Drawing the line

[ALANEFALK <ALANEFALK...>]

After receiving a request recently to play "Chopin's Etude #3' for a wedding 
service, and YMCA and the Twist at the reception - I thought this might be an 
interesting topic for discussion (although it probably has been discussed in 
the past (I have only been on this listing for a year or so)). So here goes:
    As our band's local reputation has grown, and we receive more requests to 
play Simchas, weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs etc, we seem to be faced with ever 
increasing dilemma, one which I am sure has been faced by most of you. Trying 
to maintain a balance between 'aesthetic' goals and standards of integrity, 
yet at the same time trying to attract as wide an audience and play as often 
as possible, seems to lead inevitably to Simcha bookings. And this, in our 
case, leads to the 'dilemma'.
    That is, where to draw the line when it comes to requests for certain 
popular musical 'standards' which have become part of the 'party' landscape. 
I'm referring to such standard 'fodder' as 'YMCA', Electric Slide, etc, etc. 
I understand that Jewish bands have since the 'dawn of klezmer' found it 
necessary to play the popular music of their day alongside the freylechs and 
bulgars, but it seems to be such a musical 'chasm' nowadays between the two - 
Mayim to "Shout" is quite a leap! Let alone Hip Hop and Techno thuds!
    Alongside our Jewish repertoire of Klezmer, Yiddish, Israeli song and 
dance music etc, we offer classical, Big Band/Jazz era, latin and 'soft' 
(slow Dance) rock, but, "Who Let the Dog's Out?".
    I'm interested in finding out what other bands have experienced and how 
they deal with this situation - a general consensus perhaps? - where and when 
to draw the line.
Alan Falk
Nefesh Klezmer Band
Connecticut, USA

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