Making Music During A Global Pandemic

      Practice, practice, practice is what I tell my students to do everyday, even during this global pandemic. Music has not stopped during COVID - 19. I do not mean to suggest the music industry has not been effected by this global pandemic, because it has, with concerts being cancelled, gigs called off, and just getting together to play music is a problem during this time with COVID - 19. Rehearing in public parks in Michigan is seasonal at best. Zoom technology works, but there are challenges to over come.

     Neal Diamond`s video of thousands joining in to participate in singing his song "Sweet Caroline" makes you happy,  but how practical is this to conduct rehearsal, or generally speaking for music making? well, during this global pandemic very practical. Something is better than nothing. Let us all be grateful that vaccines are now available to combat against this virus, and hopefully we can return to life the way we knew it.

     Currently, and before the pandemic, I generally had four performing opportunities available: Student Recitals, Keith Gamble Quartet, BF Legacy Jazz Orchestra, and Freelance performances. Student Recitals are Spring and Christmas recitals my music students participate in each year performing prepared pieces learned during music lessons. Although I am still providing music lessons, COVID- 19 has placed a hold on my student performances. However, we are looking to resume in the spring and winter of 2021.

     As a professional musician before February, 2020, I was not performing daily, but I was performing at least once or twice per month. True, performing one or two monthly performances is not a lot, but those performances with music students do provide a living. For me and my situation COVID - 19 has placed a hold on Keith Gamble Quartet and freelance performances. BF Legacy Jazz Orchestra also saw no performances, but BF Legacy Jazz Orchestra has kept active with out-door rehearsals, Zoom meetings, and trying to stay active using Zoom technology.

     For all of us 2020 has been trying, and I think it is safe to say we are glad to see an end to 2020, and an ushering in for 2021. Happy New Year to all, and looking forward to seeing you on the band stand or in the audience.

Supporting Musicians During COVID - 19

     COVID - 19 has effected all of us in the music business. Some of us are fortunate to continue performing for live audiences, but even those lucky few are not performing the number of gigs before the virus. In other words, there is no sustained work for musicians. This includes symphony orchestra musicians.

     Symphony orchestras operate with an overhead of financial commitments to its employees. These employees are not only musicians, but other support and professional staff to oversee and promote orchestra business, such as ushers, box office personnel, and maintenance workers. This has not gone unnoted to supporters of orchestras. Supporters of the Boston Symphony Orchestra have put-up a GoFundMe account to raise $100,000 for laid off employees of that orchestra.

     An organizer supporting Boston Symphony employees who have been laid off established a GoFundMe fund for laid off employees to secure financial assistance of $500.00 for furloughed employees. Each employee received more than the original $500.00 goal. Employees of the Boston Symphony Orchestra were laid off on August 21, 2020, began receiving disbursement of funds the week of September 14. These pay-outs were given to both full-time and part-time BSO employees.

     During COVID - 19 fans are not flocking to concert halls to see orchestras, or any musical groups at 100% capacity. However, music organizations are putting together performances for a limited number of people, with social distancing, face mask, and other protective measures. 

        

Post-Bop and Avant-Garde Jazz Saxophonist Keith Gamble: Music and Politics During The Black Arts Movement

Post-Bop and Avant-Garde Jazz Saxophonist Keith Gamble: Music and Politics During The Black Arts Movement:       Let me begin by stating the obvious - as musicians we love to play music. Do we get involved in music to fulfill a political agenda? w...

Music and Politics During The Black Arts Movement

      Let me begin by stating the obvious - as musicians we love to play music. Do we get involved in music to fulfill a political agenda? well, I suppose some do, but generally speaking musicians play music for musics sake; we love to play. Not all musicians during the Black Arts Movement were motivated by political and social issues, but were expressively creating and experimenting with innovative approaches to improvisation, sounds, and interpretation as a canvass for new music at that time.

     Creative musical expressions from African American musicians of jazz avant-garde in the 1960s was viewed as authentic artistic blackness. Authentic artistic blackness was seen as a way to fight against racism and oppression, while maintaining a self - determination for black identity. Authentic artistic blackness meant no separation from art and life, and black identity and struggle. "Black music as black identity" (The Challenge of the Changing Same: The Jazz Avant - Garde of the 1960s, the Black Aesthetic, and the Black Arts Movement - Jason Robinson, University of California, San Diego) is a repeating theme of authentic artistic blackness. This idea of authentic artistic blackness also extends to Christianity and the black church.

