[Dixielandjazz] Hard Times

[Stephen G Barbone]

Hard time are here for many non=profit productions/festivals etc.,  
that rely on donations as well as ticket sales to fund their programs.  
Note the following which pertains only to classical music, however the  
same would be true for jazz.

****
Bracing for Bad Days, Operas and Orchestras Batten Down Hatches
NY Times  - by Daniel J. Wakin - October 27, 2008
No clowns in Detroit, no pops in Pasadena.

Michigan Opera Theater has canceled a production of Leoncavallo’s  
“Pagliacci” because of the economy’s southward plunge. The Pasadena  
Symphony Orchestra has abandoned plans for three pops concerts.

As it has everywhere else these days, the economic crisis has hit  
classical music, a particularly fragile corner of the nonprofit world  
that depends as much on donations as on ticket sales. Most managers  
are only in the fretting stage, but the plunge in stock prices, the  
credit squeeze and feelings of diminished wealth among donors and  
ticket buyers have begun to have concrete effects . . . .snip

****

As posted a few days ago, I recently attended a meeting of our local  
Cultural Alliances groups.  Their event promoters are also crying the  
blues across the board. The combined events of shrinking donations,  
and the shrinking of earned interest on their endowments has already  
caused disruptions in 2009 programming.

In the Philadelphia area, generally about 55% of the production costs  
for a music presentation are paid for by donations, as opposed to 45%  
generated by the producer through earned interest on endowment, and/or  
ticket sales, etc. But endowments have taken a big hit too, e.g. The  
Philadelphia Orchestra endowment last year grew to a high of $220  
million. Then, it shrunk, in the last few months, to $150 million.  
That equates to a huge loss in investment income derived from that  
endowment. Somewhere between $4 and 6 million less income in 2008 and  
2009 vs. 2007.

What does this mean for Dixieland Bands/Festivals? Well, those of us  
who get some gigs from the non-profit sector, will see less business  
in this segment during 2009. However, those of us who generate ticket  
sales dollars that cover our event costs will probably fare somewhat  
better, and in fact, may see a gig increase because we can market the  
fact that our performances are self supporting through ticket sales.

What is Jazz?  Jazz is a tough business. <grin>

Cheers,

Steve Barbone

www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband