It's Not What It Was

I had a conversation with the founder of a pretty well-known American brass group yesterday. We were talking about a possible collaboration for an event here in Minnesota later this year. If anything comes of it, I’ll be sure to let you know as soon as there’s anything to report.But something this gentleman said to me stuck out from everything else we discussed. When he began his group in the 1980’s, things were very different from what they are today. For one thing, the attention span of audiences was considerably longer than they are today. I’m guilty as charged when it comes to that. It’s a struggle to not glance at that iPhone every 22.4 seconds to see if any new messages or “notifications” have come in. Of course, nothing ever does, but that doesn’t stop me from checking anyway.Another thing is the level of competition. Back in the 80’s there were a few brass groups that had sort of cornered the market when it came to that type of thing. By “that type of thing” I mean a particular style of music, i.e. classical with a touch of jazz. There’s actually a name for this weird combination.Jazzical. To true jazz musicians, “jazzical” is basically what Americans have done with Chinese food, what with General Tso’s chicken and the like.But I digress.The real competition was among these various brass groups within the American market of young musicians in school band programs.Today the competition is the couch.Why spend an evening to go to a concert, and deal with traffic and parking, when you can sit at home and watch a movie on Netflix?Nowadays, the few live groups that are still around are kind of in the same boat, facing the same realities that modern-day technologies and conveniences have brought. It’s not like rivalries don’t exist. It’s just that they’ve taken a back seat to the need to simply survive. So in some ways, this has encouraged a bit more collaboration and camaraderie between rivals. Which is a good thing if you ask me.But the one thing that has never changed with all this new technology and convenience is the basic human need for community. If anything, all this new tech has only magnified this need.What did the Covid era teach us? For one, never ever again take the word of a public health “expert” at face value.But more to my point, we crave connection with other people. Video calls are good, and they have their place. But there’s no real replacement for in-person connection, sharing pheromones and “vibes” with each other.That is what we musicians ought to aspire to. Not to wow anyone with technical precision, but to bring people together and appreciate this life we’ve been given together. So things aren’t the way they were “in the old days”.The days of sitting on stage behind music stands, playing a set list and calling it a day are over.People expect more than that.From the “professionals” anyway. Those with a bit of creativity and vision can see the opportunity and the goldmine in front of them. Get full access to James D. Newcomb at jamesdnewcomb.substack.com/subscribe