     In Dr. James Cone`s book - A Black Theology of Liberation, published in 1970, argues "Christianity and Black Power were not only compatible, but were critical for continued Black-American survival, resistance, and liberation" (pg. 207, The Aesthetics of Blackness: Theology, Aesthetics & Blackness in the Black Arts Movement Western Aesthetics and Blackness, by Damon Powell, Ph.D. - The Journal of Pan African Studies, vol. 11, no. 6, April 2018). Music of the Black Church serves as a starting and departure point for many in the African-American community. As black music evolves it moves away from church. However, Amiri Baraka`s argument maintains "the new jazz" (or jazz avant-garde) is conscious regarding religion. For example, John Coltrane`s A Love Supreme.

     A connection has been made to suggest Black Art is aesthetically and spiritually linked to concepts of Black Power. This was an African-American led movement centered around activism and art, with a message of black pride. Jazz avant-garde contains three pillars - the press, writers of the Black Arts Movement, and musicians performing jazz avant - garde music. Did every African-American musician performing jazz avant - garde buy-in to the tenets of the Black Arts Movement? Some did, but not everyone.

     John Coltrane`s discussions with music critics during this period spoke of his music in technical and expressive elements, not nationalistic terms. In his letter to Down Beat magazine in 1967, Ornette Coleman stated that we "get off this war - jazz, race - jazz, poverty - jazz, and b.s. and let the country truly become what it is known as (GOD country)" (The Challenge of  the Changing Same: The Jazz Avant - Garde of the 1960s, the Black Aesthetic, and the Black Arts Movement - pg.18). These comments demonstrate not everyone was embracing the Black Arts Movement as a political and social stance, also, not simply performing music for musics sake, but to proclaim technical and expressive components. It all goes back to musicians love to play.

Post-Bop and Avant-Garde Jazz Saxophonist Keith Gamble: Boy Bands (Male Vocal Groups)

Post-Bop and Avant-Garde Jazz Saxophonist Keith Gamble: Boy Bands (Male Vocal Groups):       One of my favorite male vocal groups would have to be the Stylistics. Everyone has their personal favorites, but I was sold on the Sty...

Boy Bands (Male Vocal Groups)

      One of my favorite male vocal groups would have to be the Stylistics. Everyone has their personal favorites, but I was sold on the Stylistics in the early 1970s when they came-out with their hit "People Make The World Go Round". Notice, I said Male Vocal Group! My subject for this blog is on Boy Bands.

     Boy bands go back to the 19th century with a capella barbershop quartets. In general, barbershop quartets were groups that sung in four part harmony. Barbershop harmony is American part singing performed in barbershops by unaccompanied male singers, with the melody sung by the second voice from the top. One of the earliest boy band groups were The Ink Spots, popularized in the 1930s and 40s.

     The Ink Spots were a doo-wop group. Boy bands such as The Coasters, The Drifters, and many others represented late 40s and early 50s doo-wop style. Staples of boy bands are matching outfits, and singing in harmony, The Beatles met that criteria in the 1960s. However, The Beatles played their own instruments, and wrote songs. In the 1970s The Jackson 5 and The Osmonds were popular boy bands during that time. By the 1980s New Edition and New Kids On The Block were popular groups, as were Boy II Men, Backstreet Boys, and Nsync in the 1990s. In the 2000s the Jonas Brothers was the popular boy band, and One Direction in the 2010s. Currently, popular boy bands are K - Pop (Korean pop) groups that use synthesized music, dance routines, and colorful wardrops.

     What about The Temptations, and other popular singing groups from Motown, Philadelphia International, and other labels. Are they boy bands? I do not feel comfortable embracing that title, but one could make that argument. I think a more suitable term is male vocal group.

Post-Bop and Avant-Garde Jazz Saxophonist Keith Gamble: Exposure On Linkedin

Post-Bop and Avant-Garde Jazz Saxophonist Keith Gamble: Exposure On Linkedin:      When I was a young musician just starting out, if someone wanted you to perform for free they would say something to the effect of - I ...