[Dixielandjazz] The Problem with listeners

[Stephen G Barbone]

I agree with both Beth and Mart. <grin>

Generally, there is not enough music education in US Schools. Not  
anywhere near as much as there was 50 years ago.

And maybe the kids do not need to know everything about music as Mart  
made the point of not having to read Don Quixote in the original  
Spanish. That struck a chord as I had a History professor in college  
insist that to really appreciate the Iliad & Odyssey, one had to read  
them in the original Greek.

Anyway, case in point. Earlier this week, I went to a local private  
High School, The Church Farm School in Exton PA to hear Pat Martino  
play with his trio. Pat is a world renowned jazz guitarist from  
Philadelphia, a friend and was this spring's visiting artist at the  
school. Every guitarist in the area goes to Pat for lessons and  
insight. He is, a Jerry Gordon would say, a mensch.

Now, what would high school kids known about "Modern Jazz" guitarists,  
improvising, intricate melodic lines, and all that other stuff some of  
us OKOM fans call "noise"?

Nothing perhaps, BUT, when the concert was over, the kids mobbed  
Martino with adulation and questions about jazz guitar.. They loved  
his performance, and him. You think these kids can't hear? OK, below  
is a clip representative of what they "heard". How many of us informed  
jazz addicts "hear" Pat's genius?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPXeJBHDeA8&feature=related

OK, if you hear that then how about this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ql_bHgaQQZE&feature=related

Or maybe it just that guitar is the instrument of choice for kids? Or  
maybe we old folks really don't know as much as a fifth grader. (For  
the Europeans in th list; "Think You Know as Much As a Fifth Grader?"  
is a US TV show where adults are matched against kids and asked  
questions. Most of the time, the kids win. <grin>

Cheers,