[Dixielandjazz] The new OKOM audience

[Ministry of Jazz]

Shalom Jazz Fans,

I have been in Israel for nearly 14 years now, and my most productive form
of advertising is playing on the pedestrian streets downtown. It doesn't
cost anything. If you put out a hat you make at least pocket money, often
more, and you can sell CDs, give out business cards, and also flyers for
upcoming public events.

Playing out in public has consistently been THE single largest producer of
gigs for me and my band. And the customers are generally Israelis of
non-western origin who were not familiar with trad jazz until they heard us
play it.

I have tried advertising in magazines, sending out press kits with CDs, and
we have a website, and so on, but they produce nothing compared to getting
out there and letting the public hear the music. People often tell me that I
should be targeting tourists or older English speakers, but our experience
is that they don't want to pay for shows. Some will be glad if we come to
their events and play for free "for the exposure". But this has rarely
prodced any worthwhile results.

So if you enjoy playing, get out there where the people are and play for
them. Where else will new audiences hear our music? It's not on the radio,
and rarely in the movies. It's not being promoted by the so-called music
industry. Yet we all know that people like our music when they hear it. So,
let them hear it from us!

Elazar
Doctor Jazz Dixieland Band
Jerusalem, Israel
www.doctorjazz.co.il
+972-2-679-2537



-----Original Message-----
On 16/07/2009, Stephen G Barbone <barbonestreet at earthlink.net> wrote:
> Hi Don: & DJML Listmates:
>
> This is the face of "new audiences". It is why most bands and festivals
are
> not gaining audience. Simply because they are preaching to the choir of
old
> folks who heard the music 50 years ago. New folks like this lady haven't
> heard it and never will unless we target them by playing where they are,
or
> figuring out how to get them to festivals. They surround us.