Your president, Jim Jones, very kindly selected the title of my talk - “Passing the Torch in the Service of Jazz” – which presented quite a challenge. I decided to draw on some random interviews I have done over the past year with two-dozen society and festival directors, musicians and jazz fans. My research sought to elicit a range of opinions and observations and is not intended to represent the ultimate judgment on where we are, where we may be headed, and how we might get there.

In simple terms, the title of my talk raises the question of WHAT it is that we are passing - and TO WHOM - and who will provide the LEADERSHIP – so let us proceed from there.

The July issue of Association News carried a feature story that was titled: “Is It Time for a New Approach? – Recognizing the need to redefine your organization’s purpose.” The article is all about CHANGE, FOCUS and ACCOUNTABILITY.

An association management consultant is quoted in the article as saying, “Most groups are sort of skipping along, but no one’s really satisfied, and there’s a chronic decline in membership or participation.”

One of the Warning Signs cited is the difficulty in finding good people to serve in leadership positions. Another is the lack of any sense of urgency, energy or compelling need. There is often a sense of denial as to the reality of the situation, or we get the response that “This is the way we’ve always done it, so why change.”

The article concludes, “For most organizations, the thought of reorganizing or refocusing is such a daunting task that it will suck all the air out of the room. Governance in America today is the last vestige of the 19th century to undergo modernization.”

My thinking has evolved over the past five years as to what it takes to run a non-profit organization. This is largely due to my grantwriting experience. Funders do not just give you the money and walk away; they expect you to do what you said you would do. They hold you accountable and will typically ask such questions as:

1. Do you have a plan? Does it represent a realistic and achievable goal?
2. How much will it cost?
3. Who’s going to make it happen and how will you monitor your progress?
4. When will you know that you are successful?
5. And finally, how will you sustain the project or program when your current funding runs out?

The way in which most non-profit organizations operate has changed in recent years. They tend to be more businesslike; more is expected from the volunteer leadership in the way of commitment and accountability; and membership wants to have a sense of ownership and involvement in fulfilling the organization’s mission. It’s a lot different from those Andy Hardy movies when Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney would say “let’s put on a show.”

Jim Collins, author of the best-seller Good to Great, and his research team evaluated over 1,000 businesses and determined what it takes to become a great company or organization. This book is not an easy read, but will challenge you as to your way of doing business in today’s fast-changing and demanding environment.

Collins stresses the importance of facing up to what he calls “the brutal facts.” So in our discussion, we have to acknowledge that Jazz appeals to a limited audience representing a very small percentage of the American population. From a marketing perspective, Traditional Jazz does not constitute a growth market. We’ve got to find different ways to promote jazz because we’re not dealing with large numbers and, in fact, the numbers are shrinking.

Like it or not, the world around us has changed in more ways than most of us can comprehend, and a key is our willingness (or lack thereof) to adapt to change. We live in a global economy. This is the Age of Technology. Communication is instantaneous.

Consider these facts:

• It took Radio 38 years to reach 50 million listeners.
• It was 13 years before Television was viewed by 50 million people.
• The Internet became a way of life for 50 million users in just five years.

Competition for people’s time and attention – and money – has never been more intense. A recent study indicated that people aren’t going out as much as they used to, and it has been reported that attendance at movies is down 42% over the past five years (while prices are up over 25%). Rock concerts were off 9% last year, and baseball by 20%, while DVD rentals are up 28%.

Just within our lifetime, each succeeding generation brings about a change in our culture, and we struggle to understand what is going on around us. If you were born before 1945, you are considered a “Traditionalist” and a product of what Tom Brokaw called “The Greatest Generation.”

We’re hearing a lot about the Baby Boomers who were born between 1946 and 1964 because 77 million of them will soon be retiring and leaving the workforce. Eight thousand Americans are turning 60 every day. But due to increased longevity, the Boomers intend to remain active and should be considered as prospects to become involved in the effort to “Carry the Torch Forward in the Service of Jazz.”

The GenX’ers who were born between 1965 and 1979 number only 46 million, so look to the GenY’ers – or Millenials – to play a prominent role in the years immediately ahead.

The Wall Street Journal recently ran an article about the under-40-year-olds entitled “The Most-Praised Generation Goes to Work” and pointed out how different their definitions of loyalty, time and success are. The article noted that this younger generation has a self-centered work ethic and that many of those in their twenties tend to view their jobs as something to do between the weekends. Fortune magazine called them “the most high-maintenance workforce in the history of the world but also the most high-performing.”

I don’t want to get too far afield here but my point is that “Times are a’changing,” and it is important we recognize what motivates the different age groups if we are trying to determine who shall pick up the Torch in the Service of Jazz in the future.

Family Circus cartoonist Bil Keane made an apt comment when he said, “While nothing lasts forever, it’s not as bleak as some people make it out to be. There will be interest in music by every generation, and there always is something new. Trends are a big thing. There isn’t a single, simple solution. We just need to broaden our outlook.”

