Literary Las Vegas: Janis L. McKay

Janis L. McKay, associate professor of bassoon at UNLV and principal bassoon for the Las Vegas Philharmonic, traces the transformation of live music in Las Vegas in “Played Out on the Strip: The Rise and Fall of Las Vegas Casino Bands.” Packed with personal experiences and interviews with other musicians, McKay takes readers on a trip through local orchestra history beginning with the valley’s early whistle-stop music scene, its golden age and continuing through a switch from live musicians to taped and synthesized music that led to the 7 1/2-month 1989 musician’s strike. McKay is scheduled to speak from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 1 at Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road. Visit lvccld.org.

Excerpt:

According to Frank Leon, president of Musician’s Local 369 in Las Vegas from 2000 to 2015, “Prior to recorded sound, musicians were not merely musicians, they were magicians. That was a magical thing that happened when someone came in and played the flute or clarinet. You were a magical person because you had this magical ability to transform the mood… Musicians (now) get treated with indifference because they’ve made your magical art commonplace, and readily available because of technology. And the end result is that you are treated with indifference.” The failure to stop the use of taped music and synthesizers in Las Vegas in 1989 was just one of many developments that contributed to sweeping industry changes, but it was nevertheless significant in a city that has defined itself in part by high-quality entertainment.