My Dilemma? Talking Turkey!

Let's just say that a musician shouldn't be his or her own business manager. So over the past week, I've been contacted by several people from across the country who have asked me if I would be interested in coming out to do a concert. Armed with my trusty Music man, and very close friend, Schneur Menaker, I feel ready for anything.

Well, the conversation goes great. They ask a few questions about my music. I answer. We shmooze for a while. They say, Oh I love this song or that song. I say thanks so much, and we talk about its origins. At this point both the person on the other end of the line and I are kinda psyched up about the idea of the future concert.

And then it happens. "So how much do you charge for a concert" It's at this point, my friends, that I kinda start to feel my left eye twitch. To say the least, the convo goes all but downhill from there.

See, here's the dilemma. They found me, called me, and want me cause they were referred by someone else, or they heard my music. I love music, I love being able to inspire groups of young Jewish college students. It's amazing to sing, tell stories, and bring it all down into an ear-friendly package. (Side note, the soul responds well to music) What a feeling it is to sit in my chair and watch these students hang on to your every word. AND, LIKE, HELLO? WE JUST MET MOMENTS BEFORE THE CONCERT.

Simply put, I love doing what I do. What I don't like, however, is having to talk business with a potential concert-organizer. It makes me feel uncomfortable for several reasons.

Either way, I was discussing all this with my brother, Rabbi Shmulik Kravitsky, and he offered to handle the business talk from here on. So here goes. Anyone who wants to book a concert in the future can contact him directly @ 347-463-5075.

If you ask for "The SNak" (that's an acronym of his name Shmuel Nassan Kravitsky) he'll give you a discount on your booking.

Okay ppl. Now you and I can focus on what's important. Let the inspiring music commence.

-moshe

WE MADE CHABAD.ORG

Moshe Kravitsky performs during a musical tribute hosted by the Meaningful Life Center one year after the Mumbai terror attacks. (Photo: Chaim Perl)

By Yonit Tanenbaum
Dec 1, 2009 4:10 PM


Putting an East Village touch on the first anniversary of the terror attacks in Mumbai, India, approximately 100 Jewish New Yorkers packed a room at the city’s Meaningful Life Center to memorialize the lives of slain Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg through music and contemplative lyrics.
The evening gathering last week drew a cross section of the community, from Jewish hipsters and young professionals to middle-aged spiritual seekers. Many, like designer Freida Stock, knew of the Holtzbergs – who perished alongside four of their guests when gunmen stormed their Chabad House – only from news reports and countless stories circulated online and around Shabbat tables. But one year after the attacks, they still felt connected to events that transpired half a world away.
“Although I never knew Gabi and Rivky personally,” said Stock, “I personally felt the tragedy, and want to remember them.”

Featuring Queens native Moshe Hecht, the musical tribute included emerging artists from across the metropolitan area. Sporting a white shirt and Russian-style cap, Hecht performed “Lamplighters,” a song he composed in the wake of the Mumbai attacks.

From his perch atop a stool on stage, Hecht explained that the lyrics were inspired by an answer that the Fifth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Sholom DovBer, offered one of his disciples in 1907 when asked for the definition of a Chasid.

“A Chasid is a lamplighter,” said the Rebbe. “He takes the torch and travels around the world, through dark streets illuminating the way so that people will have direction.”

“That is precisely what Gabi and Rivky were doing in Mumbai,” emphasized Hecht, the 12th of 14 children, who are all involved in some way or another in Chabad activities around the world.

Language of the Soul
Sitting on low couches, cushioned barstools and folding chairs, the audience laughed at times, sighed at others, and appeared enveloped in the dim glow and stirring chords from the musicians on stage.

Mark Bolinsky, 50, a student for the past eight years of Meaningful Life Center founder Rabbi Simon Jacobson, said that the musical tribute was a fitting way to answer last year’s carnage.

“A little bit of light dispels much darkness and evil,” said the real estate controller.

Jacobson, author of the best-selling Toward a Meaningful Life, said that the center has focused on music as a way to “bring spirituality to people.”

“We are constantly looking for emerging artists,” he explained, “because music is the language of the soul.”

Included among the performers was Moshe Kravitsky, singing his own tribute, “Fallen Angles.”

“How do we say goodbye to the angels that have flown away and died?” the 27-year-old native Israeli sang. “3,500 siblings asking, ‘Why?’ ”

Kayla Pinson, an assistant teacher at an elementary school, said that she was especially moved by a parable that Hecht relayed during his set.

“I loved [his] story about all of the jungle animals – bears, zebras, alligators, lions – who gathered to compete for the loudest sound in the jungle,” she relayed. “The animal with the loudest sound was the little canary, because when she sang, all of the birds joined in one tune, just like us. When something happens to one of us, our entire nation is affected.”

“All Jews are connected,” echoed Stock. “When one is taken from us, we all feel it.”

on the web @

Moshe Hecht has amazing music. I've been walking around for the better part of the week now singing "When I'm in Need". Give it a listen, folks. Jewish music hasn't been this good since the Berry Sisters.