April DeShields of Dixieland Monterey points out that “We approach our Festival as a business. You have to appeal to varied audiences, not just one style. The badge-buying public today is more choosey about what they can afford to attend. Many are on limited incomes and are looking for lineups that provide outstanding entertainment and more ‘bang for the buck.’

“Each individual genre does not account for enough badge sales to support a festival completely with just one style without a substantial increase in admission prices. My hope is that people with strong musical tastes and opinions can be understanding enough to recognize that the only way to keep what they unconditionally love is to take a gentler, indirect approach in getting people to listen to it – and not force it down their throats. I fear that we won’t have any jazz if we don’t do this right.”

As a former promoter of jazz concerts once said, “If we just depended on the true jazz fans, we’d go broke.”

Sacramento’s former Executive Director Jill Harper observed, “A majority of our audience is getting older and less mobile. There are fewer old friends in the audience and on the bandstand.” The Jubilee has made a real effort to diversify its offerings in recent years, and this year’s program listed eleven categories of music plus one that was called “Impossible to Classify.”

Wally Holmes of the Sweet & Hot Music Festival talks about “the Graying of the Audience” and the fact that fans – as a general rule – do not support jazz financially other than paid admissions. In his opinion, “Our fans are mainly interested in hearing the music and having a good time. Oldtime jazz and swing have become ‘concert jazz.’”

One bandleader, whom I shall not identify, stated, “Festivals only market to the Seniors. Bands are running scared and are afraid to innovate because the audience just wants to hear the same old tunes.” Another bandleader questioned if there may be too many festivals and not enough good bands to go around at the present time.

Sacramento’s Immediate Past President Vince Bartels noted, “The clock is ticking. It never will be what it once was. As music fans, it’s everyone’s responsibility to expose our music to the next generation. We must get younger people in the door for our music to survive.”

Igor Glenn of Igor’s Jazz Cowboys advocates that young people need to hear and see the music in their social context.

Bandleader Bill Allred’s response when I queried him was, “We’re bucking the mainstream and it’s up to the jazz societies to get the message out. We need a strong PR message and must work to get more music in the curriculums of our schools. Jazz Festivals should be more accessible to the younger crowd through discount tickets and clinics. And we have to urge Congress not to eliminate support of the Arts.”

Wally Holmes picked up on that idea, saying, “Every major government in the world supports the Arts while the United States Government does very little. They should allocate a billion dollars a year, and we need to lobby to see that this happens.”

Chanteuse Banu Gibson feels that Jazz Camps are the key to involving young people. Lamenting the lack of music in the schools, she told me, “If young people don’t hear the music, they won’t appreciate it. Give a kid a paint brush, a pen or musical instrument, and you will have a well-rounded, socially-adjusted person.” She went on to say, “In the aftermath of Katrina, music saved my life. It had great therapeutic value. Without it, I would have been far worse off mentally.”

According to Bill McFarlin of the International Association for Jazz Education, the Big Band action nowadays is not in the ballrooms but in the classrooms where about 15,000 Big Band jazz ensembles are up and playing in American high schools and colleges, and where you’ll see teenagers wildly cheering a full sax and brass section arrayed on risers behind music stands.

John Dieball of the Orange County Classic Jazz Festival states that the success of his festival is not due to any one thing, but more the way in which it is organized and promoted. He has a mailing list of 16,000, and John is a pro when it comes to marketing.

Carol and Jeff Loehr are keeping the Sun Valley Festival in the family, having taken over from Carol’s dad, the late Tom Hazzard. Tom developed an efficient system for evaluating bands by determining the cost per spectator per band.

Jeff Loehr stresses the importance of a good website. In 16 months, their site received 430,000 hits from 65 countries and generated nearly a third of their badge sales on-line. His feeling is, “If you don’t have a good website, you don’t belong in the festival business.” He also emphasized the importance of treating the musicians well and boasts that Sun Valley has the best food for musicians on the festival circuit.

Helen Daley of the Arizona Classic Jazz Society writes a column for an adult community newspaper where she and her husband live. It has helped boost attendance at the Society’s monthly meetings and annual Festival.

The Tucson Jazz Society has put teenagers on its Board and at one point had over 200 student members.

A friend and long-time jazz fan offered some interesting observations, saying he feels that the one-hotel festival is proving to be the most popular. In his judgment, festivals take on a personality: Friendly – Accommodating – Responsive – Unorganized – etc., and that a number of the more successful festivals have been or are being run by autocratic directors.

The Mammoth Lakes Jazz Jubilee is described by a fellow festival director as “well organized, with strong community support, and in an attractive locale.” Flossie and Ken Coulter have instituted some innovative features that have proved to be popular and stress that they make a point to hire bands that will attract younger people. They read every one of the over 3,000 survey forms that are returned by attendees and respond to a good number of them when appropriate. The Coulters say that their membership in the International Festivals & Events Association has kept them on the cutting edge of what it takes to run a successful event year in and year out and are strong advocates of belonging to a professional organization.

Jazz in AZ, a very successful mainstream organization that is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, has a very simple statement of its purpose: “Celebrating the Future – Supporting the art of live jazz and cultivating interest in jazz through youth education, scholarship opportunities and community outreach.” (Note the emphasis on “Celebrating the Future.”)

