[Dixielandjazz] The Audience

[Stephen G Barbone]

I guess I will never understand why musicians want to deny that they  
are making love to the audience. It is simply a figure of speech  
meaning that we (at least I think most of us) take the audience into  
account when we are performing.

Isn't that why we perform in public? To please the audience?

My band just did a 4 hour swing dance for 200 kids last night. They  
specifically asked for most tunes to be within 110 and 180 beats per  
minute. They specifically asked for tunes of less than 5 minute  
duration. They specifically asked for minimal talking between numbers.  
Because they want to dance and many were beginning swing dancers.

We delivered what they asked for. And they couldn't get enough of us,  
cheering, stomping, asking for encores etc. The trumpet players wife  
who was there asked me: "How do you deal with all this adulation?" We  
reluctantly had to stop playing because we were worn out.

On break, and while packing up, these kids came up and smiled, flirted  
and made us old folks feel like kids again. They made sure we knew  
their names and having seen us hug some of our fans who came to this  
event, made sure to hug us. (And to an old guy, there is nothing like  
a hardbody hug)

What was going on? Simple, we were making love to them and they were  
making love to us. All night. If folks don't understand this, they  
either never will, or take themselves and their musical abilities much  
too seriously.

You don't love your audiences? What, have you no soul?

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband