[Dixielandjazz] Oh Yeah Day - playing for young audience

[Jim Ivy]

Tito,
I believe that you are correct that the book store programs will be more
effective than the school concerts.  Both are good, but I believe the book
store concerts will be more effective in attracting youngsters to the
music.

It is difficult for me to explain why I think this, but it has to do with
the social aspect of the environment.  The book store is more of a "real
world" place than the school concert.

As musicians, we value music in and of itself.  But I am not certain that
this is true for most non-musicians.  I strongly suspect that for many, if
not the majority of people, music is simply the soundtrack that
accompanies primarily social events.

The book store is more of a social environment.  People are there because
they want to be there not because the school thinks they should be there. 
Young people that experience a musical genre in a social environment are
more open to appreciating that genre.

So, if the goal is to develop a younger audience for classic jazz, then
look for opportunities to present the music in a social environment that
appeals to the age group.  Book stores, skating rinks, ice cream
parlors..., where ever the youngsters go to feel more adult!

One more point.  the closer the age of the performers to the age of the
audience, the more open the audience is to the music.  This is especially
true for adolescents. So, if you schedule a performance at a local school,
do some advance work and get a few of the students involved in the
performance.  It is easy enough to teach even young musicians a tune like
"Joe Avery" or "Saints".  Get them on stage with you.

