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

[Dixiejazzdata]

 Why do any Dixieland Musicians even Care it's certainly not like the NEA is doing anything for Dixieland 
much less passing out any money or awards to it or it's participants.  And the only way to get the Congressman's ear is to open the conversation with "I AM A REGISTERED VOTER"  with that he/she might even listen between phone calls regarding other pressing matters that make them money and contributions.

 
The Republican side has been trying to eliminate the NEA & NPR for decades, perhaps if we all started playing and presenting Gospel Music they would endorse us and fund some concerts.


 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Norman Vickers <nvickers1 at cox.net>
To: B.B. Buffington <dixiejazzdata at aol.com>
Cc: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Wed, Feb 23, 2011 1:07 pm
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Howard Mandel discusses Jazz Masters Awards and clarifies role of Jazz Journalists Association


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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