Western Swing Festival---so good, yet sad!!

James Morehead · Post by **James Morehead** » 3 Jun 2005 1:46 pm

Nothing sad about the music at the 18th Annual Western Swing Festival in Witchita Falls, not when you have Ray Price, Bobby Flores, Tom Morrel, Dave Alexander------------ect. playing their hearts out!!
So, Whats so sad? It's that when I took my family Thursday, there were only 2 young people there. My son(19) and my daughter(17). Sure wish there were some ways to interest young people in this fine beautiful music!

Herman Visser · Post by **Herman Visser** » 3 Jun 2005 4:35 pm

James your right it is sad that there are so few young people at these events. Last year I took both my kids with me to Sacramento to the Western swing Society weekend, both are looking forward to again(ages 24&26)they loved it. I think that once their are exposed to good Western Swing Music they will keep coming back.An other big facture was most of the player there made them feel welcome.Its calld working the crowd and it works.It also help in the sale of CDs because that person then feels he or she knowns you, and wants to bring a little peice of that night back to where ever they came from
Im not a bad driver Im Asleep At The Wheel
Thanks

James Morehead · Post by **James Morehead** » 3 Jun 2005 5:56 pm

So Right you are Herman!!

Larry Schoppe · Post by **Larry Schoppe** » 5 Jun 2005 5:06 pm

James, you're right, it was a great show with lots of western swing as well as traditional country music, but very few young people in attendance! I think if the kids could get away from the peer pressure and get a listen to good music, instead of rap crap, maybe they would appreciate it. Most of them don't know what real music is.

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Western Swing ain't dead, it's Asleep at the Wheel

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 5 Jun 2005 6:23 pm

Sure wish there were some ways to interest young people in this fine beautiful music!

Be careful what you wish for!

If you want it to stay as it is, then you don't want young people involved. They are wont to cause revolution in anything they participate in. Older music styles are like a fine wine, a good cigar, or a good book. They're enjoyed by those who appreciate fine things that don't have to have high energy, and be moving at "warp speed", to be interesting.

david berzansky · Post by **david berzansky** » 6 Jun 2005 6:12 am

donny, any chance your kidding here?

Larry Hamilton · Post by **Larry Hamilton** » 6 Jun 2005 10:20 am

I hate to say it, but Donny is on the right track. IMO. Just look at the sad state of country music right now. Just try to imagine the duo "Big and Rich" screwing up a Bob Wills tune and calling it Western Swing.
However on the other hand we are lucky that a few young folks like to play more traditional country music and western swing like it is should be played.

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Keep pickin', Larry

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 6 Jun 2005 10:43 am

I can relate to what Donny's saying, but if it goes like this, older styles of music (and other forms of culture) will be completely dead in 10-20 years.

For example, blues was picked up big-time by younger people in the 60s. Some of it was terrible, but there was a core of good younger musicians who helped bring it into prominence, and who also promoted the older 'real deal' artists like Muddy, Son House, Leadbelly, the three "Kings", and the like. Further, some of those once-young musicians have become fine blues players in the traditional style. Rory Block, John Hammond, Charlie Musselwhite, Robert Cray, Chris Cain, and many others come to mind.

Unfortunately, what is needed is more a change in the culture, which seems to be reeling off in so many wrong directions now. We need to teach young people to think critically and be able to evaluate things for themselves. It also requires cutting them some slack to explore, something which seems missing in the lives of many kids I see. But let's not just write off an entire generation. Just my opinion.

