why not experiment a little - - - - -set 
up a place for youth to enjoy the music, --  one venue with the  
listening/dance floor right in front of the stage.  Let the geezers sit 
around the fringe and watch the  youthful antics.   Try this while, for 
example, Mighty Aphrodite is playing.

Look in the yellow pages under Dance Instruction - --offer members of 
those classes some incentive to show up to dance.  If for example , for 
every year below age 25, they get a dollar off a reduced price ticket 
you offer them in the first place.  Heck why not offer OKOM listers $5 
off for every person they bring under the age of 25,  young people who 
themselves are allowed in at very cheap prices. That's right, let's 
subsidize these young for awhile, until they start showing up on their 
own .

  It's fun not only to listen to the old tunes, but to also watch the 
revelers do their wild and crazy dancing - --after all , wasn't that 
just as much a part of the music as the song itself?

Think about what you see when you walk into the typical  OKOM of room 
at most of the jazz festivals   - - --You see a sedate group of gray ( 
and blue hairs) sitting with hands in laps tapping an index finger on 
their knees because they've caught the jazz fever . Just how attractive 
is that to a couple of teenagers sticking their head in the door to 
check out the music?  Double whoopee there !

Spread these ideas to anyone putting on a festival.