Newsletter n.10 – A Fresh Start !
Dear friends,
Confinement was very hard for me at first : seeing my concerts and projects cancelled one after the other, ending up without work – like many artists, I felt very frustrated and unsure of what the future held.
However, after a couple of weeks, I was able to let it go.
So I took full advantage of this spring without worrying or having to travel, spending quality time with my children and on my vegetable patch.
The global epidemic has been a time for me to reflect about important issues. I’ve decided to take the opportunity to make some changes. For 2 or 3 years, I’ve been wondering whether being a professional musician is really for me.
I deeply love music. It feeds my spirit and soul and will always be an important part of my life. I’ll continue to play, sing and dance, whether I’m paid or not.
But being a full-time professional musician with the stress of keeping the “intermittent” status, travelling hundreds or thousands of miles including several flights a year, no longer suits me. The dichotomy between my present lifestyle and values I believe in no longer makes sense to me. I want to live at a different pace.
So from now on, I’ll play music on a more local basis. I won’t actively look for far-flung gigs and will stop flying. I’ll carry on playing with my groups (especially the smaller, simpler ones) and will lead workshops only when asked. To maintain my income I’ll look for another kind of work, a more modest off-stage role.
Following this change, I’ll send you my news less often, but don’t hesitate to contact me with your news and stay in touch on a more personal level! (- :
So, my friends, here are my ideas for the end of confinement! Finishing with the pompous declarations, here is something more concrete (past and future):
In the past:
I’d like to mention the virtual project to which I had the pleasure of contributing during confinement: “The Global Klezmer String Project”, an initiative of the English violinist Ilana Kravitz, with 35 klezmer violinists from 12 countries. We played and talked about 158 nigunim (Hassidic melodies or wordless songs) from a book of music transcribed and collected by the ethnomusicologist Moyshe Beregovski in Ukraine and in Belorussia in the first three decades of the 20th century.
I recorded 10 beautiful nigunim for this project. (7 minutes on average where I play then explain each nigun). You can find these educational videos here:
You can also read about “The Global Klezmer String Project” and listen to the other violinists who participated in this international project:
In the future :
It will be great to get back on stage with my musician friends in the flesh…
My first post-lockdown live gigs:
I will shortly play 3 concerts in the beautiful church of Béhuard, in the small picturesque village on the island of Béhuard (on the Loire) – which is also where I moved to at the start of May.
20-21 June weekend (“fête de la musique” !), 7pm : the “Doï Klezmorim” duo with cimbalom virtuoso Mihai Trestian.
Saturday 27 June, 7pm: “Szerelem” duo (love songs rom the East) with Léa Desaunay.
For these three gigs, there will be a limited number of places (in compliance with safety measures)
For these three gigs, there will be a limited number of places (in compliance with safety measures).
€10 full price, €5 concessions.
And…
I am thrilled to announce that the “Klezmer Rendez-Vous” workshop, which was originally planned for in May, will take place from 20 to 24 August. You can register now! You can find more information here:
And the Facebook link:
Thanks for your time!
Looking forward to seeing you soon, here or there…
Love
Amit
Picture of the Ile Behuard
