[Dixielandjazz] Hard Times

Tue Oct 28 10:05:25 PDT 2008

You are absolutely right about this being a tough business.  The next couple 
of weeks will be going well for me but December is way off so far as 
bookings are concerned.  I don't know if everyone is waiting to see what 
happens with the economy or if they are waiting to see how the election 
turns out or what.

Next year might not be too bad.  I booked four gigs a few minutes ago spread 
out over next year including a December job.  So here's hoping.  My other 
business interests are in the tank right now.   I haven't done any artwork 
for three weeks.........I'm virtually on vacation.
Larry
StL
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Stephen G Barbone" <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
To: "Larry Walton" <larrys.bands at charter.net>
Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 10:25 AM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Hard Times

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

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