[NewMusic] Bassist Paul Rogers on improvised music

[Michael Zelner]

 From a 2002 interview:

"People have this idea that improvised music is about making funny 
sounds, breaking glass or whatever, which is pathetic. It's like 
saying 'Classical music - that's Beethoven isn't it?' or 'Jazz - 
that's Stan Getz or Kenny Ball isn't it?' Of course it isn't just one 
thing, there are millions of sounds and ideas. Unfortunately, there's 
no money in this business, so the criminals who run the live music 
scene have completely written us improvisers out of music history. In 
this country there is no decent funding from the government for 
improvised music. Most of the Arts Council's money goes to classical 
music and the upper classes who set it up want to keep the status quo 
for themselves. But it all has to change because if it doesn't, well, 
it will all go down the toilet. We need to educate people properly, 
we need to nurture originality and individuality, not applaud the 
imitative and mediocre! Things have steadily declined now to the 
point where great musicians have given up playing original music 
because there's no money or support - and what kind of society is 
that? Artists are important, they reflect their society."

Full interview:
<http://www.mindyourownmusic.co.uk/paul-rogers-interview.htm>