Jazz has a problem. No, it’s not dying: In fact, people of all ages enthusiastically play, learn, and listen to jazz in thousands of communities around the world. The problem is that most local media ignores jazz most of the time. And so many people don’t know about the wealth of jazz being created right under their noses. They don’t realize how lively the jazz scene is in their community. That makes it harder than it should be to grow the jazz audience even more. And in many places local officials don’t recognize the important contribution that jazz makes to their community’s culture and the local economy, so they are less willing to support jazz-related projects such as festivals and educational projects.
What is the Jazz Day Blogathon & Jazz Media Extravaganza?
The Jazz Journalists Association wants to help change that by leveraging jazz media that is being produced by JJA members and others to raise the profile of local jazz communities. Specifically, we’re taking advantage of Jazz Month– April– and Jazz Day, designated by the U.S. Council of Mayors as April 13, to roll out the first ever JJA Blogathon and Jazz Media Extravaganza.
We’re inviting all jazz mediamakers everywhere –all around the world– to participate by creating a blog post or online article, photo or short video or radio or tv program or podcast focused on some aspect of their local jazz community: a profile of a local jazz artist, venue or institution; a feature on a local jazz school or teacher, an overview of the local scene, a report on the economic or cultural significance of jazz in your community, a look back at the local history of jazz or – in communities which will honor a Jazz Hero as part of their local celebration of the 2012 JJA Jazz Awards – a profile of the Jazz Hero. [pullquote]Calling all Jazz
*Bloggers
*Journalists
*Photographers
*Videographers
*Radi0/tv producers
*Podcasters[/pullquote]
Let us know when and where your contribution is available online (between April 11 and April 30) and we’ll link to it here on JJA News and “map” all of the productions. We’ll aggregate all of the blog posts and articles and link them to each other: that’s a “Blogathon.”
We’ll also use our own social media resources, and encourage you to use yours, to spread the word about the results. And, if you wish, we’ll provide you with a Jazz Day 2012 “badge” to display on your own blog or website. (You’ll find all the details on how you can participate here. )
We’re convinced that the result will be greater than the sum of the parts: We’ll demonstrate the breadth and variety of jazz that is being produced everywhere and at the same time raise the profile of jazz media and jazz media makers everywhere.
How you can help even if you aren’t a jazz mediamaker
The Jazz Day “Blogathon and Jazz Media Extravaganza” builds on the success of last year’s eyeJAZZ Video Training Program and it marks the launch of the JJA’s new Jazz Lives: Jazz Media Network project. You can help build this new project by posting a few words of support for the JJA’s Knight News Challenge grant application (deadline April 1) and/or by making a financial contribution to the JJA and noting that it is to support the Media Network project. Donations are tax-deductible and any amount is most welcome.
Jazz Day & 2012 JJA Jazz Awards
In 2009 the U.S. Council of Mayors designated April 13 as Jazz Day in the United States. This year, the Jazz Forward Coalition is encouraging local outreach to mark the day and show the cultural and economic impact of jazz in local communities. The JJA is participating with its media project and by using the day to announce the nominees for the 2012 JJA Jazz Awards. This will kick off the public Awards process, which will culminate at the end of June with local Awards parties in a number of locales, including a June 20 cocktail reception at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City where the winners of this year’s Lifetime Achievement in Jazz and several other honors will be announced. To receive updates about the Awards, please “like” the JJA Jazz Awards Facebook page.
MORE ON PARTICIPATING IN THE JAZZ DAY BLOGATHON & JAZZ MEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA
