On the Radio tonight

Oddly enough...I was interviewed on a net radio station that is focused on wrestling.
Associate Producer of "The Wrestler" and radio host Evan Ginsburg had me on his show tonight.
If you go to the link here, "The Real Me" - my rock tune about really being yourself - the real you - is playing on the site. Click Here!

The archive of the show should be available in a couple of days.
Highlights:
- ageism in the music industry
- double standards of female image in the music industry versus male
- anti-semitism and zenophobia
- a bit about my mission

It was super fun to speak with someone with such a fabulous knowledge of music and the world.

Please do check out his weekly show (every wednesday.)

Here's the link again: Legends Radio

If you want to listen to the full version of The Real Me, you can visit my website!
Lemme know what you think!
Peace...

LA Gig - Room 5 Lounge benefitting Beit T'shuvah

What an AMAZING night...in a cozy lounge on La Brea in LA - people gathered young and old - male and female and folks in between to celebrate women in music!!!

I looked out in the crowd, who'd come to see three different groups of women, styles, shapes, voices, etc, the room celebrating, supporting and singing along with laughter, moments of intimacy and spirit!


Janeen Rae Heller kicked it off with her saw (literally) and her beautiful melodies, followed by Laura Bagish and then Rebekah Mirsky - letting her "cantorial" hair down and seeing her other side! The two paired up for a moving duet of a nightime Shma that made me cry!

And I ended the evening with a set, reuniting with my dear friend who moved from NYC to LA this year, Elana Artchizel (pictured below) who both gave us a sweet beat and mc'd the event!





An added highlight is that my uncle (who was in from chicago) surprised me coming out to see the show with my cousin greg...amazing!

Props to JT Productions for booking the night, and to my amazing designer (for the flier) as well as to our partners at Birthright Next and of course the beneficiary of the proceeds, Beit T'shuvah

Limmud NY Spring Sampler - March 2009

What an amazing night at Limmud NY's Spring Sampler.
There was love and care in the air - with an excitement towards learning.

Here's a short little clip from my performance there...listen to everyone's beautiful voices as they sing about their power to help other people!

This is called "What You Give"
Guitarist featured: Mikal Evans
Filming by JCR Street Team Founder - Mara Berde




If you can't see it, you can also go to the You Tube Channel:

Limmud NY - I learned a lot...

Brrrrr.....
It's cold up in Ellensville, NY - home of Limmud NY. The heat went out. The conference was almost cancelled...

But the warmth of amazing Jews wanting to be together, to celebrate diversity and to educate themselves and others in the Tradition made for a very special environment.

This was a big gig for me.
1. It was my first Limmud and I'm hooked.
2. I performed a rock show with my band on the heels of a performance by one of my favorite musicians and people in the world, Josh Nelson.
3. I explored a couple of new workshops - one of which was a songwriting workshop for girls.

Here's what I learned at Limmud:
- attitude is everything
- the small voice is often the most powerful
- just when you think you can't play cause your fingers are frozen, you connect with someone in the audience and it warms your whole body so you can play on.
- people want to see more chicks playing instruments on stage.

Thanks, Limmud community, for enabling me to learn!

Naomi

what are we teaching our girls

So...Here's my latest.

I'm obsessed with the song "All the Single Ladies" by Beyonce
the beat is AMAZING! It's intoxicating - you can't help dance.
(While it's by Beyonce, the lyrics, like for many pop stars, were written by men: Christopher "Tricky" Stewart; Terius Youngdell Nash, better known by his stage name The-Dream and Thaddis "Kuk" Harrell. This team also wrote Rhianna's "Umbrella" which is a much sweeter and upstanding lyrical song!)

Is it a feminist song?
Beyonce's producers put it out as one...

And then...
I watch the choreography - (watch the video on youtube)

And then...
I listen to the words
"If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it
Don’t be mad once you see that he want it
If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it

I got gloss on my lips, a man on my hips
hold me tighter than my Dereon jeans
acting up, drink in my cup
I could care less what you think
I need no permission, did I mention
Dont pay him any attention
Cuz you had your turn
But now you gonna learn
What it really feels like to miss me"

And then I see this copycat video and it becomes pretty clear:
http://perezhilton.com/2008-12-17-we-were-wrong
Watch this and tell me what you think we're teaching our little girls...

I'm really curious to hear your reactions.
Is this empowerment?

Please do comment.

Naomi