In the US, it seems to me that active listening is not encouraged, outside of music study. I find it odd that the average person can watch a movie and subsequently analyze it in a basic framework of plot, arc, protagonist and so forth—-yet when it comes to music there is ignorance and a lack of vocabulary.
Education in the US has devolved to the point where music appreciation is only taught in the most prestigious of private primary and secondary schools, and perhaps in the public schools of wealthy neighborhoods.
I’d like to find out what you think is really the problem. Do you believe inner-city schools aren’t funded enough to sit kids down and make them listen to Bach? Do you think kids in the rough parts of Milwaukee are just waiting for a bright-eyed teacher to play the right tape for the class? Every one of those kids has access to YouTube. Spotify is free. It isn’t the 1980s anymore, and “lack of access” isn’t why some groups like classical while others prefer drill music. Universal global access to high art and the tools of cultural creation have dispelled a great many blank-slate myths.
I'm not sure if the average person has the patience to sit through an entire movie anymore either, and not just in the US. Smartphones and social media have shortened our attention spans by making us crave for quick dopamine hits. I used to be able to watch an entire movie uninterrupted, whereas now if the movie is not engaging, I tend to reach for my phone.
Music enjoyment has also taken a back seat, and I usually put it on in the background while I'm focusing on something else, instead of actively listening to it. I think the shift from music being released as part of thematic albums on physical media to individual tracks on online services is part of the reason for this. The average music listener just hits shuffle on a random playlist rather than focusing on a specific band, album or even genre.
I went to 10 of them this year, as I was travelling from Hokkaido to Kyushu throughout a couple of months. Found one accidentally in Sapporo, then actively looked for others in every city. It’s weird how I can recall every single one of them from memory too, as they were all simple, but genuinely a good time (and slightly different in terms of vibes and clientele it would attract).
But it’s also sad how this would absolutely never work in NA due to commercial rent prices. Most of them seemed to be ran by an older man (70+, I’d guess). And from my chats with some of them, they owned the property as well. It was just a blissful experience to have a drink, listen to music that the owner deemed to find great, and just let your mind wander around.
One of them introduced me to some amazing jazz bands that I’ve never heard of, and talked a lot about the history of such places. Shout out to Hideki-san!
>would absolutely never work in NA due to commercial rent prices
Iw was my understanding that NA rent prices are much lower than in places with high population density such as Europe or Japan? Every time I am in the USA I am shocked by the amount of commercial activities that would never work in Europe because of the sheer amount of space required to host them.
Yes, I don’t suppose there are cities in America that are both walkable and cheap enough that a jazz fan could own a small commercial property for this purpose (if they didn’t get rich from something else before).
Seems like a possibility in smaller European cities though.
Hm, maybe! I guess depends on the European city as well? It's like a perfect balance for Japan where the average age is very old, so a lot of retirees who just sip a cup of coffee for a couple of hours. But also, a cultural acceptance of flying solo, sitting by yourself at a table, basically doing nothing and listening until it's your time to go home.
To be fair though, all the places I went to were much less busier than actual local bars or designated cafes. A couple of places were just full of regulars (I went to a couple of them multiple times, and it was exactly the same people) with clienteles with average age of 60+. Obviously I have extremely limited amount of data points, so might be very wrong.
It's about the last thing I'd expect to see in Venice so I think it's a pretty good idea.
Venice seemed to me a place that looks more like a massive historical theme park, while still authentic and very much in the right place, it did not strike me as normal that tourists would just find someone going about their day as an Instagram opportunity ("look that Venician is buying bread, how authentic! Let's crowd his house and take pictures!"). It didn't seem to me like a place where one is supposed to live, just supposed to go and see. A historical zoo would be a more outrageous way to put it. What can I say, I was probably part of the problem.
So I think it's a good thing any idea that makes these touristy places look like cities where people actually live, people with different interests other than what you'd expect. Just not sure if it's a profitable idea (are Italians very into Jazz?).
As a Swede, this is a pretty interesting name.
Jazz means what you expect it to mean in Swedish, but Kissa = to pee.
Jazz cigarette is an old slang for a joint, thought it had some connection.
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