Communications Breakdown
Not long ago I became facebook friends with one of my jazz guitar idols. I’ve heard before that sometimes it’s not such a great idea to meet your heroes as it can be a real let-down. While the FB friend experience hasn’t been been a total disaster, it has been a reminder that while someone may be great at one thing (totally killin’ jazz guitar playing in this instance) there could be serious deficiencies in other areas.
Here’s how it went. For several months JGH (I’ll just use the initials for Jazz Guitar Hero to avoid using a real name) remained relatively quiet on FB. Then, unexpectedly JGH let out a torrent of criticism for the state of jazz marketing in his hometown. The reason? Because JGH is an awesome (although not so famous, even in the jazz world) guitarist who has done a lot of professional performing and recording, he was hoping that the jazz movers and shakers in his hometown would bow down to him and more or less cater to his desire to play concerts there. Wrong. Things are just not like that.
Business is Business, Business is People, and Business is Selling Stuff to People
I don’t think it matters if you’re selling pencils, or great works of art, business is all about knowing the right people and interacting favorably. You can be the maker of the coolest pencil the world has ever seen, but if you don’t make the right connections, you’ll always be a poor pencil maker. There’s often truth to the label “starving artist”. Artists are commonly not so great at business but instead, excel at their chosen artistic discipline.
What Went Wrong?
When JGH originally posted his complaint on FB I commented that “maybe you’re not kissing enough a**”. (I sometimes make these kinds of off-hand, half-serious, half-joking comments on FB to my detriment. For whatever reason, I can only take the FB thing so seriously. I mean come on! It’s Facebook! Why would you post your deepest concerns there for the world to read? Shouldn’t we save those for our most intimate friends? Perhaps I’m wrong.) In any case, there were more comments by JGH later to the affect that he would NEVER do any a**kissing of any kind whatsoever, and those people in his home town should be doing every thing in their power to bring him into concert performances. Did I mention although JGH is truly a great musician, he’s not what most people would call a big draw. I mean...I’d go to see him, but how many others would?
Come To Terms
The key here is to communicate and make friends on some level with the people you need to deal with. And rule number one for doing that? Speak to people in terms they can understand. Just that simple. Not everyone is like you and not everyone speaks your “language” or shares your point of view. You’ve got to get on board the other person’s train to some degree. That’s not kissing ass, that’s just plain common sense. The world isn’t all about you and what you think it should be. People like to feel others are interested in them, and their own welfare.
If you’re going to China to sell your super duper pencils, it’s going to be a good idea to learn at least a little Chinese.
Dealing with promoters, agents, or other powers that be doesn’t have to be so bad. You don’t have to become best friends, and you don’t have get married. Showing a little interest in the other person’s game can take you a long way toward meeting your own agenda.
Good luck JGH! I predict if you start showing a little interest in the local promoters’ welfare, they’ll work with you to build a following in your old home town.
Maybe I can learn to keep my smart-ass comments to myself on facebook. Hmm...how likely is that?
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Music, Children, and Humanity
I’m often performing for family friendly occasions. Besides a weekly Sunday brunch I sometimes play at outdoor civic events. I’m pretty much convinced that after years of doing this, locals have come to kind of like hearing some jazz while they have their lunch or shop for vegetables, flowers, knick knacks, and what have you. It’s not quite the same as playing at night, where the restaurants take on a more club kind of atmosphere, spirits are being served, and the music goes through more of a freedom and darker sort of a transition. That’s okay - I like both daytime and night time playing. But I digress.
Amongst the listeners at these daytime events, there are always those who are unfamiliar with jazz and not quite sure what they’re listening to, and among them there are the curious. Our music is usually pretty friendly sounding, and there’s nothing intimidating (I don’t think) about me or my musician friends. There’s no barrier to separate us from anyone who cares to walk up and strike up a conversation, and folks often do.
Most can tell right off that I’m playing a guitar, even though it may not be one they’re really familiar with, they get the idea. The drums are never mistaken for something else. But the bass...that upright bass...it can really throw people for a loop. You might be surprised at the number of people who ask “what IS that?”. The fellow that frequently plays bass with me is soft spoken and good natured and always answers them patiently. Does kinda’ make me wonder though...really? You really have never seen a bass? The other day someone asked if it was a sell-o.
Nothing, however, beats the wonder and amazement of children. Toddlers especially always get this glazed look over their eyes and just stare totally enthralled. Their parents, eager to introduce them the wonders the world, often bring them right up to watch us, usually encouraging them to dance. Sometimes the child does manage some kind of hop/dance. This seems kind of cruel to me, I’d like to see what would happen if one of those parents were made to dance to the music I play. Lots of parents just let their children experience the live music. Then they start naming off the instruments, “and that’s a cello...” um, no, that’s really a bass I want to say but I let it go.
That children are so taken with music speaks volumes to us. Clearly, seeing actual real live performers making music is something a little unusual and it also indicates a uniqueness of mankind. It’s part of being human and it’s attractive on many levels, and not just to children. The taking time to learn a degree of mastery of instruments, coordinating the event, the presentation, all tell us that there are worlds out there that are not our own. Foreign territory for the uninitiated. Big worlds full of complexity. Music and the arts are part of being human. Without them, we’d be a less so. Life without the arts I think wouldn’t be worth living. It’s important. It makes us human.
Amongst the listeners at these daytime events, there are always those who are unfamiliar with jazz and not quite sure what they’re listening to, and among them there are the curious. Our music is usually pretty friendly sounding, and there’s nothing intimidating (I don’t think) about me or my musician friends. There’s no barrier to separate us from anyone who cares to walk up and strike up a conversation, and folks often do.
Most can tell right off that I’m playing a guitar, even though it may not be one they’re really familiar with, they get the idea. The drums are never mistaken for something else. But the bass...that upright bass...it can really throw people for a loop. You might be surprised at the number of people who ask “what IS that?”. The fellow that frequently plays bass with me is soft spoken and good natured and always answers them patiently. Does kinda’ make me wonder though...really? You really have never seen a bass? The other day someone asked if it was a sell-o.
Nothing, however, beats the wonder and amazement of children. Toddlers especially always get this glazed look over their eyes and just stare totally enthralled. Their parents, eager to introduce them the wonders the world, often bring them right up to watch us, usually encouraging them to dance. Sometimes the child does manage some kind of hop/dance. This seems kind of cruel to me, I’d like to see what would happen if one of those parents were made to dance to the music I play. Lots of parents just let their children experience the live music. Then they start naming off the instruments, “and that’s a cello...” um, no, that’s really a bass I want to say but I let it go.
That children are so taken with music speaks volumes to us. Clearly, seeing actual real live performers making music is something a little unusual and it also indicates a uniqueness of mankind. It’s part of being human and it’s attractive on many levels, and not just to children. The taking time to learn a degree of mastery of instruments, coordinating the event, the presentation, all tell us that there are worlds out there that are not our own. Foreign territory for the uninitiated. Big worlds full of complexity. Music and the arts are part of being human. Without them, we’d be a less so. Life without the arts I think wouldn’t be worth living. It’s important. It makes us human.
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