Turning Point: Gene Dobbs Bradford
One of the things I love most about jazz is the democracy on the stage when jazz musicians perform. While you’re onstage, everyone’s voice is equal. Even if you are the leader of the group, the bass player, pianist, drummer, or any other musician onstage can move the music in a different direction and that is an appreciated and accepted part of the jazz genre. This feeling between jazz musicians during a session or performance is a key part of what local and national artists are missing right now. When you’re together on stage or during rehearsal, something you hear from your bandmates can influence your playing in ways you never expected. Listening is one of the most important lessons that we teach young musicians. To be the best they can be, they must learn from, listen to, and appreciate the sounds, voices, and influences of the musicians around them. If you are so concerned with what you are doing that you stop paying attention to what is going on around you, you will never create anything great. The best performances happen when everyone is engaged in the musical conversation, and everyone’s voice is listened to and valued, whether your name is on the marquee or not.
Recent events in the non-musical world have made me reflect on the phenomenon of jazz and what makes it work. Shortly after the killing of George Floyd, it became apparent that as a jazz organization, we weren’t listening to all the voices in our band, our community. Younger musicians, especially Black and brown musicians, in our St. Louis community were not feeling heard or represented by our organization. In the aftermath of George Floyd’s death, many organizations and companies put out official statements, ranging from bold declarations that affirmed a commitment to Black Lives Matter to politically safe sentences which stood for nothing at all. Around the country, larger organizations were navigating these waters with their marketing budgets, large platforms, and massive audiences, but at Jazz St. Louis, we were navigating what to say and whether a statement from us would even affect this national conversation.
The young musicians in our community lifted their voices to us and let us know that our voice mattered, too. This was a conversation about the perverse and corrupt systems that have set back whole groups in our community from having the same opportunities as the white and the wealthy. Our community’s young musicians looked to us to stand with them in saying that Black Lives Matter in a clear and unambiguous way, and fortunately for us, we listened to what they were saying. By listening to the voices around us, our song got better.
The process for us to come up with an organizational statement wasn’t quick. We took the time to consider what we would say and how we would say it, and we realized that we needed to listen to all of the voices in our own organization, the ones whom we share the stage with every day. We wanted to make sure that the statement that we released represented the whole organization, both the staff and the board of directors. As we met with the team to review the statement, I was impressed by the careful and deliberate thought and discussion among everyone involved. We not only heard opinions, but we heard personal stories about the impact racism had on our people, our community. Great insights came from team members of all levels and their voices moved the conversation in new directions because of the value we gave to everyone’s perspective. We took our own advice. We listened.
Was the final outcome, the Jazz St. Louis statement made in May 2020, perfect? Did it cover everything we wanted it to cover? Did it have an action plan for how exactly we would be better and listen more? No. It wasn’t perfect.
But along the way, we learned that our local musicians depend on us to use our platform for the betterment of all, and specifically to represent those Black and brown artists that are unrepresented at every decision-making table in our country. That’s why one of the most positive results of this process was not making a statement that was perfect or Earth-shattering, but it was that our dialogue and listening with young musicians in our community continues to grow and deepen. We have been able to help many of them share their musical talents through our Season of Stream series of streamed concerts. We have begun sharing their voices and sharing our connections to help them find work during these trying times. It is a good start and a reminder that we need to be active and intentional in seeking out voices in our community and giving them a stage and a platform to be heard.
As an organization, we have a lot of work to do. The impact of systemic racism on our society is profound and runs deep. Even an artform like jazz, that was created primarily by Black musicians, is not immune to the crippling effect of racism. The roots and broad appeal of jazz can bring diverse audiences together, but if we don’t listen to those diverse voices, both on and off stage, it is all for naught. Just like a group coming together to perform, it is not only what you play, but how you engage with those around you.
Gene Dobbs Bradford
President & CEO
Jazz St. Louis