[HANASHIR:14598] FW: RE: The Milken Archive of American Jewish Music

[Adrian Durlester <adrian...>]

Chaverim:

The good folks at the Milken Archive have yet to respond to my original
e-mail (copied below.) If you feel as strongly as I do about the archive's
omission of the genre of contemporary popular Jewish music that is created
and used by the many members of the Hava Nashira community, I urge you to
contact them yourself, directly.

Rebecca Levy Rona, Administrative Director
Milken Archive of American Jewish Music
Milken Family Foundation
1250 Fourth Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310-570-4745
rrona (at) mff(dot)org

You can also contact the sponsoring foundation, the Milken Family
Foundation, at:
http://www.mff.org/contact/contact.taf

B'vracha,

Adrian

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org [mailto:owner-hanashir (at) 
shamash(dot)org] On
Behalf Of Adrian Durlester
Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2003 10:51 PM
To: 'Rebecca Rona'
Cc: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
Subject: [HANASHIR:14572] RE: The Milken Archive of American Jewish Music


Rebecca:

I'll certainly consider adding a link, it looks like a great resource.
However, in return, I would ask the Milken  Archive to consider why it is
ignoring the segment of the Jewish music world that our web site,
www.ehavanashira.org represents: contemporary American Jewish liturgical and
popular/folk music.

While it's nice to see Klezmer represented, along with the "serious
composers" like Adler, et al, the Tin Pan Alley crowd, and the Yiddish
Theatre crowd, I think it's disingenuous to claim to be presenting the "rich
body of music specifically related to the American Jewish experience" when
the collection excludes the works of Friedman, Klepper, Taubman, and the
dozens of others laboring to keep the light of Torah burning in the hearts
of Jews with their contemporary styles of music. Perhaps Neil Levin and the
editorial board of the project don't consider this music worthy of
inclusion--I hope that's not the case. If Neil wants to be true to his own
statement, posted on your site that:

" The Milken Archive is music of AMERICA-a part of American culture in all
its diversity; it is JEWISH, as an expression of Jewish tradition and
culture enhanced and enriched by the American environment; and perhaps above
all, it is MUSIC-music that transcends its boundaries of origin and invites
sharing, music that has the power to speak to all of us."

then surely the music of the American Jewish "amcha" ought to be part of the
mix. Jewish music is more than chazzanut, klezmer and simcha bands. The "new
American nusach," as our genre is sometimes called, is most assuredly
"enhanced and enriched by the American environment," perhaps even more so
than some of the other genres. I'd ask the Milken Archive to consider this.

The members of our community include songleaders, songwriters, performers,
music educators, cantors, rabbis, and more. Many of us teach and use the
music of some of the noted composers on your editorial board like Samuel
Adler and Charles Davidson. We'd like to see the Milken Archive recognize
the work of our constituency, and perhaps consider adding a representative
of our genre to the editorial board.

Have a look around our site, explore some of the linked sites that feature
this wonderful music (especially http://www.hotshabbat.com) and see if you
don't agree.

B'vracha,


Adrian A. Durlester, MTS
E-mail: adrian (at) durlester(dot)com  URL:www.durlester.com
Director of Education, Beth El Hebrew Congregation, Alexandria, VA
education(dot)director (at) bethelhebrew(dot)org
Co-Director, Hazamir/JTAI Choir of Greater DC
Past Conf Chair, CAJE 27, August 4-8, 2002, Trinity University, San Antonio,
TX List Owner, hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org; Jewish Songleaders/Performers List
www.ehavanashira.org Co-Owner, l-torah (at) shamash(dot)org; Liberal Torah 
Discussion
List (eff 7/1/03) Director of Education & Congregational Life, bethesda
Jewish Congregation, Bethesda, MD www.bethesdajewish.com


> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Rebecca Rona [SMTP:rrona (at) mff(dot)org]
> Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2003, 20:14:14
> To:   durlste (at) home(dot)com; Adrian (at) ehavanashira(dot)org
> Cc:   Adrian (at) havanashira(dot)org
> Subject:      The Milken Archive of American Jewish Music
> 
> Hi Adrian!
> 
> Please consider linking your site to ours. We are
> www.milkenarchive.org.
> As you will see, we have recorded a tremendous amount of American Jewish 
> music, in great diversity. Most of this music has never been recorded
before.
>  Now people everywhere will have the opportunity to discover this rich
> and

> wonderful resource. Our Web site is filled with stories about the men
> and
> women who composed the music, about the pieces themselves, about the
artists
>  and many other things. There is also news about the launch of the CDs
> (September) and our upcoming international conference on American 
> Jewish
> music, beginning November 7, 2003. We're talking about a phenomenal Jewish

> cultural and historical pursuit--the making of the Milken Archive
> (don't
mean
>  to brag). So give it a try and see what you think.
> 
> Feel free to e-mail me at rrona (at) mff(dot)org or phone me at 310-570-4745.
> 
> Thanks for considering the link.
>  
>  http://www.milkenarchive.org/
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> Rebecca Levy Rona
> Administrative Director
> Milken Archive of American Jewish Music
> Milken Family Foundation
> 1250 Fourth Street
> Santa Monica, CA 90401
> 310-570-4745
> ----- End Of Original Message -----



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