[Dixielandjazz] OKOM gig Opportunities opening soon.

[tcashwigg at aol.com]

Thanks Glen:

You can bet I will do my job with integrity, no crappy bands will get a 
nod from me just because we happen to be friends, and my appointment 
was really not so belatedly,  but more that they discovered that I was 
out of semi retirement, and might be interested and available.   They 
have noticed my recent activities within the Fair circuit and realized 
that I had many years of experience that many of their younger board 
members and staff simply do not have.

I can assure you that I will recommend every act based solely upon 
their professionalism and quality, I am also organizing and promoting 
several events of my own at California Fair Facilities this year, not 
all OKOM, but there will be some announced here soon.

And folks this is not as simple as it sounds:  This is a SHOWCASE 
selection operation so it is not just a matter of me handing out gigs 
at all, the Fair association has a Showcase event at the convention 
every year to allow professional acts to perform in front of the actual 
buyers for the talent.   The main reason there is no OKOM represented 
in the Fair circuit now is because most of the OKOM bands have never 
treated this like a business and invested in their own careers.   This 
basically is an Audition in front of 200 Employers with check books in 
their hands to hire the best acts they see.    This does not mean that 
all my friends can automatically get great gigs at the fairs.

What it does mean is that I will be in a position to have substantial 
influence about who actually gets selected to showcase for them which 
means that they will get a better shot at better acts because of it and 
OKOM will be pushed hard by me.   The acts still have to pay the 
showcase fee and fill out the applications and submit them timely and 
show up and perform their asses off because the competition will be 
stiff because I will definitely raise the bar and demand some respect 
for OKOM bands that deserve it.

And this will not be a good ole boy project for my friends bands, there 
is good money available for good bands, and there will be many jobs 
opportunities, my best function will be to get the doors open for them, 
they have to go thru them and then kick musical ass to get the gigs.   
In other words just owning a Banjo, and living in the neighborhood and 
being a member of the Union is not good enough, it never has been 
contrary to what some would believe.

And for those who asked:  the dates are not set yet, for the gigs,  The 
June date I referred to is for the meeting of the committee,  the 
actual Fair dates are year round so getting on this showcase and doing 
well could book you an entire years worth of good dates if you are a 
hot band.   If you did nothing but book one Fair you would make money 
and start to build a reputation with other fairs who would hire you 
because you were then recommended by other fairs you have played 
successfully.

Will I coach you and give you inside tips as they arise ?  you bet, I 
do have a method to my madness. :))

By the way it took me almost three years to even get on this showcase 
back in 1990 when I first formed St. Gabriel's Celestial Brass Band, 
and even then I was not selected for the showcase, which upset the hell 
out of me at the time, however I got a letter a week later explaining 
why I did not get selected, because they wanted my act for something 
special rather than the then 20 minute showcase slot, they asked us to 
play for the Grand Opening of the Convention right behind the Keynote 
speaker and be seen and heard by all the conventioneers and decision 
makers.  We did a forty five minute performance throughout the entire 
convention site and brought the house down with a N.O. Parade show.



Tom Wiggins


-----Original Message-----
From: gpage at dccnet.com
To: tcashwigg at aol.com
Sent: Wed, 2 May 2007 6:28 PM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] OKOM  gig Opportunities opening soon.

   Hi Tom,

Congratulations on you being belatedly recognized for your talents.


I wish you well  in your endeavors. I'm sure that you will be true to 
your
principals and not sacrifice your integrity to promote inferior OKOM 
bands
just because you may be subject to pressure to do so.


Good on you Tom.
Cheers, Glen Page.



________________________________________________________________________
AOL now offers free email to everyone.  Find out more about what's free 
from AOL at AOL.com.