WOULD JAZZ
EXAMPLE
HELP POLKA MUSIC?
Chicago (PMN)—After learning about
an article regarding enlarging the audience for jazz music, a
member of the online polka newsgroup asked some interesting
questions about how this might relate to polka music.
The man, Claude Wiatrowski had read
a full-page article in the local jazz club newsletter that began
"The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation has awarded a $200,000
grant to the Jazz Arts Group of Columbus to create a national
model for building jazz and music audiences, entitled the Jazz
Audiences Initiative." The item is available at
http://www.jazzartsgroup.org.
Wiatrowski wondered what lessons
there might be here for polka musicians. The article states that
$200,000 is just to study why people do or do not listen to jazz
and suggests ideas for building jazz audiences that can be
implemented across the nation. It does not actually implement
any idea, but leaves that to local jazz groups.
He says that "if jazz groups need
to build audiences, they should see the
situation for polkas." Wiatrowski
is in Colorado Springs, where he says the jazz scene is much
larger than the polka scene and he suspects that is true across
the nation. It could be that jazz is just getting started on
this early so it does not decline.
There are some valid questions,
though. Is there really a benefit to this kind of study? If so,
who would pay for something similar for polka music? Wiatrowski
realized there are Polish, German, Czech, Slovenian and other
ethnic charitable foundations, but it is questionable whether
how many would consider this issue important enough for a
significant expenditure.
It would also have to be determined
which organization would organize this effort and solicit
grants.
Such a study would almost certainly
have to encompass polka music of all ethnic origins. The jazz
study is partnering with venues, musicians, consultants and
universities across the country.
If the outcome of such research is
ideas for building polka audiences, polka groups must be
sufficiently robust to implement those ideas in some meaningful
way.
Wiatrowski admits he does not know
the answers, but suggests that the issues are worthy of
discussion.