In tune with the times in Tel Aviv

Tune in Tel Aviv brings together young bands and international music professionals.

By REBECCA CYMBALISTA
Tune in Tel Aviv370 (photo credit: Courtesy)
Tune in Tel Aviv370
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Tel Aviv Port will be alive with the sound of music today when a number of young artists and bands line up to perform for and hear advice from international music professionals.
Tune in Tel Aviv, produced by Oleh! Records and Acum House, is bringing together the two sides to make connections and create new opportunities in the music scene.
“Tune in TLV is a unique event organized to bring together some of the leading music producers from places outside of Israel, and introduce them to local Israeli artists, bands, and music authors,” said Acum House marketing manager Yaniv Greidy. “Israeli artists must become intimate with the music business if they ever hope to succeed.”
Jeremy Hulsh, founder and manager of Oleh! Records, is passionate about starting the dialogue between music artists here in Israel and music giants from all around the world.
“It is an opportunity to improve conditions from all sides,” he said.
Oleh! Records – founded in 2007 – is the only not-for-profit organization that focuses on exporting independent Israeli musicians on a global scale.
The day-long event will include keynote speaker David Gresham, founder of David Gresham Records in South Africa, who has a doctorate in music export. According to Hulsh, Gresham eagerly flew to Israel on his own to explain to the public and top decision makers the importance of supporting the music industry.
A number of workshops and lectures will follow performances, directed at providing young Israeli artists with a deeper understanding of the greater music industry.
Speaker Marek Szpendowski, cofounder of Viva Art Music, a leading global concert & production company dedicated to international live music entertainment mostly in Eastern and Western Europe, said that the Tune In TLV conference is just as beneficial to him as it is to the performing artist.
“I am a festival promoter, I go to music conferences all around the world, but I am always looking for opportunities like this to get to know the Israeli artists, the Israeli culture,” he said.
Richard Zijlma, general manager of the world renowned Amsterdam Dance Event, who will also be attending the event, said that that he is excited to see how the Israeli music scene is developing.
For him, music has no borders, it is an international industry.
Zijlma, who will be interviewed on stage at the event, is ready to share with the artists his philosophy: “It is all about connections.
Making the music is the easy part, reaching out to the right people and creating a global platform for your music is far more challenging.”
Oleh! Records and Acum House are optimistic in their efforts to improve the music export process.
“It’s interesting” says Hulsh, “Israel is so far ahead in every other sector, but when it comes to music, we are so far behind, there is something dysfunctional about how the music culture is supported here.”
Hulsh feels that so many artists can benefit from learning the international music world. “Many artists are scared to say ‘let’s change the way things are done.’ We need to show them their rights as artists.”