[Dixielandjazz] smoking--Brad Terry writes

[Norman Vickers]

To:  Musicians and Jazzfans list;  DJML
From: Brad Terry

Listmate Brad Terry, clarinetist of Bath, ME responds to the post from the
American Rag about the sponsorship of "Tobacco-Free Florida" at the recent
Pensacola JazzFest.  His experience in Poland with the help of jazz
educator/businessman Jamey Aebersold may be of interest and benefit to
others.  Neat story, Brad; you need to post more often!

-----Original Message-----
From: brad terry [mailto:brad at triologyjazz.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2011 10:00 AM
To: Norman Vickers
Subject: smoking

Hi Norm, 
About 15-18  years ago I was spending considerably more  time in Poland;
several months at a clip. .  Joachim & I were doing lots of  school
presentations; mostly Jr. High and High School kids. I'd talk and Joachim
would translate, figuring it was good for the kids to hear the English too.
We'd show them the blues scale, get them doing call & response to my scat
singing phrases; all the usual stuff.  At every presentation we did what we
called, "5 notes". We'd pick 5 volunteers and get them each to play one note
which gave us a completely  random, 5 note melody to improvise with; risky
but lots of fun and we still do it at all our more formal concerts.
 At the end of each program I'd give a short talk about how the tobacco
companies were targeting kids with mulit-million dollar advertising
campaigns and told them that when I was eleven,  I set fire to my neighbors
barn. After the owner got through using  a bridle on me and way before there
was a warning on the box,  I learned  that it was hazardous to my health.
 In Poland, for several years we handed out "T" shirts to the kids. My,
"JAZZ" logo was on the front and the international, "No Smoking" emblem on
the sleeve. Thanks to wonderful support from Jamie Aebersold we were able to
distribute over 2,500 shirts to kids all over Poland. We reutuned to one
school and watched  their soccer team using them as uniforms.  I'd like to
think we might have convinced  a few Polish kids not to smoke.
For the last 15 years I've insisted, "no smoking" at any club I'm playing
at. I even get them to air out the room before we get there. This too,
hopefully has helped get out the message.  
I'm seriously allergic to smoke. Horn players are not just breathing it in.
They are  hyper ventilating. I get queazy and nauseous even with moderate
exposure.

Many thanks to Jamie Aebersold; he's militant about it! So am I.

brad=