US music legend Seymour Stein to scout Israeli artists

Stein will be keynote speaker at Tune in Tel Aviv, an annual music industry conference and showcase taking place in November.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Seymour Stein (photo credit: REUTERS)
Seymour Stein
(photo credit: REUTERS)
American music industry icon Seymour Stein will be the keynote speaker at Tune in Tel Aviv, an annual music industry conference and showcase taking place in November.
Stein, one of the sparks behind the US punk/new wave movement in the mid- 1970s as co-founder and president of Sire Records, signed The Ramones, Talking Heads and later The Pretenders, The Smiths, Depeche Mode, Madonna and Echo & The Bunnymen to their first major label deals. He also signed the late Israeli songstress Ofra Haza to her first international record deal.
Taking place November 19-23, Tune in Tel Aviv will feature an array of panels and networking events for the local music community, as well as showcases presenting over 50 artists to international festival buyers, agents, labels, and managers arriving for the event.
“Tune In Tel Aviv is the one time in a year where the entire Israeli musician community and the music sector at-large can get together and try to put a value their own contribution to Israeli society, not to mention create serious exposure and investment by the international music scene,” said Jeremy Hulsh, the managing director of Oleh! Records Israel’s Music Export Office, which in partnership with the Ted Arison Family Foundation, is organizing the conference.
According to Stein, his visit to the conference won’t be limited to addressing the audience.
He’ll also be looking for Israeli talent in his role a vice president at Warners Music.
“I’ve been hearing from Jeremy about all the fantastic music coming out of Israel these past years; and I truly look forward to seeing for myself the best artists which [Israel] has to offer. I would love to sign another Israeli act,” he said.
Artists can submit to perform at a Tune in Tel Aviv showcase at http://tuneintlv.com/2014/