[Dixielandjazz] Back to My Original Point

[Gluetje1 at aol.com]

Sidetracking and piggy backing is so easy in email.  Plus I probably  did not 
say enough to accurately pursue my original quest.
 
I meant my original post "Struck By A Comment" to be more a query on  selling.
 
(I am actually quite interested, as a hobby, in the history of jazz, where  
the word may have come from, first come into use, etc.  I have some  divergent 
theories here also as I think use of the term came much more  from the San 
Francisco area than most believe.) 
 
I am not interested in marketing to young audiences.  ( I am thrilled  that 
some are marketing very successfully to them and I like hearing about  
that--it's just not my quest.)
 
I am not interested via this query in selling to dancers.
 
I like entertaining focused, seated, senior audiences who are not  
particularly jazz aficionados.  They want their group to be  entertained by "A Program" 
for 30" to an hour.  These potential audiences  are legion.  They go to church 
dinners, club lunches, bank social events,  belong to an assortment of senior 
clubs.  They are really fun groups to  entertain because they are so 
participative and appreciative when someone  actually makes sure they have a good 
time.  They are not true listeners in  the way that festival audiences or jazz 
club audiences are.  They want  lots of vocals, do not tolerate more than one or 
two instrumental choruses  at a time.
 
They do not look for your ad on Facebook, the Internet, the Yellow  Pages, 
etc.  Basically they hear you at one function, ask for your  card, give your 
card to some other non-agent who calls you for another function,  etc.; i.e., 
word-of-mouth.  Interestingly in this community I get most of  my gigs via the 
St. Louis Banjo Club.  An active member of that club has  done a good job of 
getting repeated local news coverage over the past few  years.  People see the 
news, call the club number, actually get a list of  banjo-centric groups they 
can call.
 
Banjo sells to these kind of events.  So does the word sing a  long.  So does 
"fun".  But since I do not play bluegrass -- or even  enjoy it for longer 
than 15", I often describe my music as jazz banjo.  In  that original post a few 
days ago, I was musing that saying I play jazz might  un-sell me unless I have 
an opportunity to say more and clarify.   Because, as a couple of readers 
also said, jazz no longer means Dixieland,  trad, Louis Armstrong and so on.
 
The majority on this list can't use banjo to sell.  I have talked with  
several who have said, "Swing" sells what they do better than "Jazz".  I'm  still 
looking for the perfect descriptors.  I was suggesting you might want  to be 
also if you want this type of gig. Just a suggestion and welcoming  your further 
thoughts.
 
Ginny  
**************Feeling the pinch at the grocery store?  Make dinner for $10 or 
less. (http://food.aol.com/frugal-feasts?ncid=emlcntusfood00000001)