Nonprofit helping Israeli musicians further craft

• Author: BARRY DAVIS
• Published date: 07 October 2021
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

It has oft been said, including – albeit generally sotto voce – even by some politicians and public servants, that our artists, particularly our musicians, provide the best global PR services we could hope for, and certainly do a better job in promoting a positive international image for this country than our well-paid politicians.

If it were up to Music Port, there would be far more Israeli musicians out there, pounding the global beat, and helping to spread the good word that there is a plethora of polished, quality creative vibes to be had from these here parts.

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Yes, the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions lot may want to stick their vituperative oar in at any given moment, but the fact is that, when audiences see our musicians in action, they are swayed not by political considerations but by the quality and entertainment value of the onstage fare. Period.

That credo is very much central to what Music Port is all about. The diminutive organization is a nonprofit that does its damnedest to help our musicians, across a broad sweep of genres and styles, to further their craft. That can take the shape of accessing contact personnel of festivals and cultural bodies around the world, and even simply filling out forms for grants and other kinds of fiscal assistance.

The driving force behind the hand-holding endeavor knows the street-level score. "I come from the practical side of music. I come from the field," says Talya Solan.

As a veteran musician, and vocalist of the Yamma Ensemble which performs what it calls "traditional and original global Hebrew and Jewish music," Solan knows the scene from the ground up. That, naturally, includes being intimate with the nitty-gritty and having a willingness to soil her artistic hands with the quotidian but, sadly, indispensable side of the music business.

Music Port is the fruit of those prosaic loins, and was spawned by an experience Solan had on the road.

"I went with a band to the United States in 2010," she recalls. "It was a whole tour of cities around the Midwest. It was a multiyear commitment."

That sounds perfect. Any professional musician, particular the unaffiliated lot, would be ecstatic to land a guaranteed gig schedule. However, things quickly turned sour for Solan.

"We found out there that we didn't get along together," Solan says, adding that they had been performing together for six years at that point. "It's like a couple who decide to go on vacation before the wedding and start bickering," she chuckles. "I realized that I wasn't going to go through that again. My time with the ensemble was definitely up."

As with all relationship breakups, there is often challenging fallout to deal with, and it isn't just a matter of each going their separate ways. "The Americans are very...