[Dixielandjazz] Negative peer pressure

[Marek Boym]

What the hell is wrong with me?  Something must be - I (again)
wholeheartedly agree with Steve!
If you don't bring music where young people are - forget it!  They
won't come to old folks' places - not in the US, not elsewhere!  and
don't expect the mto listen to nothing but (that's me, not they).
They will listen to current pop music (whatever you call it), and to
jazz, if they are exposed to it.  Tonight a friend invited us (that's
no the royal we - ir means my friends and me) to his place.  There
were three kids that could have been my grandchildren.  And when our
host played the BG combos on Capitol, they took a picture and decided
to look for it.  It was an old LP; I did tell them it had been
reissued on Mosaic, and I'm sure they will look it up!  Will they
listen exclusively to jazz and swing?  Not likely.  But they will
continue listening to jazz, and perhaps be the future audience fo OKOM
bands.
Cheers

On 13 March 2012 21:47, Stephen G Barbone <barbonestreet at earthlink.net> wrote:
> As Jim and Marek pointed out, the European scene is very different.
>
> I am not so sure about "negative peer pressure" as a reason for a supposed
> lack of young audiences appreciating jazz in the USA. In fact, I am not sure
> that peer pressure has much affect at all.
>
> What I believe is that most USA bands do not see young audiences because
> they do not play where the young audiences are. The club scene in the
> Philadelphia area is swarming with young people. And there are clubs that
> feature 1920s - 1930s music. The kids go there from 9 PM to 2 AM.
>
> I sub in 2 different clubs that hire YOUNG Dixieland musicians. And the
> audiences, mostly under 40 years old, love the bands and the music. The
> Farmer's Cabinet in Philly is one such venue. The Bookstore in Bethlehem
> (PA) is another. Both operate with OKOM 3 nights a week, 4 hours per night.
>
> Reason I don't go after these venues on a regular basis with my band is that
> they do not pay as much as the musicians in my band normally make in other
> venues. Since they depend upon music for their living, they follow the
> money. Who can blame them?
>
> But, the market is there for the YOUNG bands willing to work for less money
> and if I am available at the  last minute as a sub, I am happy to do the
> gigs. Naturally, the other ":Young People" venues are swing dances and those
> kids are very appreciative, clapping and cheering loudly after each number.
>
> What is more difficult, is to get the kids to come to an "Old People's"
> venue. The usual Jazz Society concerts are a prime example. We have a jazz
> society concert coming up in April. I am doing my best to get kids from the
> local Colleges who are taking "Jazz" courses to attend. By offering them
> some insight as to what jazz was like in the 40s 50s and 60s. Via the
> personal experiences of guys in my band who were on the scene with many of
> the jazz legends during those years. I invited the kids to come talk with us
> on breaks, or after the program. Collectively, we know quite a bit about
> Monk, Miles, Dizzy, Armstrong, Bechet, et al. Perhaps more than their
> professors. I've also invited swing dancers to attend in costume which will
> get them in free. Will it work? Who knows, but nothing ventured, nothing
> gained.
>
> But the main point is that if we cannot attract young audiences to "Old OKOM
> Venues", then we might play where the kids are in "Young OKOM Venues" and
> see what happens.
>
> Cheers
> Steve Barbone
> www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband
>
>
>
>
>
>
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