What a great way to prepare for a topsy turvy Purim weekend. ^^
Here is the actual press release I was sent:
JEWISH MUSICIAN DEBBIE FRIEDMAN TO PERFORM IN ASHLAND
MARCH 25
Ashland – St. Clair Productions presents Debbie Friedman at Havurah Shir Hadash, 185 N. Mountain, Ashland, on Thursday, March 25, 8 p.m. One of the best-selling artists of contemporary Jewish music, Friedman has given the world music that is transformative; music that offers joy and comfort, hope and faith, healing and inspiration.
Tickets are $22 in advance, $25 at the door, $10 for teens 12-17 and free under 12. Tickets are available at the Music Coop in the A Street Marketplace and the Havurah office, on-line at www.stclairevents.com or by calling 541-535-3562. A portion of the proceeds benefits Havurah Shir Hadash.
Friedman is credited with almost single-handedly birthing an entire subgenre of music. Long before the appearance of popular Jewish rockers like Rick Recht, she became the best-selling, most beloved performer of Jewish traditional music from the baby-boomer generation.
“Spontaneous audience reaction has become the trademark of Debbie Friedman's concerts. Whether she is appearing in a synagogue, a Jewish center, a conference hotel, or a place as hallowed as Carnegie Hall… her devoted fans rise to the occasion, singing the lyrics most know by heart and (reacting) with… joyful abandon.” The New York Times
Prior to Friedman, most Jewish music was perceived to come in only two forms, both originating in Europe: klezmer for weddings and bar mitzvahs, and cantorial liturgy for the synagogue. As a Jewish summer-camp counselor in Oconomowoc, Wis., Friedman picked up an acoustic guitar and began singing the prayers in the American vernacular of the day, using a folk style similar to Joan Baez, Bob Dylan and Peter Paul & Mary. With the same fervor for social justice as these boomer-folk icons, she added a spiritual dimension, and by 1972 had released Sing Unto God. It was a different, deeply religious response to the struggles of the Vietnam era, dedicated to "all those people who have helped me come closer to my Judaism, who have deepened my appreciation of life ... to those who stand for peace." (Pittsburgh City Paper)
Friedman has taken the prayers and teachings of the Torah, of the first 5 books of the Old Testament, and created a catalogue of modern day songs that translate the messages into a format that people without education steeped in Judaism can understand and relate to. Often people who sing these songs in their Synagogues or camps don't realize that they were composed by Friedman. They assume that they are a part of traditional liturgical prayer.
Friedman’s work appears in diverse settings from the Barney In Concert video (The Alef Bet Song) to an episode of “Strong Medicine” on the Lifetime channel (The Healing Prayer - Mi Shebeirach). In 1999, Tree of Life, a division of Hallmark greeting cards, designed and marketed a series of 12 holiday cards using Debbie’s inspired lyrics.
In 1996, Friedman celebrated her 25th anniversary of her musical career with a sold-out concert at Carnegie Hall. She has performed in hundreds of cities in the United States, Canada, Europe and Israel. She has appeared before national conventions and conferences for major Jewish organizations. In 2007, Friedman was appointed Instructor in Music at the School of Sacred Music of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.
“If viewed in terms of her prolific output of recordings, the extremely spiritual content of her compositions and her innovative dabbling in self-publishing, Debbie Friedman could be considered to be something like the Sun Ra of the Jewish music scene. She is certainly one of the most popular creators of Jewish music. … Like Sun Ra, Friedman's spiritually-driven ambition seems to have no limits, leading her to projects as ambitious as the direction of a 300 person chorale.” Eugene Chadbourne, All Music Guide
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