Mindi Abair is going on tour with Aerosmith. She'll be tearing it up with Steve Tyler and the boys all summer long. Everyone who has seen her live knows how much energy she brings to the stage with her own band, who brings it on both as a contemporary jazz band and as an instrumental rock band. Mindi was also an ongoing presence on this season's American Idol. She first showed up accompanying future winner Phil Phillips, the contestant who came as close as possible to indie rock within the Idol framework. They meshed perfectly onstage, and she fired up the stage presence of the other performers she accompanied on the show. Jessy J. stepped in too, and brought an equally stylish and contemporary presence to the performances.

If your inner culture snob is starting to push your nose skyward step back and think about this: a lot of thought has gone into the issue of bringing in a younger audience. It goes deeper than that right now. We need to bring in new fans of all ages and overcome some serious image problems. Contemporary instrumental music has not just lost touch with the twenty-and-thirtysomethings, the most recent ultra-relaxing incarnation of the radio format lost the top end of Generation X, the people who are moving into their mid-forties. Even the boomers who aren't ready for the rocking chair started to move on. Seeing these sax players tear it up on a broader stage is an invitation to check them out in their own territory. These are not isolated incidents. Dave Koz and Jeff Golub did a stint as the house band on a Food Network show a few years ago and lots of these musicians play on late night TV and go out as part of touring bands for pop and rock artists.

Here, though, is the catch. If someone stumbles across one of these artists and gets hooked, then tries to find a traditional broadcast radio station that plays the music, it is not going to keep their interest. Someone comes away from a fired-up live performance and tunes in the station that had banners hanging over the stage. What they hear is a mix of instrumental versions of songs that are older than they are, adult contemporary vocals that are older than they are, and instrumentals that are so soft and nondescript that they fade into the background. This is not what they are looking for, and they are going to hit that button before the first song drags to a close. How do we cultivate the listener who discovers this music by a random TV appearance or a live gig they happen to stumble upon? A music mix that would be appropriate for the lobby of an extended care facility is not going to do it, and even the younger internet broadcasters seem to be afraid to explore the huge amount of contemporary instrumental music that goes beyond traditional radio's easy listening mandate.

Our artists are not just playing to fans now, they are showing up in situations where people who haven't seen them or been exposed to this music can wander in and discover it. They are doing TV shows, free outdoor concerts, multi-genre festivals, and opening for or backing up well known vocalists. We need to cultivate this fan base and provide them fans with outlets where they can hear a mix of this music that is as fun and energized as the live performances. There has never been a bigger window of opportunity. The constraints that the radio format put on artists and record companies are gone, internet radio is becoming accessible and user friendly and our best and brightest are winning over crowds wherever they play. Artists are feeling the freedom and putting out albums that are more edgy and diverse and the internet has opened lots of musical doors for listeners – they are exploring all types of music. They don't want anything that smacks of “old peoples' music” though, and that is the corner we inadvertently backed into. It's time to move beyond “smooth and relaxing” and into “entertaining, uplifting, and fun.” Let's show them who we really are and what we've really got!