Libertad Artist in Residency Report

Libertad Artist-in-Residency

Report to Sponsors and Partners

Workshop at Springfield Conservatory of the Arts

Concert at Bombyx Center for Art and Equity

Executive Summary

The goal of the Libertad Artist in Residency was to use the multi-cultural music of the Jewish Argentinean duo Lerner and Moguilevsky to increase awareness of the global nature of Jewish culture and to demonstrate how Jewish culture has influenced and been influenced by communities across the diaspora.

The project succeeded expectations. The workshop at the Springfield Conservatory of the Arts was particularly powerful example of how the arts can foster understanding. There, the Puerto Rican music teacher introduced the duo by explaining that his DNA test revealed that his blood is 6% Jewish. He then explained how the Jewish community came to the Caribbean after the expulsion of Spain in 1492 and how more European Jews went to Argentina to escape 20thcentury discrimination and dangers. This was an important new perspective to share with all students, especially those with a Latinx background.

All concerts and workshops provided exceptional exposure to Jewish life in Buenos Aires for both Jewish and non-Jewish attendees. Estimated attendance for the concerts at Bombyx and Next Stage included 350+ people and 325+ students at workshops at Springfield Conservatory of the Arts, Northampton High Schools, Lander-Grinspoon on Academy, and Williams College.

The project's impact was magnified by two radio appearances and one newspaper feature. On NEPM's Fabulous 413 radio program, the duo had an extended wide-ranging interview covering not only their music and history but also the current crisis in Argentina where progressive values are under serious threat. The Steve Sanderson Morning Show on WRSI also interviewed the duo making a this popular music audience aware of the residency, the artists, their backgrounds, and the sponsors and partners who made it possible. Further, the Daily Hampshire Gazette published a feature article based on the duo's workshop at Northampton High School.

With this unexpected media coverage, the multicultural intent of the residency was shared with an estimated 10,000+ daily listeners on NEPM, 6,000 + listeners to the Steve Sanderson Morning Show on WRSI the River and over 70,000 readers of the Daily Hampshire Gazette.

We are grateful for your support and hope that you take pride in the impact that you made possible.

Overview by The Numbers

Media Coverage, Print

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News > Local (/News/Local/) Music as a cultural bridge: Libertad! Artist-in-Residency features Argentinean musical duo

NORTHAMPTON — For Argentinean Jews, the word “Libertad” isn’t just the Spanish word for !eedom — it’s also the name of one of the streets within the old Jewish quarter in Buenos Aires, as well as the name of the largest synagogue in that city.

It’s that inspiration which gave the name to the Libertad! Artist-in-Residency that welcomed the Argentinean musical duo of Cesar Lerner and Marcelo Moguilevsky to western Massachusetts for four days last week.

Joey Baron, a consultant in marketing and community arts from Boston who helped arrange the Northampton visit, said that the timing of the residency was particularly crucial given a recent uptick in antisemitism in the United States, and hoped that the duo, with their diversity of music that bridges cultures, might also be able to bring together people of different faiths and races together.

“Given the world situation, the undercurrent of antisemitism is a little more upfront than it would have been six months ago,” Baron said. “It’s important to them, and it’s important to me, that we always try to find ways to connect with each other. Music is one of the best ways to do that.”

Moguilevsky agreed. “The goal is to erase t the border that many times splits this world,” he said. “Not only Jewish people, not only Argentine people, music is for everybody.”

Alexander MacDougall can be reached at amacdougall@gazettenet.com

Rado Mention

NORTHAMPTON HIGH SCHOOL

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Libertad Artist-in-Residency: An Extraordinary Cultural Fusion by Argentinian Maestros, Lerner and Moguilevsky

Celebrating Music as a Unifying Force [Leeds, Massachusetts] – Join in a multicultural musical journey when renowned Argentinean musicians Cesar Lerner and Marcello Moguilevsky visit the Pioneer Valley as Artists-in-Residence, November 28th to December 2nd. This extraordinary residency brings together ten diverse cultural, educational, and religious organizations to promote the harmony that music can foster.

About Lerner and Moguilevsky:

•Over the past 40 years, Cesar Lerner and Marcello Moguilevsky have developed a unique musical approach that seamlessly blends elements of klezmer, tango, jazz, and folk music. They have performed in concert halls, music festivals, and classrooms across the globe.

•César Lerner is an Argentinian composer, pianist, accordion player, and percussionist. He has composed the music to some of the most successful films in Argentina. He also directs ‘Drum Circle’, a platform for inclusion through music in areas of social care and education.

•Marcelo Moguilevsky is a multi-instrumentalist (clarinet, bass clarinet, soprano sax, recorder, harmonica, and piano); composer and teacher. Since 2011, he has been Director of the Music Department of the National Fund and Professor of Musical Language in Fine Arts of the UNLP (Universidad Nacional de la Plata).

Event Highlights:

•Educational Workshops: Lerner and Moguilevsky will conduct workshops at the Springfield Conservatory for the Arts, Northampton High School, Lander-Grinspoon Academy, and Williams College. Engaging with these musicians from South America can shatter degrading Jewish stereotypes

•Masterclass and Jam Session: On Wednesday, November 29th, musicians are invited to a masterclass and jam session at The Parlor Room. This event promises an enriching experience for musicians and music lovers of all levels.

•Concert Extravaganza: On Thursday, November 30th, join the multi-cultural concert celebration at the Bombyx Center for Arts and Equity. With special

surprise guests Lerner and Moguilevsky, will deliver a performance that promises to be both joyous and inspiring. Northampton’s Rachel Leeder, Ariel Shapiro, and Richie Barshay Klezmer trio will open the show.

• A Message from Dream Up Events:

This residency is a collaborative project initiated by Dream Up Events, a community arts organization founded by Joey Baron, a new Leeds resident and a previous founder of the Boston Jewish Music Festival and the Jewish Arts Collaborative. Baron points out, "In a time when distrust and animosity are flourishing, we need the arts to foster understanding and appreciation of others. Cultural events like this offer a warm, welcoming environment to experience and explore diverse traditions and creative expressions.”

Supporters and Sponsors:

The Libertad Artist-in-Residency is made possible with the generous support of the Mass Cultural Council, the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, the Northampton Arts Council, the Jewish Federation of Western MA, and the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires

Along with the major funders, the residency is a collaborative effort by a range of organizations including Bombyx Center for Art and Equity, Northampton High School, Springfield Conservatory for The Arts, Williams College, Lander Grinspoon Academy, Beit Ahavah, Congregation B’nai Israel, Jewish Community of Amherst, Secret Planet, Davis Financial Services, and Florence Bank.

Join us in celebrating the creativity and unifying power of music during the Libertad Artist-in-Residency.

For media inquiries or sponsorship opportunities, please contact:

Joey Baron

Dream Up Events

Thank You

joeyb@dreamupconsulting.com 781.883.2091

A project like this is only possible with the support of our many sponsors, hosts, collaborators, and media. Each contributed to the Residency’s success. But some do deserve special mention.

The Jewish Federation of Western MA served as the Residency’s fiscal sponsor enabling Dream Up Events to fulfill non -profit financial guidelines. The project would not have run as smoothly without the leadership of Chief Executive Officer Nora Gorenstein , and Donor Impact Officer Bobby Naimark.

Thanks also to Brian Foote, the Executive Director of the Northampton Arts Council for his generosity of time and wisdom from the earliest stages of this idea.

We thank everyone involved in the residency -students, concertgoers, funders, partners, and media- for recognizing how the arts contribute to making our communities more tolerant, understanding, and vibrant.