Re: schmaltz, pandering and Klezmatics

[Wholesale Klezmer Band <ganeydn...>]

At 8:33 AM -0400 7/20/99, Bert Stratton wrote:
>       Good publicity. Audience: 2000.  Free tickets.  Audience turns out
>to be the "nostalgia" crowd. Young folks -- and I mean under 60 -- mostly
>stay home.  Maybe 20% under 60 -- and I was at the door counting 'em as
>they came in.

>       The crux:  should bands use the elitist jazz model, or go schmaltz
>-- sell
>out! pander! juggle! whatever.  I think there's a valid  middle
>ground.(Klez Conservatory Band and Perlman's well-paced klez-smorgasbord
>come to mind.)

We've played to audiences of mostly older people (it's wonderful when you
can talk with the audience in Yiddish and most of them understand you) and
we've played to mostly younger audiences (it's wonderful when kids can
really get drawn into this music). It seems unpredictable what kind of an
audience you'll get in an unfamiliar location.

I think some locations or sponsoring organizations draw audiences based on
whether people expect to find a show aimed at them.  When we played for
Workmen's Circle in Philadelphia, we had a mostly older crowd, in spite of
an offer of free admission for grandchildren.  (Well, the location was a
senior center.)  When we played, for example, for a new synagogue in
Cheshire, CT, the crowd was mostly young families.  We did practically the
same show at both places with a warm reception from both audiences.

But I wouldn't pander or play shmaltz.  Play what is most meaningful to you
unless you want to take all the joy out of performing.  Communicate with
and educate your audiences.  Let them know what the music means to you and
why you play it and how it can mean something to them.

We, all of us, have a task:  To educate the public about the richness, joy
and variety of Jewish music.  The public, Jewish and non-Jewish, old and
young and in the middle, needs to know that there is more to Yiddish music
than 10 shmaltzy, nostalgic songs.  And they need to know that they don't
need to understand Yiddish to understand the music.

Zayt gezunt (be healthy),

Yosl (Joe) Kurland
The Wholesale Klezmer Band
Colrain, MA 01340
voice/fax: 413-624-3204
http://www.crocker.com/~ganeydn


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