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"American Klezmer: It's roots and offshoots", edited by Mark Slobin, offers insights and opinions from some of today's most influential Klezmer performers and researchers on the significance of Klezmer for (especially, byt not limited to) Jewish Americans.
Why am I personally drawn to KLezmer? Well, it speaks to me, it makes me cry and laugh and wake up in the middle of the night with goose bumps and heart thumping and feet tapping...to me, it expresses all the joy, frustration, energy, warmth, fun, longing, restlessness and exuberance of being a Jew in America. I immigrated to the US from Europe, and Klezmer music connects me to my European roots in a way that other Jewish music doesn't (I always loved Israeli folk music and dancing, but never quite felt that it was MY music). The phrasing and ornamentation in Klezmer evokes the sound of people speaking Yiddish, a language I dearly love and mostly understand but barely speak. When I listen to or perform Klezmer, I feel at home. Klezmer is a vehicle of self-identification and self-_expression_ as well as a language I use to connect with other people. To me as a religious Jew, playing Klezmer music is also having a conversation with and about God, and a way to inspire other Jews to feel positive about and to learn more about their Judaism, without having to use spoken words and without getting entangled in political or synagogue denomination discussions. When I play Klezmer, I feel very centered, the way I imagine a Zen Buddhist must feel. The intense sweating while performing cleanses my skin, and dancing around on stage is more effective than a tread mill - a great work out.
Klezmer music is important in that it connects Jews of different generations, religious affiliations, political views, and life styles. It's also a fun way to learn, connect with, and teach about Jewish history and culture. Klezmer speaks to Non-Jews and can help people from other cultures/religions feel comfortable with Jewish culture. Klezmer has a valuable place in today's society as a socially acceptable, physically harmless and psychologically beneficial form of addiction.
Annette Brodovsky, fidl player of the Freilachmakers Klezmer String Band (see www.freilachmakers.com).
On Mon, 1 Sep 2003 20:02:31 EDT , MaxwellSt (at) aol(dot)com sent:
I am passing on this note (with the author's permission) to the list at large, in case other bandpersons would like to add their two cents to round out her research.
Lori @ MAX
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I am a Music Education student and cellist at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. I came across your site when performing a "Google" search on Klezmer music. I was very excited to know that there are groups such as yours performing this music. I am planning on doing my research paper for my Intro to World Music class and would like to ask if any of the members of your group would mind giving their opinions on the influence of Klezmer music in America and why
they feel it is an important part of our culture here today. I would also like to know what it is that inspires each of you to perform this particular style of music. Unfortunately, all I would be able to offer for your efforts in return is a reference on my bibliography page and perhaps a few new followers of the Klezmer music tradition!
Please let me know if you or other members would be willing to help me with this project, it is certainly alright if you are not able to, I just need to find my sources over the next couple of weeks in order to finish my project by the due date.
Thank you for your time!
Suzanne
maerzsr (at) vcu(dot)edu
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