I have to bring up the elephant in the room here. Maybe even a white elephant too?
Taboo subject. So sorry. Someone has to be the straight man. First off, I am an egghead.
My experience is this: Most elitism and snobbery in - actually - all kinds of music, but moreso like jazz and derived afro-american music, comes from white people. I e not from the origin country or population. The "second generation" that copied (read: stole) from somebody else. I e somebody elses music. I've encountered much less snobbery (if any) from any hispanic/latino who plays latin music, or even less elitism from Jamaicans regarding reggae. Or afro-american people at all.
In Scandinavian countries the elitism and snobbery comes mostly from those in charge, the established teaching forms, and Europeans and Kaukasians who thinks you can break down everything into logic and rudimental music theory. Getting over-intellectual about it. Over analysing. And the more you can do that, the more snobbery, and elitism turns up in the end. Beats me.
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My biggest gripe is that those elitist/snobbery things comes to a head, when those musicians CLAIMS that if they've learned to play jazz (or classical) they can easily play everything else like it would be kids stuff. When listening to them, it's almost always not the case at all. In fact very far from it.
I love when I hear such obscure guitarists like Martin Barre of Jethro Tull confess in an interview
"Blues and rock I'll play by heart, it's more the core, the jazz and classical stuff is actually all just a pretend, like a good actor doing a convincing portrait of someone else...but it's not really me". I like such confessions, by a professional musician. BTW I've never heard any cover band who can just as easily shift from Giant Steps to a singer/songwriter tune, to old jazz, country polka, and pull off a Slipknot tune JUST AS CONVINCINGLY. You'll hear - after all - their shortcomings and where it's really at. It shows.
So verdict: All elitism/snobbery is ... kind of ... a pretend, when push comes to shove. We all love to put on a facade. The color green is more important and neutrally better than red. Or magenta. It's an advanced color, cultivated. I think it's more of just because it's an
acquired taste, that it has become elitist and more valuable.
The funny thing is, way back when jazz started it was - considered - the lowest of lowest things musically.
"Don't bring that anticipated notes to Europe please, stop the disease spreading like a plauge!" They were even street demonstrations in the 50's with picketing and signs that said "
Respect the Jazz!" And you guessed it right, it was left wing people. You have absolutely no idea what the encyclopedias in school taught us about jazz.
I find no other musical style that has taken such a turn. From as late as 1960, in the Swedish Academy (those who gives out Nobel Prize each year) dictionary they explain if you look up the word saxophone:
"A horn instrument most played by negroes at circuses". And no more. I refrain to recall and quote here what is stated about banjos. Nevertheless, if it has turned elitist and snobbish, it is a remarkable class travel it has made!
What changed their minds, you think?
Yes I know, going out on a limb here, but so be it. Let the flame start (accompanied perhaps by a Rammstein song, or anything else appropriate).