James Morehead · Post by **James Morehead** » 6 Jun 2005 1:09 pm

Who said I want it to stay as it is? I DON'T want it to stay the same. I would like to see more young people get involved. I would like to see more parents expose their kids to Western Swing and Traditional Country. Young people can decide if they want to venture elsewhere if the want, but at least give them the chance to see it first. I just doubt very many parents are helping widen their kids perspective. I believe that if this is just left to chance, then it's a dead issue before it even gets started. So, parents, take the opportunity to expose your children to this fine beautiful music called Western Swing!!
How about some of the associations around W.Swing and Country Music? Maybe some of the Steel Guitar associations? Seems like they could maybe arrange some programs to help young people to get involved, entry level players and such. Seems most associations are geared toward the accomplished older players. While that is important, replenishing the ranks with new people, is vital, to, isn't it?[This message was edited by James Morehead on 06 June 2005 at 02:12 PM.]

Janice Brooks · Post by **Janice Brooks** » 7 Jun 2005 7:26 am

As of now I'm not riding to Snyder tomorrow from Austin. However I sence concerns along these lines from folks in Cornell Hurds band who a lot of us know play different versions of western swing.

John McGann · Post by **John McGann** » 7 Jun 2005 2:43 pm

Aw, don't blame the kids. Most of them that I encounter at Berklee love traditional styles like Western Swing once they hear it- most of them haven't been exposed to it.

I have had incredible looks of delight from some of my students when I've played them Tiny, Herbie and Junior rippin' it up on the Tiffany Transcriptions- that stuff has a rock energy with jazz vocabulary and avoids sounding like Return to Forever...how'd they do it?

I'm sure those Wills bands ruffled a few feathers in it's day with it's soloing- sometimes Junior sounds like a proto-Hendrix!!!

It's like many things in life- people (young and old) often won't like something unless they are told it's OK/cool to like it. Music school is a good place to turn open minds on to the good stuff...and I don't think it has to lead to belly buttons and MTV-type videos or whatever...

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http://www.johnmcgann.com
Info for musicians, transcribers, technique tips and fun stuff. Joaquin Murphey transcription book, Rhythm Tuneup DVD and more...

[This message was edited by John McGann on 07 June 2005 at 03:45 PM.][This message was edited by John McGann on 07 June 2005 at 03:47 PM.]

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 9 Jun 2005 6:44 am

I think they just don't like it.

The same way I don't like opera.

John McGann · Post by **John McGann** » 9 Jun 2005 1:36 pm

Well, generalizations like "kids don't like western swing" tend to throw everybody under the bus- "All old people are grumpy", "Kids don't give a rat's a** about anything" "Old people over 23 hate anything new" etc.

Before "Oh Brother" and Nickle Creek, not too many kids thought bluegrass was cool either. "OHHH...It's cool to like this stuff-OK!!!"

It's not like there's no truth at all to it, but a defeatist attitude makes it sound like "what's the use. I'll just stay home under my bed."

Thelonious Monk was once asked where "jazz is going".

"Where's it GOING? How the hell should I know? Maybe it's going to hell! You can make music GO anywhere!!!"

I still say if you take 10 open minded kids who either play or really love actual music, the majority of them would dig good western swing as being good music. Like any style of music, there's top level excellent stuff and kind of run of the mill stuff too...I'd play them Joaquin, Wills, Rivers, Hank Thompson...

One last great quote:
Dickey Betts was asked something along the lines of "well, what do you think of the fact that you guys are old and grizzly, competing with all the young lions and fresh faces?"

"The sight of a guy playing his ass off looks pretty good to me!" AMEN!

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http://www.johnmcgann.com
Info for musicians, transcribers, technique tips and fun stuff. Joaquin Murphey transcription book, Rhythm Tuneup DVD and more...

[This message was edited by John McGann on 09 June 2005 at 02:39 PM.][This message was edited by John McGann on 09 June 2005 at 02:42 PM.]

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 9 Jun 2005 1:59 pm

When I was a teen-ager in the middle 1940's there were fiddle and guitar players everywhere, along with bass fiddle and pianos....and they were mostly playing what we now call western-swing.

I wanted to play something different, so I bought a single neck Hawaiian electric guitar from Sears & Roebuck. I was "put down" unmercifully everytime I brought it to play....first of all, amplified instruments were loud and inherently bad, and especially that whiney "whatever it is" that sounded "like a cat with it's tail caught under the rocker".

