Re: Jewish music Magazine idea?

[Robert Cohen <rlcm17...>]

Judy's post makes me think that SING OUT! magazine might be a good model in 
some ways--and maybe we need a comparable foundation to underwrite it.  My 
home is certainly inundated w/ print matter!--but I'm inundated w/ e-mail 
and web sites to check, too.  I would find a web magazine far less 
appealing, myself.  JMTC--Robert Cohen


>From: Judy Pinnolis <pinnolis (at) brandeis(dot)edu>
>Reply-To: jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org
>To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
>Subject: Jewish music Magazine idea?
>Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 17:04:59 -0400
>
>Gideon:
>
>Getting to the idea of a Jewish music magazine.....in general I'm wanting
>to grow Jewish resources on the web...this may be an unpopular position,
>but I personally think in terms of a non-academic orientation, a web
>magazine would do just fine... instead of print. less cost to produce.
>(possibly?) and not dealing with mailing problems and all that....and can
>reach a very wide audience.  I also like the idea of interactivity that
>could eventually be worked in....
>
>Personally, I've cut way back on print subscriptions in recent years. I'm
>much more selective nowadays. Although there is obviously a place for print
>magazines in the home, one tends to get inundated. And not have the time to
>properly devote to any.....for right now, some people may feel a web
>magazine is too selective an audience, but that audience will only continue
>to grow in the coming years. If there was a Jewish music print magazine,
>I'd likely subscribe (or even contribute occasionally), but I'd still
>prefer the web.
>
>I like the idea of starting with reviews, both of recordings AND live
>performances would be nice... and then feature articles about people doing
>the music. news, information and a calendar are all features I'd like to
>see, which is why the web would work really well. discussion of performance
>techniques, trials and tribulations might be a fun column to read also.
>There are a lot of people who would know how to keep it "hip" or "cool" or
>whatever the word today is for young people.
>Judy
>
>
>At 03:22 PM 7/14/99 -0400, you wrote:
> >Robert raises an interesting question regarding a print Jewish music
> >magazine.  Should it seek to be mass market or should it focus on the 
>much
> >more limitted market of musicians who play, and organizations/companies 
>that
> >promote, Jewish music?
> >
> >To some extent this is a marketing question.  If we want to create a 
>broader
> >audience for Jewish music, we need to grab people with something they
> >recognize or something that will catch their attention.  This argues for
> >including celebrity profiles even if they may be secondary to core Jewish
> >music.  Barbara Streisand, the Beastie Boys, Dylan, etc would help sell
> >magazines in a store like Borders.  These features need not be total 
>fluff,
> >but could involve serious discussions with popular artists on their 
>Jewish
> >backgrounds and the impact of their Jewishness on their music.
> >
> >However, every piece on Kenny G's Jewish heritage takes away space from 
>the
> >coverage of new liturgical music, traditional Klezmer, etc.  Also, these
> >pieces open up the danger of diluting people's definition of Jewish music 
>to
> >a point where the music becomes an ethnic name game.  So, a nice small 
>niche
> >publication might, as Robert says, be a better starting point rather than
> >seeking to expand.
> >
> >My question for the list is has anyone tried to estimate how small a 
>niche
>we
> >really are discussing?  Is it large enough to support this type of print
> >publication?  I have some doubts if the examples of Davka or Pakn Treger
> >(both Jewish niche publications) are any indication.  Davka has become 
>the
> >webzine Tattoo Jew and I am not sure what is happening with Pakn Treger
>since
> >it hasn't made it to Washington DC recently.
> >
> >Gideon
> >
> >
> >
>
>


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