MUSICIANS and performing artistes have embarked on a quest to end their nomadic existence and secure a permanent facility in which to hone their craft.

The Mid-Ocean News this week talked to Pembroke West MP Jamahl Simmons, who has taken up the cause of aspiring performers frustrated over the lack of a "finishing school" that could provide umbrella training for musicians, actors and dancers.

When asked if a finishing school for the performing arts should be a priority for Government, the United Bermuda Party backbencher said: "Ensuring that talented Bermudians have an opportunity to reach their full potential should be a priority of any Government.

"The stronger emphasis on our local musicians and performing artistes that a proposed community-oriented finishing school would provide is paramount in ensuring that our culture is preserved and that our people have the proper tools to reach their potential."

It is a well-documented fact that quality live entertainment has taken a nosedive since the beginning of the decline in Bermuda's tourism industry some 20 years ago.

Many seasoned veterans of the local entertainment industry have been relegated to seeking daytime employment outside their profession as a means of making ends meet.

Mr. Simmons said: "In my experience, Bermudian artistes, like all Bermudians, range in their ability and experience. Unfortunately, our best local entertainers don't get the respect and prestige they deserve."

Nick Dobson, education director of The Bermuda Drum Institute, was among several musicians/performing artistes the Mid-Ocean News contacted to voice their views on the current situation.

When it came to Government providing the funds for a finishing school, he replied: "Most definitely! There's a definite need for such a faility with qualified, certified faculty to raise the bar for Bermuda's youth locally or if students wanted to ply their trade abroad."

Kevin Maybury of the Somersfield Academy addressed this issue by saying: "The established musicians should take on understudies, maybe under the umbrella of a finishing school-type facility. There has to be a resurgence of the industry otherwise there will be an abundance of reinsurance companies and other business and no suitable venues in which these folks can be entertained.

"Many of them enjoy the pub scene, which caters to the foreign worker, and I don't know of many local musicians who can perform English and Scottish folk songs!

"Students who are exposed to the arts get better grades and escape much of the negative influences that can come via music videos. Once an established musician takes on an understudy, that knowledge is passed on and not to do so is a disservice to the potential understudy, the musician and the industry as a whole."

Mr. Dobson added: "Yes, some of the more established local musicians are imparting their knowledge to positively impact Bermuda's youth. That is certainly the case at the Bermuda Drum Institute."

But one entertainment scene source, who asked not to be identified, begged to differ: "When I was looking for a good music teacher, a musician friend of mine told me straight to my face that many of the older guys were unwilling to teach because they didn't want to lose their spot on the circuit!

"But they aren't going to be here forever and they need to pass on what they know and the ins and outs of the industry.

"A finishing school would be excellent for those who cannot afford to fly abroad for higher education or are ineligible for a scholarship. I bet we would have fewer wall sitters."

When asked if Government and/or local entertainers were doing enough to improve the calibre of entertainment, Mr. Dobson responded with "no", performing artiste Llewella Rewan-Dowling, who has resumed teaching drama on a part-time basis, replied "definitely not" and Mr. Simmons chose to elaborate on an earlier answer.

"Bermudian culture and artistes seem to have been given short shrift by our society and Government. While many local artistes have struggled to find decent regular work, Government in the past years spent our tax dollars to promote Cuban artistes. We must begin to value, appreciate, cultivate and promote our culture first, before doing it for other people and other cultures."

Mr. Maybury was equally frank: "Each hotel should have a live band. It should be an obligatory arrangement to hire live local bands. We need to have some sort of legislation to ensure that the local musicians can have a venue in which to perform.

"People come here to be entertained and absorb the local culture, but how much are the hotels willing to budget for quality entertainment?"

One area that has been touted as a potential site for a finishing school is the now vacant Admiralty House.

Mr. Simmons sees the latent potential in the facility and endorsed the proposal to rehabilitate the Admiralty House facilities by saying: "I would be supportive of such an initiative. In the past year or so the police have done an outstanding job in getting the open-air drug dealing reduced.

"Now Admiralty House Park needs to be restored to its past glories by becoming a place where the community can come together and enjoy all of the beauty and facilities it contains.

"Having such a programme in operation there could help keep the criminal element out of the park and, perhaps more importantly, allow our people to have an outlet for our creative talents. I would be interested in exploring the potential of that facility being used as a national culture centre, where all of our creativity, initiative and beauty can be displayed for the world to appreciate."

Mr. Maybury was equally interested in seeing the Admiralty House Park facility earmarked for a facility where local artistes could improve the calibre of their performances.

"It is worth looking into as a suitable area to start a finishing school. I grew up in that area and it would be nice to see that building being used for something positive once again. I am in favour of a finishing school. It's an atrocity when a student cannot excel because he cannot afford to pursue a higher education or is ineligible for a scholarship."

While the idea of a finishing school is being discussed, Mr. Dobson offered an alternative suggestion he believes would provide long- term benefits for local entertainers and the entertainment industry in general.

"Current venues need to have a rotation of local acts throughout the week, thereby negating the 'House Band Syndrome'," he said.

The concept of a cultural centre or finishing school that will encourage local performers beyond the tried-and-true gombey troupes has been batted around for years and Mrs. Dowling said: "The gombeys are fabulous but there are so many other areas of the performing arts that locals are interested in pursuing as well.

"Our country must embrace the changing genres of local entertainment, making it possible for local performers to showcase fresh ideas and concepts into the local entertainment scene."

Those in the local entertainment loop lament the fact that unless a decent facility is provided and dedicated individuals are willing to come on board to lend their expertise, quality local entertainment is going to go the way of the cahow.