Tara Publications on Jewish music magazine

[Mayer Pasternak <mayer...>]

Tara would definitely be interested in supporting such a venture. We have 
discussed this over the last 6 years. The biggest problem/issue that exists is 
the lack of quality material being written on Jewish music that is appropriate 
for the general public. Most Jewish periodicals do not have either the funding 
or the staff to provide for Jewish music reviews or articles. I have gone 
around in circles with magazines like Moment trying to find writers to provide 
material for their magazine. There is shortage of writers who understand the 
general Jewish music markets tastes and are talking about products/artists that 
will have broad appeal. 

When I am approached to advertise in newspapers and magazines - I ask them what 
kind of coverage of Jewish Music do they have? Manyare only willing to cover 
new releases if the label takes out an ad! I recently sent out over 200 press 
kits with 4 new releases and the ratio of calls for ads to reviews was 8 to 1. 
I would like to see more of the existing media outlets covering music in a more 
serious way. The interest that this coverage woudl generate might be an good 
indicator of the viability of a national magazine dedicated exclusively to 
Jewish music. 

Much of what has been written about over the last two years has been artists 
that only appeal to a very small part of the overall Jewish community - i.e. 
The Jewish Alternative Movement, Yossi Piamenta, Rebecca Garfein to name a few 
. If this continues to be the case, people will continue to believe that Jewish 
music does not speak to them.

I have had a section for Jewish music articles on the Jewishmusic.com site for 
4 years and no one to date has offered to contribute even 1 article!! I am more 
then willing to post articles submitted to the site on the Jewishmusic.com if 
there is someone out there that would like to have their voice heard.

So if you do want to pursue a magazine - and I am all for it - someone needs to 
find the writers that have the knowledge and ability to do so.

Mayer Pasternak


----------
From:   eliot kahn[SMTP:elkahn (at) JTSA(dot)EDU]
Sent:   Wednesday, July 14, 1999 9:51 AM
To:     World music from a Jewish slant
Subject:        Re: Jewish music magazine

To change the subject...

I believe this is an excellent idea. The only way a distinctly new Jewish
musical idiom will evolve, improve and become more marketable is with a
nationally distributed commercial magazine (or cable TV show) devoted
exclusively to the topic.

I have often wondered why a nationally distributed magazine such as TIKKUN
has such paltry (non-existent) Jewish arts and culture coverage. I find
myself picking this magazine up and putting it down after a few
minutes--it's so serious.

Would merchants such as Hatikvah and Tara be interested in advertising in
such a magazine IF it received national distribution--say at Borders and
Barnes and Noble?

Eliott Kahn

>
>What I had in mind, folks, was a magazine geared towards a mass audience,
albeit
>probably mostly musicians, a la Downbeat, The Beat, Rhythm Music, Jazz Times,
>etc., a  magazine that would cover not only Yiddish music but the whole
spectrum
>of Jewish musical expression. My suspicion is that any other focus will be
too
>narrow to attract readers or advertisers. I love the Web and am particularly
>delighted by the stuff that Ari does, this list included, but I suspect
that a
>printed magazine is the next step to getting Jewish music more attention
in the
>world at large, which I take to be our larger mission.
>
>
>-- George Robinson
>___________________________________________________________
>ARE YOU A FREELANCE WRITER?
>Then you should be a member of the NATIONAL
>WRITERS UNION!
>Web <http://www.nwu.org>, Ph:(212) 254-0279,
>Email <nwu (at) nwu(dot)org>
>
>
>

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