Local Talent Should Be Utilized

To The Editor:
The communities along the South Jersey shores start to awake from the winter doldrums around Easter time and get in full swing by July 4. All of the South Jersey communities extensively plan entertainment and concerts for their summer visitors and their constituents. I have no fault with their reasoning. My complaint is how they accomplish this goal. Many of these communities use booking agencies usually at exorbitant costs to fill their concert schedule. In doing so, they tend to shut out local talent and they take the easy way out in accomplishing their goal. There is local talent that could do a comparable job probably at a lower cost. I realize that there is probably not enough local talent to completely fill their concert schedule. So, the answer would be a combination of local and booked talent to fill their concert schedule.
From my own personal experience, I have tried for eight years to get a concert in one of these communities without success. I was told that it was not because our band was not good but that we simply would never get a concert date. When will their constituents realize that they can get good entertainment at reduced costs? Every community has budget restraints and should be concerned with their entertainment costs.
In 1996, Mr. John Walter formed our band to preserve the American heritage of band concerts in the park at little or no cost and also to give musicians a chance to play and have fun. I believe that we still are fulfilling his objective.
ANTHONY COSTANZO
Cape May
(ED NOTE: Costanzo is president/business manager of the John Walter Community Band.)