Re: Drawing the line

[allen watsky <awatsky...>]

Alan, Often what is done is to hire a person who can play most of the pop
requests and sing them and lead the band through that set or sets, who can
also double as a traditional musician for the traditional eastern european
music( why, a guy just like me!). So you have to have a rhythm section that
can cross over and a specialist that can "cover" the pop requests. You can
also elect to have the client hire a DJ( feh!) . The DJ option allows you to
avoid playing stuff you dislike or can not deliver, but it gives the client
the impression that you are in some way unprepared to play the party. ( I
have been on both sides of this) At times you can play a polite little gig
with the acoustic E.Euro Yiddish vibe and some American song book stuff and
basically do a "society gig" with the bulgars on top. At times you have to
just about hire a whole 'nother band to do the stuff you don"t know. If the
client has the dollars they can have it all. Just add enough pieces to get
the job done and when you play your featured ethnic stuff let the ringers
take a break.That's what is done. If the budget is limited you have to be
very clear with the client about  what is and what "is not" possible. If I
may leave you with this phrase that I have found invaluable, and was first
taught to me by my friend the bassist the" genius" Brian Glassman,here it is
(pay attention),"IT'LL BE TERRIFIC !" Say this to the client over and over
again.(and to yourself as well) The checks in the mail.. AW
----- Original Message -----
From: <ALANEFALK (at) aol(dot)com>
To: "World music from a Jewish slant" <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
Sent: Monday, January 14, 2002 12:00 PM
Subject: Drawing the line


> After receiving a request recently to play "Chopin's Etude #3' for a
wedding hat
> 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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