Re: Kol Isha - Just the Facts, please!

[Jordan Hirsch <trombaedu...>]

Yeah, I remember you mentioning this. Well, there are a lot of elements to
this discussion. Maybe they know they can't have you sing per se, but they
know that you are a capable bandleader who knows how to take good care of
your clients. If we key in onwhether there should be Kol Isha halachos at
all, instead of dealing with each persons needs based on their well founded
religioujs convictions, you miss out on the opportunity to provide music for
a private affair which will make profit for you, and which will enhance your
reputation as a good businesswoman. Note carefully that I absolutely insist
on drawing a distinction between playing at private parties and the right to
be treated fairly at a public concert.

Jordan

Lori M Simon wrote:

> Last time we had this discussion, I believe it was impelled by my
> frustration at having been cancelled from a public job because some
> Orthodox rabbis were expected to be there.  Additionally, I have had
> calls to book a band for weddings, bar mitsves, that I could not work
> because they didn't want a female vocalist, so I called other friends to
> play the job.  Why they called me in the first place, I don't know, but
> there you are.  I have friends who are willing to have me sing with them,
> indeed, they recommend it to the clients, but they rarely take them up on
> it because they don't want a female vocalist.
> Lorele
>
> On Fri, 23 Jan 2004 10:28:07 -0500 Jordan Hirsch
> <trombaedu (at) earthlink(dot)net> writes:
> > There is a whole other element to this discussion. What about the
> > wedding
> > gigs? If a band that works for Jewish clients from unaffiliated to
> > Chasidic does 375 gigs a year in the NY wedding and circuit, how do
> > we
> > count the gigs where the idea of hiring a female singer to perform
> > would
> > not even be discussed? And would those people be wrong for not doing
> > so?
> > To me, the issue is not so much a question of the right of women to
> > perform in general, but rather the right of concert promoters to
> > book
> > whichever bands they want, and let those who do not want to listen
> > not
> > come. And for the performers, to have contracts and commitments
> > honored,
> > and to work out issues before a performer has been engaged.
> >
> > Jordan
> >
> > Alex Jacobowitz wrote:
> >
> > > --- Sam Weiss <SamWeiss (at) bellatlantic(dot)net> wrote:
> > > > At 01:49 AM 1/23/04, Yoel Epstein wrote:
> > > > >Perhaps some of you would like to compile a list of
> > > > specific gigs that
> > > > >were
> > > > >refused or cancelled because a female singer
> > > > participated in the
> > > > >band.  Then
> > > > >we might have a starting point for actually doing
> > > > something about this.
> > > >
> > > > Such a list would not even scratch the surface,
> > > > since the assumption of Kol
> > > > Isha very often precludes female soloists and bands
> > > > with a female singer
> > > > from even being considered at all.
> > >
> > > Au contraire, it WOULD scratch the surface -
> > > at least insofar as this list is concerned.
> > > As in other political opinions, there would
> > > most likely be "right", "centrist" and "left"
> > > versions of KI - and its implementation. If
> > > any gig were to be refused or cancelled for
> > > KI reasons, it would be most illustrative to
> > > see whether the sponsors give that as the
> > > reason, or whether they hide behind some kind
> > > of subterfuge. And since on this list
> > > we´ve only heard from the femails in this case, I
> > > wouldn´t mind hearing the other side´s view - those
> > > who are involved in the decision-making process.
> > >
> > > Bring it on!
> > >
> > > Alex
> > >
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> > ---------------------- jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org
> > ---------------------+
> >