Hebrew Press Takes Notice
Feb 11Remember when Sting sang about being an Englishman in New York? Well, I’m an American in Israel, and even though more and more Israeli musicians are performing in English, my music is a bit out of the mainstream. That’s why it was so nice to see a Hebrew-language publication pick up on my latest disc, and give a positive shout-out. This appeared in “Hallel”...
A Review to Write Home About
Feb 02When Norm Mast, co-host of The Back Porch radio show broadcasting out of Indiana, named my new disc one of the best of 2012, I thought I couldn’t be more pleased. But I am. He just wrote to tell me WHY. And I quote… “Hi Sandy, Al Kniola forwarded your email to me re: our pick of Voices as one of our Best of 2012 selections. You asked why or what made this CD stand out for...
“Voices” Named One of 25 Top Folk CDs of 2012
Jan 07Time for a happy dance (click “Read More”, then click on the pic to see the animation)! DJs Al Kniola and Norm Mast, hosts of WVPE’s “The Back Porch” radio show broadcasting out of Elkhart, Indiana, have named VOICES FROM THE OTHER SIDE as one of the top 25 folkmusic releases of 2012. Thanks,...
Home Front (Everything’s Alright)
Nov 23This is a video of a song I wrote in the afternoon of November 21, just a ceasefire brought Operation Pillar of Defense to a close. We’re all hoping that this ceasefire lasts longer than the last one… the agreement sounds suspiciously like the one made at the end of Operation Cast Lead four years ago. By the way, this was my first-ever homemade video created using the camera on my...
Music and Activism – My Double Life Revealed in “Israelity”
Nov 21Israelity is a blog that focuses on “the reality of daily life in Israel.” Daily life here has been difficult lately, with Hamas rockets putting the lives of literally half of Israel’s population in danger. This recent blog post talks both about my music, and how I make it my business to speak out for my country.
Rain? Lightning? Rockets? No Problem for Israeli Folk Fans
Oct 28They used to say that the US Postal Service would get the job done despite “dark, storm, or gloom of night.” Well, in two recent concerts, Israeli folk music fans proved that they will brave anything to come out for a show. This past Thursday, I was invited to the city of Petach Tikva as part of the “Greta’s Rooftop Concerts” series. I had heard that Greta — a...
“Voices” hits the Folk DJ charts
Oct 10Good news: Less than a month after its release to the radio, Voices From the Other Side has made it onto Folk-DJ’s “TOP ALBUMS AND SONGS OF SEPTEMBER 2012.” It’s an honor to have my album listed along with recordings created by some of my favorite artists. Among others, my new songs have been broadcast by: Gene Shay, WXPN, Philadelphia, PA Christine Lavin (guest host), WFUV, New...
Singing (With Sirens) in the South
Sep 12One of the things I like about living in a tiny country like Israel is that you can be a nationally-touring folksinger, and always get home in time to drive carpool in the morning. This morning this trusty one-liner proved true yet again… I’m back home at the computer at 8 AM after last night’s show in the southern town of Beer Sheva. Last night’s show marked the first...
To CD, Or Not to CD – That’s the Question
Aug 20By the time those three big boxes from the disc manufacturing plant made it to my front door (lots of stairs… huff, puff!), I’d already answered the question of course. In the digital age, there is less and less demand for actual, physical CDs, since people can easily download the music they want online. Still, it’s always good to have a choice. Call me old fashioned, but I wanted the...
Songwriting From the Heart, From Israel
Aug 20When I first started writing songs, my material was heavily weighted toward the subjects that occupied most of my time: my kids. I remember when I used to introduce my performance of “Survival of the Fittest” by telling audiences how this song was inspired the tri-partite split that characterized my life… the fact that I was (1) a singer-songwriter, (2) a science writer, and (3) the mother...
Where Israel’s Folk Community Shines
Aug 20Just got back from the first of two summertime “hoots” sponsored by the Jerusalem Folk Club. After a day of oppressive heat and humidity in my home town, it was great to drive up the hill at night and cool off in Jerusalem’s higher elevation. My spirits were elevated, too. Outdoor hoots – in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv – have become a much-anticipated thing around here. Unlike the regular...