Markets for Jewish music

[Mike Lowy <lowy...>]

Hello there,

   I've just started on this list and am writing in, in the hope that someone
out there can help me rid myself of years of musical frustration.

My musical background is that I'm a semi-amateur musician experienced in
keyboards, bass, vocals and guitar. Although rusty and far-from
mechanically brilliant at any of these today, I have spent a lot of time
song-writing, and have drawers full of unheard material. (My deeper
background is that my musically-formative years were the early to mid-
sixties, and as a result the music I create (??) tends to be heavily
influenced by Good Old [British] Rock 'n' Roll, Rhythm'n'Blues etc. on one
hand, and by Jewish hassidic/liturgical idioms on the other).

Although I'd define myself as broadly Orthodox, I don't feel too
comfortable doing "exhibisionist-dveikus" (my own term) and prefer to use
a neo-hassidic musical idiom around Jewish national and cultural themes,
rather than purely religious ones. For example, I did quite well in a
somewhat obscure song contest in Leeds, England recently with a song about
the Yiddish language. I also have a collection of songs on such themes as
enjoying being part of the Jewish People, Jerusalem, the Holocaust etc.
Most are more funny than serious, but some are quite hard. BTW, Although I
live in Israel, I mainly write in English. Also BTW, I earn my living
working for the Jewish Agency. Music is purely an avenue of creative
recreation (at least so far).

My question is as follows: I'm considering spending some hard-earned money
on making a demo of some of this stuff I've written, with the intention
of selling it. Does anybody out there know if there's a market of
tape-buyers of English language Klezmer-Rock songs on Jewish not-
necessarily-religious themes? Who writes/performs stuff for them today? Who
can I contact (on-or off the net) for some wisdom on this?

Appealing to all you worthies for some New Year goodwill, and the benefit
of your knowledge and experience, I look forward with bated breath to some
replies...

Happy TaShNa"D

Mike Lowy
<lowy (at) jerusalem1(dot)datasrv(dot)co(dot)il>

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