Haverford set to jazz things up Friday night
HAVERFORD» I’m not much of a promoter, and I know most people hate salesmen knocking on their doors soliciting business, but for some reason I found myself volunteering to hand out posters and lawn signs for Haverford’s Evening of Jazz coming up Friday evening.
Actually I know why. It seemed much easier than having to sit at the door that night collecting tickets or selling pretzels and candy grams. What are candy grams, you ask? They are personalized messages you attach by label to a candy bar and have delivered to the student performers, sort of a sugar high telling the kids “good job.”
I was given a list of businesses that had allowed signs in the past, but it was very short, so it was up to me to be the salesman for the event.
Any good salesman knows you have to have a thick skin doing cold calls, getting a lot of no’s. And handing out these posters, there were plenty of those. It took me back to a memory in my youth of handing out circus posters – or should I say, a nightmare.
I imagined the balancing act businesses have to play. I wasn’t asking them for any money (someone else had that unpleasant task), but I was asking to clutter their lawn or window with a poster that may or may not help their business. They want to be perceived as friendly to the local school population, but as at least one businessman told me, “If I let you do it, I have to let everyone.” (To which I could have replied, “and ...?”)
I did find some businesses more receptive than others. Forget the national business – they usually have layers of managers you’ll never get through. I found success with the dental offices, locally owned with the boss right there ready to give the thumbs up or thumbs down. Even better was the orthodontist whose clients are made up of middle schoolers, some of whom might play jazz!
I was surprised by the positive feedback many stated business owners had for the event. Around here it seems everyone supports the local schools and the idea of music programs. One guy talked about when his children played in the high school jazz band, while another reminisced about his days in the band in the early ‘80’s
Along Brookline Boulevard, I noticed many stores with posters for the Chinese dance show Shen Yun coming to town. If they would allow that, surely the business would allow a poster for the local school jazz festival. For the most part, I was right.
I would make my quick pitch and with tape in hand I’d offer to put it up myself. A few places said yes but many said, “leave it and I’ll put it up.” I understood that, they were keeping control.
The lawn signs were a different story. The businesses seemed more hesitant to allow lawn signs than a poster in the window. These were stores more spread out, not in walking distances of each other. I tried calling ahead to save time but people seemed to react better to a real face than a phone call.
In past years, nationally known performers such as trumpeters Al Chez, trombonist Conrad Herwig and drummer Erik Johnson have taken part in this jazz concert and it attracts a strong local audience.
This year, baritone saxophonist Gary Smulyan is the guest performer. Smulyan is a six-time Grammy award winner who has played with B.B. King, Joe Lovano, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Chick Corea, George Coleman, Tito Puente, Ray Charles, and Diana Ross.
So if you’re looking for something to do Friday evening, stop by Haverford High School. It will help make up for all those signs still in my car.
In the coming weeks I hope to sit down with our police chief, school officials and citizens to discuss their ideas and concerns.