[Dixielandjazz] Oh Yeah Day, please, read

[Tito Martino]

Hi Tamás

Oh, oh, oh, I must answer this, too !  I want to express my complete
agreement to ALL of your
detailed explanation of a very far-reaching marketing idea.
You're abolutely right in all analysed facts AND in your proposals of
answers/solutions to the problems our Traditional/Classic Jazz is  facing
worldwide and not only locally at the USA.    That's why Bob 's proposal is
insufficient, is limited, altough it's locally right.      I remark that the
first to react to your idea are band-leaders or leaders in their own right
!   Jim, Barbone, Romans, Haesler, Ringwald, Landes, you, me and certaily
many others we are bandleaders and being so we're concerned with the future
of our bands AND of Classic Jazz in general.    We are concerned with things
other than just play our instruments and make fun for ourselves and for
others.
 Leaders must see afar.

So you should put your hopes on the leaders, and just HOPE they can put
their personnel to move their asses.   Possibly it's the reason you received
fewer answers than you expected;   these are the answers from leaders and
also from some few other musicians or people who see the whole picture.

I'm confident that your idea   "Oh, Yeah Day !"  will stand and stay.
Trust the leaders !

I grant you I WILL send you a short (amateur) movie of the public shouting
Oh,Yeah!  in my show of 30june, just please wait a little because my
drummer/video-editor had a health problem and got hospitalized - he' s
alright now and will edit the video from a longer shooting.

Personally, I'm trying to amplify the scope and so I started now to end all
my Shows/Concerts with an "Oh, Yeah !" shouting by the public, and
explaining that we play  *"Oh, Yeah ! Jazz"*, the Classic Jazz pioneered by
Louis Armstrong, etc. and explaining that the "Oh, Yeah!" Day is 4 august,
and why.

All in all, Tamás, I congratulate you for your dedicated effort in helping
OKOM to survive and grow healthy,  and wish you keep swinging galore !

Oh, Yeah !

cheers

Tito Martino
===================================================================
2011/8/16 Ittzés Tamás <bohem at fibermail.hu>

