[Dixielandjazz] Where are the young people?

[Misrad HaJazz]

Shalom Larry,

Yes, that's most unfortunate when cities ban street performers. They 
throw out the baby with the bathwater. I used to busk in Santa Monica, 
CA, on their pedestrian mall. There were lots of performers, and it was 
sometimes hard to find a spot between the others without stepping on one 
another. It lent a festive atmosphere to the place that was part of its 
charm and attraction. But of course some of the merchants complained and 
pulled some strings with the city. They held hearings about licensing 
the performers. I went to one, and you could see it was a done deal ... 
they give you a "fair" hearing, and then they do what they were already 
going to do anyway. In the end, the license restrictions were so narrow 
that most of us wouldn't qualify, even if we were willing to pay the 
annual fee (there's always an annual fee when the government gets 
involved, isn't there). So they killed it. Last time I was back you had 
only semi-pro over-amplified bands with tons of equipment, giving more 
of a rock concert feel than street performing.

I saw on our municipal website only lasts week that Jerusalem is looking 
to "register" street performers. They don't say what that means yet, but 
since I've been playing out there for 15 years, I "own" part of the 
street, so I figured I'd better register and see what happens. They know 
me, and my band is regularly hired by the city now, but paid gigs on the 
street are not "street performing". They talk about auditions and 
assigning places and times. That would kill it for me, because I have a 
life and cannot commit to particular times for busking. They don't say 
whether non-registered performers would be prohibited, or maybe they 
only intend to give preference to the registered ones.

I routinely bring my students out to the street to give them a chance to 
learn to perform for an audience without scaring the pants off them by 
putting them on a stage. The music made by the students is rough and not 
professional level, but it is also part of the charm of busking. Other 
musicians and students do it to practice, and/or to put a little change 
in their pockets. We put a hat out because the hat is a gauge of how 
well we're playing, or at least of how well we're entertaining. When 
people start asking us how much we charge to play for a party, we figure 
we're reaching the threshold of becoming musicians.

By the way, here it is illegal for tourists and foreign students to 
work, which includes busking. They can lose their visas. But it is 
rarely enforced unless there is some other complaint that triggers it. 
Some of the passers through are quite talented, and bring a nice variety 
to the scene.

Of course, we have our beggars here too. Jerusalem is known for it, and 
because of Judaism's emphasis on charity, it is almost encouraged. No 
doubt people see the money in our hats and try to get in on the action, 
so we see some beggars who can't play trying to act like they're 
busking. There used to be one old guy who sat sleeping in a chair on the 
street all day, holding a mandolin with no strings. Anyway, in 
Jerusalem, the begging is not considered a problem. But one can 
understand that it can be a problem in other cultures where it is less 
acceptable. One can only hope that the powers that be could tell the 
difference between legitimate performers and panhandlers or con artists. 
One could also wish they'd make as much effort to get rid of pickpockets 
as they do musicians!

Blessings,

Elazar

Elazar Brandt
Doctor Jazz Dixieland Band
Jerusalem, Israel
www.doctorjazz.co.il
(02) 679-2537
(050) 723-3914


On 10/23/2011 7:23 AM, Larry Walton Entertainment wrote:
> I have no doubt that you draw great crowds but I think there is a 
> fundamental difference in people there and here.  Today the band was 
> excellent but the reaction of the young people was HO HUM.
>
> When I was in Frankfort Germany there were two guys dressed up as 
> Indians with full head dress and costume.  They drew large crowds.  
> Their music was good and they were fun to watch.  Near them there was 
> a black guy from who knows where.  He was dressed in African type 
> cloths and had a bunch of drums that the crowd was gleefully playing.  
> The crowd was having a great time banging on those drums.   Both of 
> the street performers were selling CD's and getting tips.
>
> Those same guys doing the same things here in St. Louis would be 
> arrested. There are anti busking laws here.  Doing what you do there 
> would also get you arrested.  The only way you can perform as you 
> describe is with permission of a business who may have hired you or if 
> it's a festival of some kind but then they don't usually allow bands 
> or performers to open a case for tips like they do in New Orleans and 
> other places.
>
> Years ago St. Louis had a real problem with gangs of Gypsies, pan 
> handlers, beggars, blind people and with other handicaps begging on 
> the streets.  Some had instruments and played.  That's why they passed 
> the anti busking laws. I only know of one municipality that tolerates 
> street musicians but again it's more or less with permission of the 
> merchants.  There are more than 155 municipalities in St. Louis county 
> none of which particularly want musicians or others hanging around 
> uninvited.
>
> I think that's unfortunate that the cities have taken such a stand but 
> St. Louis is an odd entertainment city.
>
> Another thing is that young people here are saturated with music and 
> entertainment.  You would think that the novelty of people playing 
> real instruments would draw a crowd.
>
> I think it's wonderful to draw crowds of young people I just think 
> it's more difficult here.  They do watch at street fests when they 
> happen but at those there is so many other things happening that it's 
> fleeting. I could see that if there were no other attractions around, 
> the young people would have been more attentive.
>
> I still maintain that young people here will not pay for OKOM on any 
> meaningful scale and only pay cursory attention to bands playing 
> OKOM.  It's still the 50+ people who support bands and OKOM.  The 
> mayor of the city we played for today was about 60-65 years old.  He's 
> the one who hired us.  It may be true that the audience is aging out 
> and we need to do something but I'm aging out too along with everyone 
> that played today.  The leader is 80 and I'm not so young either.
>
> Even so I think it's worth trying and some young adults do enjoy 
> OKOM.  I have noticed that they do like to bring their kids up to see 
> the instruments.
> Larry
> St.L