Re: Drawing the line

[Tski1128 <Tski1128...>]

Help I'm having a flashback 1977 I'm standing at a wedding and my brother is 
playing My Sharona on his accordion, and it seems things haven't changed 
much. I don't know what bothers me more, listening to the typical top 40 
band, attempt to play a hora, or having 13 year olds come up to the band 
stand and ask for Snoop Dog, cotton eyed joe or some of the other crap that I 
have to confess, my 13 year old daughter love too. 
I must admit I feel better about playing non jewish music at receptions and 
Bar mitzvahs since my band, Lox&Vodka has really gone to great lenths to "Up 
grade" our "Rock" and standard sound. But we still don't do rap, techno, 
grunge, punk. I think you have to look at yourselves as musical missionaries, 
spredding the joy and energy of Jewish music to people who for the most part 
have never heard  it. When I was in the US Army Field Band, we played concert 
tours all over the world. I can tell you, America has more people in it who 
have not heard live music then anywhere else. My oldest daughter, just 
finnished her first semester of college, went through High school  went to 
all the dances and never heard a live band. How many gigs do you see where 
they have some non musician  playing records? We're in the trenches not just 
for Jewish music, but for "live" music. 

Tom Puwalski, former principal Clarinetist with the US Army Field Band, 
author of the Clarinetist guide to Klezmer. Clarinetist with D.C's hottest 
Klezmer band Lox&Vodka.