> Oh, oh, oh, I must answer this. It will be a long post but I must step in
> now, I believe. While I was happy to see the many posts about Oh Yeah Day
> yesterday when I returned from my week-long holiday (while I had no access
> to DJML) I think that my great friend, Bob Ringwald made a proposal that
> would mislead the original concept VERY MUCH. I'm answering not only
> because
> the initiative idea came from me but because I think that Bob's post
> represents a very common, but, IMHO, a very false way of thinking among
> jazz
> lovers. This will not be a short post but I think, it would be important to
> all who want to see classic jazz survive for long. This is especially
> important now when we just heard the news about the cancellation of the
> Orange County Classic Jazz Festival. Bob wrote:
> -------
> While getting the audience to sing "Oh Yeah" is a great idea, audiences
> like
> to join in and sing for some strange reason, I think the movement would
> have
> a lot more chance of gaining worldwide acceptance if it were called "Louis
> Armstrong Day."
> We may eventually get the day to be recognized as "Louis Armstrong Day" by
> our U.S. government.
> It is all a matter of PR.
> -------
> Wrong, Bob, I must say. You are approaching this subject very much from a
> jazz musician's point of view. And very much from the US, not trying to
> think globally. Let's face facts and then let's ask proper questions:
>
> Facts:
> 1. Audience for classic jazz is aging and dying out.
> 2. Young people are not interested in classic jazz. There are some young
> players but they do not attract/draw young audience.
> 3. If the tendencies continue, there will be no market for classic jazz
> very
> soon.
> 4. Classic jazz is not interesting to the mass media either, the music does
> not mean anything to people.
> 5. There are no jazz starts, celebrities who would be interesting to people
> or/and the media, there are no stars. A few figures, like Wynton Marsalis
> or
> Diana Krall don't mean classic jazz to their audience even if they play
> from
> that repertoire.
> 6. Less and less people know who Louis Armstrong was, even in the US. Just
> go around and ask kids. And this might be even worse worldwide. Although
> What A Wonderful World made him well-known again for a few years after
> "Good
> morning, Vietnam", most people recognize the song and have no idea about
> the
> artist - partially because so many other singers have recorded since the
> movie. (By the way, while at youth concerts in Hungary most kids knew Louis
> Armstrong's name 15 years ago, now about 2% of the kids raise their hands
> when I ask them if they had heard of him. But amazingly still 90% know
> Elvis
> Presley!)
> 7. On the other hand: although classic jazz means nothing to kids and most
> middle-aged people either. They simply do not know what it is. But if they
> hear it they mostly like it.
> 8. The world has opened a lot - through internet the most. New markets, new
> audiences can be found (built, educated etc.) anywhere in the world.
>
> Questions:
> 1. How can we attract young people?
> 2. How can we present classic jazz and its great performers to the new
> (i.e.
> mostly young) audience?
> 3. How can we make classic jazz interesting to the media?
> 4. What does classic jazz mean to our future audience? If nothing, how can
> we describe it in THEIR language? (Also: what do they like in it if they
> hear this music that has been unknown to them before?)
>
> And so on. From thinking over the above many times I got to the following
> answers/conclusions (note that when I am using the word "youngster" I am
> referring to our possible future audience, everyone who hasn't been
> involved
> with jazz music as a regular listener yet, could even be an older fart who
> is just not knowledgeable enough about OKOM):
>
> 1. People who don't know about classic jazz but happen to hear it (mostly
> at
> open air concerts, in our case, in schools at youth concerts, too) are NOT
> appreciating its great players. They might like the technical skill of a
> certain player, they might like enjoying live music, they might like
> certain
> melodies or the rhythm. But as far as my experiences go, I can say, they
> like its happiness. Sometimes even sadness. But certainly its honesty,
> simplicity (it's an absolutely understandable, digestible music) and its
> positive attitude.
> 2. Louis Armstrong is the one who is still the best known among all jazz
> musicians. His name, personality is perfect for expressing the meaning of
> classic jazz. But his name directly does not mean anything to most
> youngsters. We have to use his attitude, his positive personality, his
> smiles to show people the essence of jazz.
> 3. If you want to attract younger generation, you have to speak THEIR
> language. You have to use THEIR tools etc. You have to have ACTIVITY around
> your topic. Think big, act big. Don't be shy, try to involve them.
> 4. Media is not interested
>
> By the time I got to this point in my thinking process I realized that
> Armstrong's "Oh Yeah" tag expresses the essence of classic jazz on the most
> simple, clearest yet true way. (And please, do not talk about
> improvisation,
> instrumentation and such as essence of jazz in this context - think of ONE
> thing that is true in jazz and that can be understandable right away to
> anyone on the planet.) I found "Oh Yeah" a good calling slogan also because
> it can be sung/shouted together with the musicians/singers, so people get
> involved. If you use "Oh Yeah" as a symbol of positive attitude, you can go
> even much further. A lot further. In the first minute you might think, it
> will bring the whole thing way out of jazz. But keep in mind that all
> activities around to Oh Yeah Day should be strictly connected to the basic
> idea and always mention Armstrong's role, attitude etc. To be more exact,
> just three examples:
>
> - Tell people to upload their "Oh Yeah" photos/videos on the Oh Yeah Day
> Facebook page. Not musical contents, just experiences, memorable moments
> photographed or videoed that have the positive attitude described simply in
> Armstrong's smiling "Oh Yeah". Of course, other people must have the chance
> to Like the uploads and then a winner should be announced. There must be
> some presents, prizes, whatever. Could be done locally, anywhere, at any
> website. The best if it's international and centralized.
> - Drawing contest for kids about their own "Oh Yeah" experience. Same
> procedure.
> - Shouting contest: who can shout "Oh Yeah" louder? Might be a Guinness
> record attempt, too. (Or the most people shouting/singing Oh Yeah
> together...)
>
> These are just three ideas. You might say, these would lead people far from
> jazz and Armstrong. But if the announcement of such an event/contest
> declares that it is centred around Armstrong, and his "Oh Yeah" is played
> at
> the contest, a local jazz band plays a few Armstrong songs etc., everyone