Jim


On Wed, August 17, 2011 4:52 pm, Tito Martino wrote:
> Hi Tamás
>
> well, I have to agree with you, something in the style of the Change the
> World Song video needs heavy sponsoring.  But it can be made differently !
> For example, 10 o 12 short clips (with seconds each)  of concerts/shows of
> different Bands playing everywhere in
> the world, all playing the same tune (The Saints?) and all Band ending the
> tune
>  with the "ta tata taaaa ta rara laaaaaa  oh yeaaaaaah!".  The individual
> videos can be sent to a central editing facility and edited together with
> a
> bit of fantasy and creativity, to give homogeneity.     Well....  it's
> always possible to dream....
>
> As for playing for young audiences: I did last year 2 or 3 concerts for
> free
> in school theatres, for kids with 10 to 15 years old. It's nice but don't
> believe it works more than for being a curiosity to the kids.     Now, in
> a
> different take, I play every thursday 12:30 do 13:30 at  Theatre inside a
> big book store in mid-town, with free admission, always 180/200 people
> standing to applaud and asking for autographs;  I'm incentivating school
> teachers to bring their classes to the Show, and it's working very well,
> because the kids who come are willing to see the show.
> I also give a flyer, but text is not directed to kids as you do (good
> idea).
>
> On other front, I proposed and in november will stage a free Concert to
> pupils and teachers inside a very respected and big School of Journalism.
>
> We have to educate the midia !
>
> As for a  Course in Traditional Jazz, I'm looking forward to know yours,
> please let me know;  but I guess you know the excelent work of our (ex?)
> listmate John P. Birchall
>
> http://www.themeister.co.uk/dixie/dixieland_jazz.htm
>
> but it's not useful for me to help kids, as it is witten in English and
> the
> kids around here are not learning foreign languages at school... it's a
> shame.
> Let's do whatever possible whenever possible.
>
> Keep on swinging, oh yeah !
>
> Tito
> in São Paulo, Brasil
>
>
>
> ==========================
> 2011/8/17 Ittzés Tamás <bohem at fibermail.hu>
>
>> Hi everyone, again,****
>>
>> ** **
>>
>> Steve’s suggestion could be good but in the case of the Change Song,
>> there
>> was a lot of money in the background. Provided by a sponsor, a record
>> company, if I’m not mistaken. In order to make it really professional
>> and
>> sound good, you need to hire a sound guy who travels all around and
>> makes it
>> work like they did in the Change Song. If you do it just with different
>> set
>> ups, different tools, recording equipments over internet, etc., it’s not
>> gonna work. It will but the quality will be NOT exceptional but probably
>> poor. And it ruins the whole thing. Not to mention than to do something
>> as
>> second (unless you copy something from another business segment) always
>> puts
>> you behind something. I’m not for it. If Bill Gates was my neighbour or
>> my
>> best friend, I’d might say differently but if we have to build this up
>> from
>> the ground with no money in it at the beginning, it could ruin’ it, I
>> think.
>> I am putting some money into it as we recorded our concert and we’ll
>> make up
>> a shorter and a longer video of the event plus we’ll edit a
>> demonstration
>> video of the OYD venues when I get the films from all the participating
>> bands. Then I’ll upload it to YouTube.****
>>
>> ** **
>>
>> As for playing for young audiences: I have mentioned several times that
>> we
>> have been doing informative jazz concerts in schools for a long time.
>> Last
>> year we did around 40 such concerts, this year only 20-25 but next year
>> again around 50. To keep kids attention for longer than just a concert I
>> had
>> come up with an idea after years of wasting time with just losing them
>> although they were enthusiastic about the style at the concert but most
>> of
>> them have never heard about jazz or my band afterwards. Now we give out
>> a
>> flyer to EVERY kid in the audience. On one side there are some basic
>> jazz
>> vocabulary (like and encyclopaedia) so they know how to spell Ragtime
>> and
>> Jazz etc. and there is written explanation what they mean. Simple and
>> short.
>> And a photo of Armstrong, too. On the other side there is some info
>> about
>> our free internet JazzSchool where they can learn more about the genre
>> if
>> they like the concert. The link for the JazzSchool is on the flyer, of
>> course. I have written a JazzSchool which is a 12-part series and kids
>> can
>> subscribe to it by email then they get the link of the parts (lessons)
>> weekly. It gives them basic information about styles and players with
>> 3-5
>> videos per “lesson”. When they are finished they are urged to continue
>> and
>> subscribe to the next series which is called JazzHighSchool and it is an
>> 8-part series and each member of my band contributed with one part about
>> their instrument: we write a little about the history and role of the
>> instruments and introduce some of its greatest players. Text is
>> “kid-friendly” and videos are interesting and not long. I converted all
>> videos and uploaded them to our server so if any of them disappears from
>> YouTube it would not ruin our series. We plan to do a JazzUniversity
>> with
>> videos, it’s gonna be done some time later. Now I have enough to do.****
>>
>> ** **
>>
>> Unfortunately the above school is available only in Hungarian but I am
>> thinking to translate it into English but, again, I need plenty of time
>> to
>> do it.****
>>
>> ** **
>>
>> What I am trying to do but it is difficult and is not working well yet
>> but
>> I don’t give up: we offer a school concert for free or for very little
>> money
>> besides an evening concert. But organizers in cultural houses (which are
>> hosting most evening concerts in our case) are not very willing to do
>> the
>> extra work to contact schools. I’m working on it and let you know if I
>> come
>> up with something that works.****
>>
>> ** **
>>
>> By the way, our audience in Hungary is way much younger than yours in
>> the
>> States and Western Europe and probably elsewhere. Young people love it
>> and
>> not only swing dancers do.****
>>
>> ** **
>>
>> Best regards,****
>>
>> ** **
>>
>> Tamas****
>>
>> ** **
>>
>> ** **
>>
>> *From:* Tito Martino [mailto:titomartino at gmail.com]
>> Dear Steve
>>
>> 1. great idea the "World Oh,Yeah! Song" on youtube.
>> Let's find a proper song, some old public domain Buddy Bolden tune,
>>  with renewed lyrics including Oh, Yeah! of course.
>>
>> 2.  that's the key, that's the cue:
>> PLAYING FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES
>> that should, that must be our goal.
>>
>> It's your long term "mantra" and you advocate that,
>> since many years here in this forum.
>>
>> keep on swinging, oh, yeah !
>>
>> Tito
>>
>> ****
>>
>> ** **
>>
>>
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> ****
>>
>> 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
>


Jim Ivy
512-341-9103
Jim at JimIvy.com