“Striving to improve conditions in one’s sphere” should be AFJS’s credo when it comes to justifying its existence. The Federation has the opportunity to become a primary resource and forum serving jazz societies, festivals and related entities of all types and styles, a place where jazz organizations can turn to when seeking information, guidance and new ideas to stay relevant.

AFJS has to find its niche and provide value to its members while focusing on those services that are crucial to success and survival. The process should involve building a core of committed people who support the Federation’s objectives and want to be part of its resource team.

One of the bases for maintaining 501.c(3) non-profit status is that education be an integral part of one’s mission. This is consistent with the need to reach out to young people and afford them exposure to music. SupportMusic.com, which is sponsored by the Music Education Coalition and NAMM, the International Music Products Association, has an impressive guide on their website on ways to keep music education strong. Here is a ready-made educational program for your members, and AFJS should be listed among the organizations that comprise the Coalition.

As I have gone through the process of collecting material and ideas for this presentation, several things have struck me which I submit for your consideration.

1. Because we are so fragmented, we need to find a common ground that will bring jazz organizations of all genres together to work for the common good of Jazz.

2. Again, I refer to Jim Collins’s book, Good to Great, in which he states in undertaking any project, the first consideration should be the WHO, and then deal with the WHAT. Typically most people think you should come in with a great plan, but Collins advocates initially “getting the right people on the bus, getting the wrong people off the bus, and getting the right people in the right seats.”

   My take is that people should be on Boards for one of three reasons:

   TIME - TALENT - or TREASURE
   and not because they happen to be the President’s next door neighbor.

3. Then comes the WHAT - a clear direction and purpose for this coordinated effort. I would focus on operational support for the membership because of how things have become so much more involved and are constantly changing. Plus, regardless of the style of music involved, we are all dealing with the same basic functions such as programming, budgeting, fundraising, membership development and volunteers.

There are resources – many of which come at no cost – that AFJS could make available to its members. Charity Channel and Guidestar have excellent websites that regularly provide articles on the nuances of what it takes to run a successful non-profit as well as fundraising opportunities.

Affordable Meetings is an outfit that holds three trade shows a year for meeting planners – one in California, one in Chicago, and one is Washington, DC. No charge to attend. Whether we realize it or not, we are all in the meeting planning business. Affordable Meetings holds seminars in conjunction with the trade show of meeting destinations that deal with such topics as: The Basics of Meeting Planning, Hotel Negotiations and Contracts, Budgeting, and How to Hold a WOW Meeting.

We are fortunate in Arizona to have a company that trains grantwriters and publishes an annual directory of 1,900 corporations and foundations that make grants. Nearly 800 of those listed make grants to the Arts, and roughly 1,300 list Education as a major interest. While the focus is obviously on Arizona grantmakers, many do fund in other states and list a number of helpful links. Check out azgrants.com.

4. My second major objective would be to become part of the Coalition in Keeping Music Education Strong. In my judgment, it makes sense to tie in with an existing group that is up and running and has some excellent collateral material available – and without AFJS losing its identity. The Music Education Coalition and SupportMusic.com network are working to maintain and improve access to quality music education in the public schools. This coalition of national, regional, state and local affiliates tracks legislation and provides options for action.

They point out that many of the difficulties faced by music programs stem from the fact that the public and decision-makers simply do not understand the nature and value of music education. While many of the problems facing music education are national in scope, they are manifested locally. Success will depend on communication, information and being part of the music education advocacy effort. Our societies can still organize their youth bands and do their jazz camps and scholarships, but SupportMusic.com appears to be a broader-based, more organized program.

Raising adequate funds in order for the Federation to be effective is an obvious need, and I am convinced there is money out there to be had. AFJS could even be the umbrella agency in applying for grants that could be shared by local societies.

Aggressive marketing has to be a key element, and your message should elicit both an emotional and rational response. Be willing to take risks, don’t be predictable, and don’t try to be all things to all people.

The Purple Cow is the title of a book by Seth Godin, who tells us that business needs to be remarkable to be successful. His message is that the marketplace is filled with Brown Cows, and the only way to stand out is to be a Purple Cow.

The key to success is to have a plan that has a timetable, that you do not overcommit, that you promote your cause aggressively, and most importantly, that you be positive and deliver more than you said you would.

I certainly don’t have all the answers, but I hope I have challenged and stimulated your thinking. As one who has had a lifelong association with jazz, I have attempted to report on the current state of Traditional Jazz as I see it and have shared some observations offered by others who are involved in the music. While you may not completely agree with the message, you don’t shoot the messenger. As Jack Welch wrote in one of his books, “Control your own destiny or someone else will.”

A good deal of what it takes to be successful has to do with being able to motivate people. I served on a Board with an individual who took over a non-profit organization 12 years ago, and who was able to eliminate an $84,000 debt in just one year. He always had a saying for the situation at hand as he inspired us to charge up the next hill. Two that are appropriate as I conclude are

• Success is a journey, not a destination.
• Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.