[Dixielandjazz] Howard Mandel discusses Jazz Masters Awards and clarifies role of Jazz Journalists Association

[Norman Vickers]

To:  DJML and Musicians & JazzFans lists

From: Norman Vickers, Jazz Society of Pensacola, Inc.

 

Thanks to all who have contributed your thoughts, ideas and reactions to
announcement that National Endowment for the Arts ( NEA) had decided to
cancel the Jazz Masters Awards.

Howard Mandel, President of Jazz Journalists Association ( JJA) has written
about JJA position on this issue and clarification of the role of JJA.

 

Thanks Howard, for this informative piece.

 

fnv

 

From: Howard Mandel [mailto:jazzmandel at gmail.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, February 23, 2011 2:52 PM



-- The Jazz Masters Awards have been honors conferred on musicians and
(recently) jazz advocates by a small and anonymous panel convened by the
NEA. Nominations for Jazz Masters Awards have been solicited from the entire
citizenship of the U.S. I know for a fact that members of the JJA have
written letters of support for people nominated for Jazz Masters Awards.
Those members did that for the nominees (or the nominees sponsors, such as
grass roots jazz organizations) as individuals, not as members of the JJA. 

 

The JJA does not as an organization offer services to the field to fill out
grant applications. Although a few JJA members have gotten grants (full
disclosure: I did receive an NEA media project grant -- not honor, a grant
going towards an independent radio production I proposed and subsequently
produced  -- in the '80s, before becoming a JJA officer), most of us aren't
good at it. Some granting organizations, including the NEA, are quite
willing to consult in detail with grants applicants about the paperwork,
which is indeed (especially in the case of the NEA) formidable and
intimidating. There are also private individuals who offer their services in
filling out grants (never a guarantee of grant's success, though). And
you're right, big organizations often have departments that are committed
wholly to applying for grants. Practice makes near-perfect! They are often
successful.

 

Also, please understand that for-profit operations such as jazz clubs are
not ordinarily qualified to apply for grants, certainly not the NEA grants.
As far as I know, grants are usually available either for individuals or
non-profit groups, which must go through their own paperwork to get that
status. The Jazz Journalists Association, for one, is a 501 (c) (3)
non-profit corporation, but received that status after 20 years as an
amorphous entity that paid taxes on all purchases. We had a lawyer
contribute services pro bono to help us get non-profit status.

 

Personally, I think the NEA Jazz Masters matter more because of the honor it
affords to musicians being officially recognized by the nation's government
than for the financial award that has come with it. In that regard, any
organization or confederation of organizations that can credibly confer
honors or awards can do good for our musicians by publicly applauding their
efforts in hopes of raising their profiles. The Jazz Journalists Association
does this with its Jazz Awards, celebrated in June with a gala in New York
City and satellite parties across the country (info about 2011 to come at
JJANews.org), and also when individual members post their 10-best records of
the year lists on JJA platforms every December. 

 

There are currently few nationwide grants that a jazz musician can apply
for. MacArthur Fellowships and Herb Alpert Fellowships are given to
musicians who are nominated anonymously by authorized consultants.
Guggenheim Fellowships are given to musicians who apply personally. Any
American musician (or indeed, artist, scientist, etc.), not just those in
jazz, qualifies to be in those applicant pools.

 

For jazz musicians interested in grants, perhaps the best current program is
the one for Composers and Ensemble Development run by Chamber Music America.
Here's a link to the details --
http://www.chamber-music.org/programs/gr_jazz.html. CMA is very, very good
about helping applicants along through the grant process, and also is very
concerned about spreading news of the funds and services it has to offer to
the largest, most diverse group of American musicians possible. I urge
anyone thinking about applying for a grant to write music for their bands to
look into this grant. And if you need a letter of recommendation, your local
Jazz Journalists Association member might be willing to write it. Talk to
them. 

 

best, Howard 

 
--end--

 

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