[Dixielandjazz] Oh Yeah Day - playing for young audience

[Tito Martino]

Hi Jim

...   "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"  you're right.
 ..."I strongly suspect that for many, if not the majority of people, music
is simply the soundtrack that accompanies primarily social events" right
again. Here I use to make
a remark in the written folder-program distributed to the public :(free
translation , sorry my bad English)  "Traditional Jazz is entertainment yes,
is diversion, but is also a cultural treasury containing history, anecdotes,
spirituality, emotion, joy, sadness, melancholy, poetry, paradoxes and hard
reality; here we are trying to share this treasure with you ". "Traditional
Jazz can be nourishment for our souls".
Some people get the image.

And about inviting young players to the stage, good idea, I'll try that, but
never at the last number, it can damage the whole Show...

cheers

Tito
=============================================

On Thu, Aug 18, 2011 at 5:06 AM, Jim Ivy <Jim at jimivy.com> wrote:

> 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
>
>