Rampant Positivity!

HEY! Look at this…I’m back! And just in time to finish off the year.

Yep, the One O’Clock had an exceedingly groovy Fall Semester (to see just how groovy it was, check out The Denton Messenger) that kept me exceedingly busy and far away from the Blogosphere. So, I thought I would stop on by as we all (hopefully) chill on our respective Holiday breaks and say howdy (bless my heart).

As you can see above by the world-famous North Texas Jazz Ball that comes down every year in Times Square, 2012 is almost over. (Hey, it’s MY blog, I can use Photoshop and do whatever I want to the New Years Eve ball…so there!) The world did not end for Mayan or your’un (sorry) and life goes on. NOW, what to do?

I say, we should all dive right into a heapin’ helpin’ of rampant positivity as we look at the year ahead. Why not? We all have a choice, and I choose positivity. Especially in the world of jazz and jazz education. Of course it is easier for me, as director of the One O’Clock Lab Band to be very positive. In my world, multitudes of supremely talented students spend each and every day studying and assimilating the music of John Coltrane, Thad Jones, Duke Ellington, Bob Brookmeyer, Cannonball Adderley, Clifford Brown, et al and etc, while developing their own unique voices as new practitioners of this amazing art form. How could I be anything but positively inspired?

In my world, I wonder what the heck the media is talking about when they report on the doings of a lost and jaded generation…haven’t they heard these UNT students? And guess what… THAT is the problem! They probably haven’t. Thus, therefore, and to wit: our on-going efforts to get this music and these students out to the public as much as possible.

I recently wrote an article for the Instrumentalist Magazine that discusses the idea of jazz advocacy (you can click right here and read the article, and I hope you dig it muchly! The Instrumentalist Article). In it, I proudly refer to The One O’Clock numerous times as I make the point that the world at large loves jazz! They just don’t get the opportunity to realize it often enough.

So, how about a new year’s resolution to go along with the “eating healthier, increase your workout regime resolutions” that are already planned? (I speak for myself on that one…just sayin’).

My Resolution:

I resolve to find more ways to bring this uplifting and powerfully joyous music to the world at large. To find more opportunities for live music, for cyber music, for written music, and to make all of this music available to more people than ever before.

Sound good? Then let’s do it!

Here’s to a swinging 2013.

___________________

Update!

Thanks to one of my favorite people in the world, Althea Jerome, for sending me the link to Evan Christopher’s great article: “This Could Be the Start of Something- A 2012 wrap up”

You can read it by clicking here. Evan is  a wonderful clarinetist who calls New Orleans home. I love his positive approach to NOLA outreach and his thoughts on our art in general.

Check out Evan’s great playing in this video with the Rosenberg Trio.