Re: mitzvot music (was Scarborough Fair tune)

[Alex Lubet <lubet001...>]

Actually, I hired just such an act and paid plenty.


At 11:18 AM 7/16/2002 -0400, you wrote:
>on 7/16/02 10:59 AM, Jeremy A Schiffer at schiffer (at) columbia(dot)edu wrote:
>
>
> >> but the problem seems to be a major cognitive dissonance between those
> >> musicians
> >> for whom simchas are the bottom of the food chain of what they do 
> (concerts
> >> are
> >> usually at the top) and those who engage them, for whom b'nai mitzvot,
> >> weddings,
> >> etc. are singular (one would hope), sacred moments where, G_d willing, 
> all is
> >> perfect.  Needless to say, this is not a strictly Jewish issue, nor 
> even an
> >> exclusively musical one (at least, it can apply to serious photographers,
> >> maybe
> >> others), but I wonder what could be done to get everyone on the same page.
> >> Your
> >> thoughts?
> >
>
> > I have been stressing to my bandmates the importance of making sure that
> > every detail for something like this is planned ahead of time. What songs,
> > if any, are to be played at what times. Some people have very specific
> > thoughts for their special days (processional to one thing, recessional to
> > something else, a specific tune for the vows, etc.) while others are happy
> > with "something that sounds Jewish." The band (and photographers (I have
> > also photographed weddings on a professional basis)) must absolutely get
> > together with the people organizing the event and plan it down to the
> > minute, if need be ("we want two horas, followed by something faster,
> > then hava nagila, and finish with sunrise, sunset. Then you have to
> > take requests for two hours"). If they have specific needs, you must be
> > able to address them, or decline the job. It sucks to turn down an
> > opportunity for money, but if you can't do the job that the organizers
> > want, you have to refuse; anything else is unacceptable and
> > unprofessional.
> >
> > As long as you communicate and know the expectations on both sides, you
> > should be fine.
> >
> > -jeremy schiffer
> >
> > ----------------------------------------------------------------
> > Jeremy A. Schiffer
> > AcIS Security Administrator
> > Columbia University
> > 212-854-2903
> > AcIS Nextel *75
> >
> > Please direct all computer security related queries to
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> >
>
>
>One could alleviate this problem by dealing with Bands that soecialkize in
>playing at Jewish S'machot. While I play jobs with my Klezmer  bands, most
>of my p[arty work is done with a very reputable Band that takes customer
>service very seriously.
>Among the many advantages of this is the fact that all too often, Klezmer
>Bands that primarily play shows are not run as busineses that pay into the
>Union health and pension plans, nor are they always up on appropriate pay
>scale. This should not affect the client, but it does undermine the overall
>professionalism of the job.
>
>Jordan Hirsch
>

Alex Lubet, Ph. D.
Morse Alumni Distinguished Teaching Professor of Music
Adjunct Professor of American and Jewish Studies
University of Minnesota
100 Ferguson Hall
Minneapolis, MN 55455
612 624-7840 (o)
612 699-1097 (h)
612 624-8001  ATTN:  Alex Lubet (FAX)

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