[Dixielandjazz] Young musicians

[Paul Kurtz Jr]

Phil, I want to thank you for that message. I have a friend, let’s call him Adam since that’s his name, who was sold on this type of music and plays a lot of it in New Orleans at this moment. He’s talked to me a good bit about wht he does and this, yes, is a young guy. Young people are interested in people who are interested in them, their concerns, and what they’re doing. There’s  New orleans scene, a New York scene, and yes, some other places, too. It may not be real big, but per Adam, it’s got potential to grow. They’re doing 1920s music with the dances involved as well. 
Paul Kurtz Jacksonville, FL 

On May 1, 2020, at 2:39 AM, philwilking <philwilking at cox.net> wrote:

Too true.

I have heard this and variations upon it too many times to count through the years.

"We need to get a younger audience." "We need to get some younger players; all the old guys are dying off." Etcetera.

Onto my soap box:

The fact is: if we want to get some young blood, we are going to have to go seek it out and make a significant effort to interest it. It is NOT going to come looking for us. Learning and playing music of any kind is WORK, work which the majority of the population can not, and a significant portion of the rest will not, do. For that remainder which might take up OKOM, there are too many other distractions, all available to any couch potato at the push of a button, to expect them even know it exists, much less go looking for it.

That means we, the current players who claim to want new blood, must go to that potential new blood, it is not going to come to us. If one of your band members lives in a house with a decent porch, rehearse on it so the neighbors can hear it. Organize a block party and play for it just for the fun of it. Donate an afternoon to a church function; especially an outdoor function where the neighbors will hear it. Make sure there is room to dance in front of the band stand. Play for the dancers - not just ultrafast numbers for yourself. Don't just do foxtrots and swings; believe it or not, if you play a waltz, the youngsters will try it. If you play a rumba or cha-cha, they will try it. If you let it be known that lessons in how to play this music are available, you will get a recruit every now and then.

This is not pie in the sky. Back in the middle 1980's, the Louisiana Repertory Jazz Ensemble would play in a termite-ridden dump of a saloon on Wednesday nights in New Orleans' "Irish Channel." They filled the place with college kids who danced. On a Wednesday night in a tough neighborhood! That was 35 years ago.

Currently, a band called "Tuba Skinny" attracts a large following. They are young adults and they play very well. If they don't have a gig in a bar, they play on the street for tips, which they get. When they do have an indoor job. They over-fill the place. They are careful to play a variety of rhythms and play dancing tempi, and everyone - band and audience - has fun.

And that is the secret: get the audience participating - dancing - instead of just sitting listening and getting drunk. That's how jazz started; it was dance music. It still is. Once you get them moving, they will have more fun and so will you. And look out for the five or six year old child who literally MUST move to your music. The joy on that face is all the pay you need.

Off soap box.

Phil Wilking - K5MZF
www.nolabanjo.com

"And God promised man that good and
obedient wives would be found in all
corners of the earth." Then God made
the earth round and laughed and laughed
and laughed.

-----Original Message----- From: Marek Boym
Sent: Thursday, April 30, 2020 11:01
To: philwilking
Cc: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Young musicians


OK, so Norbert Susemihl has been around for a while, but is certainly younger than most listmates (Joe excepted), but the others are all young.
Now what we need is young audience! 

_______________________________________________
To unsubscribe or change your e-mail preferences for the Dixieland Jazz Mailing list, or to find the online archives, please visit:

http://ml.islandnet.com/mailman/listinfo/dixielandjazz



Dixielandjazz mailing list
Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com