> will connect even the strangest Oh Yeah Day activity as part of a classic
> jazz celebration. That's why it must be called "Oh Yeah Day, World Day of
> Classic Jazz". And it's must be emphasized that it is held on and around
> Armstrong's birth anniversary.
>
> Furthermore even other genres of music can join with their music that
> represents the happy, positive "Oh Yeah" feeling but at the same time it
> has
> to be made clear that most pop and rock (and even hip-hop, techno etc.)
> styles have their roots in jazz. I know this is the dangerous part and this
> only can be done when Oh Yeah Day is strong enough to include these other
> styles, too, without giving them more credit than to Louis and classic
> jazz.
> (Again, the name is important for this reason as well.) We always tell kids
> (who, remember, know Elvis but have no idea about Louis) that all types of
> popular music were rooted in jazz and Elvis, for example, just re-used an
> old pattern. We prove this by playing a slow blues, speeding it up, going
> into boogie-woogie than rock'n'roll. Then I sing the original lyrics of
> Scott Joplin's Maple Leaf Rag with some ragtime accompaniment (piano and
> drums) then doing the same with basically just rhythmic talking/shouting
> and
> heavily emphasized syncopated rhythmic beats in the background and kids
> immediately tell themselves that this is rap. So they understand that it
> also derives from early jazz/ragtime. Rap is just the re-interpretation of
> texted ragtime with no melody.
>
> Well, at the end of this long post: why would the term Louis Armstrong Day
> not work worldwide? Because it does not mean anything to most people.
> Armstrong is well-known for jazz lovers, musicians and that's it. He is
> better known than James P. Johnson or Buddy Bolden or probably anyone else
> among the great performers of classic jazz. But he is not well-known enough
> to attract new audiences with his name. You can maybe attract the U.S.
> Government if you have good connections and/or politicians feel that
> Armstrong's name can be well used for America's actual message to the
> world.
> But we don't need to make a great PR for/to the US Government, we need to
> make a proper PR for/to people. We have to attract people, human beings,
> all
> over the world. Long term. Over and over. Every year. Annually. What would
> be best than a world day? We have to capture young people's hearts, ears
> and
> minds. In this order. Through Oh Yeah Day it is much easier to bring them
> to
> Louis Armstrong's music (or bring Louis to them) indirectly then to try to
> introduce Louis directly to them by having a Louis Armstrong Day. I am sure
> it would not work. At least far not as effectively and on such a long-term
> as the Oh Yeah Day concept could.
>
> You could ask: why haven't I organized such events that I mentioned above
> (drawing contest, shouting Guinness record, video uploads etc.) if I know
> so
> well? Basically for two reasons:
>
> 1. I did not have enough time for doing all the jobs. Believe me there is
> way too much work behind such an idea, making it work from the idea up to
> the point when there is a website with enough relevant information etc.
> And,
> unfortunately, people have not signed up in as great numbers as I expected.
> And that is very much true to you, listmates, too. Don't get me wrong, I am
> not blaming anyone but myself. As Bob Ringwald's post shows I was not clear
> enough with explaining the concept in details behind my initiative idea. I
> emailed festival organizers, individual musicians, wrote long posts on the
> DJML, our own mailing list etc. Less than 700 supporters on the website and
> Facebook is a very poor result so far. I expected much more. Not very many
> venues for the first year, not very many bands. Yes, I expected much more.
> No festivals involved. Yes, I expected some. No official institutions
> (Louis
> Armstrong House etc.) stood behind the idea. I expected them so. I talked
> to
> them personally last November and then by email, too. They loved the idea
> and that's it. By now I realized that I overestimated the activity and
> enthusiasm of jazz fans and jazz musicians. Or I am talking in another
> language, maybe too marketing-orientated so it sounds strange to most jazz
> people? Could be. But there are some people who understood the message
> right, so I am hoping that time will help the idea.
>
> 2. I think that first we have to strengthen the idea within the jazz
> community. And when we have enough supporters and enough Oh Yeah Day
> events,
> many bands doing it worldwide, we have many recordings (films) with bands
> and audience joining in a final big "Oh Yeah" then we can reach out to new
> audiences and media. So this first year was a starting point. Not a bad
> one,
> though. After all, I am not dissatisfied. And I am thankful to those who
> have participated.
>
> Very last remark: I found out a recipe that could help getting future
> audience for classic jazz by doing something that might be good to draw
> media attention etc. But only if there is a lot of activity and a lot of
> people behind it. I might be wrong with the direction and there might be
> many other successful ways of achieving such a goal. But I think, mine is
> working and the Louis Armstrong Day could be not as effective. The main
> goal
> is not commemorating Armstrong. The main goal behind my concept is getting
> new audiences that can carry on commemorating Armstrong in the future, too.
> Who the hell would commemorate him in 10, 20 and 30 years? Less and less
> people as tendencies show... I have a whole concept, a whole structure in
> my
> head but I am sure I have said enough for one post. Thanks for your
> attention.
>
> Best regards to everyone and, by the way, OH YEAH,
>
> Tamas
>
>
> PS.: I am still waiting to get the missing films and would ask all who have
> done their Oh Yeah Day event but haven't recorded it to repeat it ASAP and
> record it at their next gig and send the recordings to me - I hope I don't
> have to explain why it is essential. I haven't received the promised
> recordings from Jim Kashishian, Bill Haesler yet and hope to get a repeated
> version filmed from Steve Barbone, Tito Martino, Ernie Landes, Bob Ringwald
> and Bob Romans. I hope, the above mentioned musicians got this far in
> reading this novel :-)
>
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---
> ITTZÉS Tamás
> violin teacher, ragtime pianist, festival director
> www.bohemragtime.com
> www.OhYeahDay.com
> Address: H-6001 Kecskemét, Pf. 652., Hungary
> Phone (classical): +36(20)82-447-82
> Phone (jazz): +36(20)960-7169
> E-mail (classical): ittzes.tamas at gmail.com
> E-mail (jazz): info at bohemragtime.com
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---
> Join us and make Aug 4 the International Day of Classic Jazz!
> Be part of a great worldwide event!
> Support at www.OhYeahDay.com
>
>


-- 
Tito Martino Jazz Band
www.titomartinojazzband.com.br
titomartino at gmail.com