[Dixielandjazz] FW: Attracting The Young Kids

[John Wilder]

Jim Kashishian wrote:

>Sorry, John.  Just depends on how you play it!  Energy is the secret.  



Ah, yes, Jim, but now you're into a whole new subject which, IMHO, is far
and away more important than song selection will ever be.  Now you're
talking about showmanship and presentation!  I believe that once your band
is competent, the thing you can do to most improve the band is to work on
your presentation.  An exciting show will do far more for your band than
song selection or even musical artistry!

I truly believe that a marginal song performed by a true showman (or group
of showmen) with pizzazz, gusto, sparkle, energy and charm will always be
more entertaining than a great song played by a band that looks and sounds
bored, confused and indifferent while playing it.  (Of course, when I say
"showman" I'm also including women entertainers, but "showgirls" just
doesn't convey quite the same idea.)

I knew this old guy who used to juggle and walk the slack wire for Ringling
Brothers in his youth.  He once told me, "If you can juggle 3 balls, that's
great.  If you can juggle 4 balls, that's better.  If you can juggle more
than 4 balls, you're juggling to impress another juggler, because no one
else in the audience will realize (or appreciate) that it took you a year to
get that fifth ball in the mix.  You'd be much better off spending that year
working on your presentation - your patter, your blocking, your routine,
your projection, your energy level onstage.  Once you're past competent,
being a better artist at juggling won't get you a dime more income, but
being a better entertainer will pay off in unbelievable ways!"  Same thing
goes for musicians!!!

Years ago, I remember a friend watching an OKOM band whose members were
between 80 and death (I don't think any of them were closer to the 80 end of
that spectrum!)  They indeed played just about like death warmed over,
having the onstage energy of a slug.  He got up mid-tune and left.  I said
to him, "Didn't care for the XYZ band, eh?"  He said, "Hell no, they're so
boring, and they don't play any of my kind of music."  I asked what kind of
music he liked.  He replied, "I like that fun swing stuff, you know, like
Don't Get Around Much Anymore, or Satin Doll."  I said, "That was Don't Get
Around Much Anymore that they were just playing!"  His reply was, "It was???
Damn, they must have learned it by playing a 78 record at 33rpm!"  True
story!


John Wilder
JohnWilder at Comcast.net