Can First Lady Reverse Decline of Jazz?

Michelle Obama was pronounced the savior of American couture before the last inaugural ball was over. The First Couple is being credited for bringing back romance and date nights, and the Obama himself was called the President of the Geeks recently by comedian John Hodgman.

Now, the First Lady is being looked to to save jazz.

Writing on The Daily Beast, Judith H. Dobrzynski says a new National Endowment for the Arts study shows jazz listenership in decline. However, when the First Lady held what she called a "jazz studio" at the White House, people took notice.

Dobrzynski wrote of the NEA study:

The music that drew more than one out of 10 Americans out of their homes to concert or club sessions in 2002 attracted only 7.8 percent of us last year. Worse, jazz, which had always appealed strongly to the 18- to 24-year-old demographic, is now luring an older crowd: The median age of jazz consumers jumped from 29 in 1982 to 46 last year.

She adds:

The Obamas, being way more cool, would have a much bigger impact with young people. If they keep jazz alive at the White House, and gain media attention for it, they could help replace jazz’s aging audience.

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