RE: London KlezFest 2004 for Kids?

[Geraldine Auerbach <jewishmusic...>]

Dear Jim
I see that no one has yet responded to your question above. So let me come
in here.

We have not really had kids at KlezFest London in the past, though we have
had some quite young ones at weekend courses and workshops. Sometimes
KlezFest takes place before school is out so the question has not really
arisen.  This year it is of course 8-12 august with the one week crash
course in Yiddish immediately preceding this, from 1-6 august.

I would say that teenagers would be welcome, but only with parents or
accompanying adults, provided of course that they were proficient on their
instruments and could hold their own in the classes. It might also be
helpful if they knew that other teenagers would be coming. We do not have
the resources to look after children or teenagers and do not run a special
programme for them, so we would need to know that their parents or guardians
were in charge of them.

We will this year have classes that go at different paces, so that those who
are complete beginners at Klezmer will not feel intimidated and also so that
those with experience will not be held back.

Special this year is a complete parallel Vocal Programme of Yiddish song
focusing on interpretation, context and pronunciation for professional and
amateur singers which will be run by
* Adrienne Cooper, course director along with
* Shura Lipovsky from Amsterdam and
* Paulina Achkinazi-Shepherd from Eastern Europe
We also present workshops for singers on Sephardi song with Yvonne Behar,
Judeo-Arabic song with Sara Manasseh, Berlin and Paris Cabaret with
Alexandra Yaron, Jewish art song with Ruti Halvani and where Jewish song is
going today with Judith Silver.
Make new friends in the Klezmer family, sing and jam on into the night.
Reductions if attending both Ot Azoy! and KlezFest London 2004.

Here are some more details of this year's programme. You can download the
registration form at Website www.jmi.org.uk. please book early as Alan Bern
like to send out a music pack in advance and we like you to have time to
look at it, and hopefully learn the tunes before you even come, so we can
talk about context and expression style, interpretation, repertoire,
ornamentation etc.

I'll keep you posted if we have anymore requests for children to attend.
Sincerely
Geraldine



KlezFest:  Klezmer music song and dance
Sunday 8 - Thursday 12 August 2004
Now in its fourth year, KlezFest London has become the place to study the
poignant and uplifting music, song and dance of Eastern European Jewish
life. The faculty are all the very top musicians, singers and teachers from
America and from Eastern Europe. They are the pioneers of the Klezmer
Revival as well as the links to the past. Their knowledge and expertise
conjure up the warm and intense Yiddish culture in dance classes, lectures,
workshops, masterclasses, performances and jams from 9am till after
midnight. The students, instrumentalists and singers of all ages and
backgrounds gather from all parts the world, brought together by a common
passion for Jewish Music. There is expert tuition in instrumental and
ensemble playing and for existing bands.  This year there is a complete
parallel programme for singers with workshops and masterclasses in Yiddish
and other Jewish song such as Judeo-Arabic, Sephardi and Jewish art song.
Instrumentalists get to dance and sing as well as learn how to make their
instruments sound Jewish as they study the language, repertoire, rhythm,
ornamentation and style of Eastern European Jewish life creating an
exhilarating atmosphere. KlezFest London is ideal for proficient musicians,
regardless of whether you have played klezmer or sung Yiddish songs before.
But it is also geared to cater for those with considerable experience and to
take them further.

Faculty KlezFest London 2004 (click here for faculty biographies)
* Alan Bern Course Director and accordion/piano
* Merlin Shepherd Dance band leader and clarinet
* Adrienne Cooper Vocal Programme Director
* Michael Alpert (dance)
* Frank London (tbc) (brass)
* Christian Dawid (clarinet)
* Deborah Strauss, Sophie Solomon, (fiddles)
* Jeff Warschauer (plucked strings)
* Josh Dolgin, Sanne Moerike (accordion/piano)
* Stu Brotman (bass instruments)
* Polina Achkinazi (choir and song)
* Shura Lipovsky (Yiddish song)



Ot Azoy! - this is the way - to speak, read and write Yiddish in a week!
Sunday 1 - Friday 6 August 2004
The third inspiring and enjoyable language course devised and taught by
* Dr Khyele Beer, of University College London with
* Peysakh Fiszman of Columbia New York and
* Sonia Pinkusowitz of the Martin Buber Institute Brussels and special this
year
* Shura Lipowsky teaching Yiddish through song.
This course is for people of all backgrounds who are either complete
beginners or already at an intermediate level. It's the perfect opportunity
for dipping in your toes and immersing yourself in Yiddish language, song
and culture for those who always wanted to learn or brush up on Yiddish they
might have heard as a child, but were too afraid (or could not commit the
time) to devote a whole summer to it. It's also for those who have already
started and want to go further and reach intermediate level of reading
writing and speaking - and its also a lot of fun. Its also very good for
singers and instrumentalists, of all backgrounds, who can make their
instruments sound more Jewish! And Ot Azoy! makes a great companion course
for KlezFest London  2004. (Many Ot Azoy! Graduates are now continuing
Yiddish studies at regular classes, advanced summer courses and at
University.  This course is followed immediately by KlezFest London 2004 for
Klezmer music, with a song and dance. (Reductions if attending both
courses).



Fees KlezFest and Ot Azoy! 2004
Ot Azoy! £265  (students and unwaged £165) early booking discount £15 if
booked with deposit (£50 students and unwaged £25) by 1 April and paid in
full by 31 May.
KlezFest  £265  (students and unwaged £165) early booking discount £15 if
booked with deposit (£50 students and unwaged £25) by 1 April and paid in
full by 31 May.
If doing both courses an additional  discount of £40 (student £30) applies
Accommodation can be arranged (to be paid separately)
More details of programme and faculty, send  e-mail (link)
Tel 020 8909 2445   Fax 020 8909 1030



-----Original Message-----
From: owner-jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org
[mailto:owner-jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org]On Behalf Of jfabrams
Sent: 07 March 2004 16:24
To: World music from a Jewish slant
Subject: London KlezFest 2004 for Kids?

I was wondering if anybody familiar with KlezFest in London could offer some
advice about the event's appropriateness for kids.  My son will be having
his Bar Mitzvah in a couple of weeks.  He has been playing piano for about
seven years and is quite proficient.  His mother is from England and
yesterday my sister-in-law called us (in Pennsylvania) from the London area
asking for advice about what gift to get him.  I told we would get back to
her about that, but I immediately thought about how wonderful it would be to
send my son to attend KlezFest for a week in August, while also visiting the
family in the London area.

I checked the KlezFest website http://www.jmi.org.uk/klezmer/klezfest04.html
and it suggested that anybody with basic proficiency as an instrumentalist
would find the experience enjoyable.  It also suggested that KlezFest is
most rewarding to those who have some experience with Klezmer as the week
can take a musician from one level to the next.  Our son is proficient but
not experienced with playing Klezmer.  So, my question is, has anyone out
there sent their child to KlezFest, and is KlezFest as exciting and
rewarding for kids as it appears to be for adults?  Thanks very much.

Jim Abrams





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