Looking back, it's hard for me to remember that the steel guitar was once thought of as too far "out of the box" to be acceptable in western-swing music. Leon was yet to be recognized for what he would contribute.

....so now it has come full-circle and is considered to be the defining instrument of country & western music.

The young will always want to be different, but maybe it's a good thing!

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www.genejones.com
[This message was edited by Gene Jones on 09 June 2005 at 03:13 PM.]

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 9 Jun 2005 7:17 pm

Quote: "The young will always want to be different, but maybe it's a good thing!"

Yes it is, Gene. Change is also inevitable. Of course, earlier generations never rebelled, right?

For those of us between 30 and 60, these are our kids. If we don't like what we see, maybe we should look in the mirror. Myself, I think they're like young people from any other period, except that life is much more fast-paced and complex now, and they're struggling to find their place. Try trading places with them in a modern university setting, for example. I have, it's pretty stressful these days. They need our help, not our condemnation, and they are not always wrong (or right).

I interact with young people constantly. I think we need to spend time with them and help them see the beautiful things in life, which are often buried by the negativity and cynicism of our culture. Just my opinion again.

James Morehead · Post by **James Morehead** » 9 Jun 2005 9:04 pm

John M. I could not have said it better.
My son is 19. He has heard the head bang music, rap, hard rock, metal, Steve Vai, Eric Johnson and such, and he ocassionally like sto listen to the the above some times. BUT He wants to play his tele like Brad Paisley & Brent Mason. He wants to play his fiddle like Bobby Flores. He does NOT want to be in a band unless they play tons of 4/4 shuffles and Western Swing. Forget new country, unless it sounds like old classic country. He can play whatever he wants, yet he CHOOSES this type music to play. My 17 year old daughter is hot on his heels. GEE, where did I go wrong??
Point is, don't write off todays kids. Don't stereo type them, either. Give them a chance. Don't jam it down their throats, either. Thats all I did.
Now I did my part to "Save" the world of Western Swing and Country Western Music, now its your turn. If you don't have any kids, go borrow some---a whole bus load and get bizzy! Have fun while your at it! It's contageous!! HA!HA!

Les Anderson · Post by **Les Anderson** » 10 Jun 2005 7:26 am

Ask a twenty year old who Vince Gill is and be prepaired for for the blank look. Ask that same young person who ABBA is; even though ABBA has not recorded for more than twenty years, the twenty year old will name off most of ABBA's songs.

In short, it's what they are exposed to while growing up.

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(I am not right all of the time but I sure like to think I am!)

[This message was edited by Les Anderson on 10 June 2005 at 08:27 AM.]

James Morehead · Post by **James Morehead** » 13 Jun 2005 11:05 am

Let's close this one up, Janet.
We done chewed the sweet out of this gum! HA!

Janice Brooks · Post by **Janice Brooks** » 13 Jun 2005 3:05 pm

Topics are not closed unless they get out of hand in language or way off base.

James Morehead · Post by **James Morehead** » 13 Jun 2005 3:40 pm

OK, we'll chew the gum some more! Ha!

Kenny Burford · Post by **Kenny Burford** » 15 Jun 2005 9:29 am

Initially when I was first introduced to Western Swing (age 21) I did not care for it, because of the sound quality of the early recordings and the playing style in general. However, after playing so many good songs in the 70s that were influenced by Western Swing, such as Houston, Big City, and a majority of Red Stegall's songs and others I developed a veracious appetite for it. It was a combination of the continuous exposure to the music and the quality of players that performed it that drew me in, so I would imagine the same could happen to young musicians today if they were exposed to it.[This message was edited by Kenny Burford on 15 June 2005 at 10:32 AM.]

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 15 Jun 2005 5:05 pm

Topics are not closed unless they get out of hand in language or way off base.

I thought the original poster could request a topic to be closed any time he wanted.