Click below to go to his Myspace

http://www.moshesmusic.com/

-moshe

@ the MLC concert.

Photo taken by http://www.TheCoolJew.com

The Most Awesomest Concert @ MLC

Last night, about 100 people gathered together at the Meaninful Life Center, to honor the Righteous Victims of the Mumbai Attacks; Gabi and Rivka Holtzberg OBM. Moshe Hecht was awesome through and through. Schneur Menaker on the piano and guitar did his thing so well, and completed the sound.
I think worked the crowd pretty nicely. They were all cheering for so very long after my songs, and came up to me and told me how, through the song, they were able to feel what the lyrics were expressing. Mission accomplished!

Here's a link to the most awesomest video from the most awesomest concert. I'll see if I can get ahold of the entire songs that I did and post it later.

-moshe

Dear Mrs. Levertov from New Jersey

My mother read me the letter you posted on the shluchos exchange forum. Wow. I've got to say that it's amazing to read that the memorial video is inspiring, is reminding, is doing its job.
I'll say that you hit the nail on the head with your email. Please remind the shluchos that they may circulate this video to all of their members and congregants. The song was born out of a plethora of emotions + a desire to want to make it all better. That's why the first part of the song is recounting what happens, while the second part brings forth the open desire to want to replace the evil these 10 terrorists brought upon the world, with goodness and positive light. "I will light the skies from here to Mumbai"

I must point out, though, that without Rabbi Levi Teldon, the man behind all of the promo videos for JLI, and more recently the genius behind his new company, www.xpressvid.com , this project wouldn't be possible. Last year when I wrote this song, I wrote it for anyone who felt the pain and desire to better the world. However, like any artist, I didn't believe people understood what my vision of "Lighting the skies" truly meant.

Levi brought Fallen Angels to a whole new dimension. He breathed new life into it. Thanks to him, people will understand why the song was composed with tears. They will see what I saw when I sat by the piano and played it for the first time.

By the way, over night, the video got 3100 hits on Youtube.com. But it's gotta do a whole lot better than that, so keep spreading it around. Post it to your Face Book profile, status, email it.

I hope you find my other music uplifting and inspiring. I ask that you share it as well. It's all free, and I plan on releasing more in the near future. So check back for updates.

Thanks so much, Mrs. Levertov from New Jersey


-moshe

Mumbai Memorial Song Goes Viral

chabad.org posted this in their news section. how cool is that?

Written in the wake of Mumbai, India, terror attacks, a song inspired by the lives of fallen Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg has experienced a new popularity after a video production of the recording went viral on the Internet.

“Fallen Angels” was composed by Moshe Kravitsky, while its video features images from the Mumbai Chabad House and other photos compiled by Brooklyn-based Rabbi Levi Teldon.

“The lyrics come from the heart,” says Kravitsky. “Everyone is able to respond to the Mumbai tragedy in their unique way, and I feel people can relate to the Holtzbergs’ holy lives through the message in the music.”



http://www.chabad.org/blogs/blog_cdo/aid/1043220/jewish/Mumbai-Memorial-Song-Goes-Viral.htm

Fallen Angels - Lyrics

I got a few emails from various Chabad Houses asking for the lyrics to Fallen Angels, as they're making a public Memorial event for the Holtzbergs, OBM, and will be showing the Fallen Angels video. I will paste the lyrics below for all of you who need them. Let me know how the memorial goes.

-moshe



Fallen Angels

She closed her eyes
He wiped her tears
He said Shema
It calmed his fears

He held her hand
Said it’d be alright
Knowing well they both could lose their life

And as my world watched it on the screen
We hoped and prayed and prayed again
That it would be a silent dream
But the dawn ushered in an unfamiliar light
The worst was heard confirmed

Now I cry to you, I lean on you,
my fellow Jew I ask of you

Chorus:
Tell me how do we say goodbye
to the angels that have fallen from our life
And how do we say goodbye
to the angels that have flown away at night

3500 siblings asking why
An orphan’s forced to cry
Mommy, Totty hold my hand
One day I pray you’ll understand
The cowardly lion is not the king of the land.
But the question remains, I ask

Chorus:
Tell me how do we say goodbye
to the angels that have fallen from our life
And how do we say goodbye
to the angels that have flown away at night

Don’t judge me when I mourn
Today it’s me who’s torn
Don’t look at me
My tears are falling fast

They say it’s all a blessing in disguise
I can’t differentiate the lies from truth
What’s a mind to do

We were the super heros of the night
We would illuminate the sky
They took away the torch but not your flame
What’s my mind to do
I will never forget you
I will light the ski from here to Mumbai
And nothing will ever look the same

Chorus:
Tell me how do we say goodbye
to the angels that have fallen from our life
And how do we say goodbye
to the angels that have flown away at night

Chassidim Never say goodbye
We want Moshiach Now

Fallen Angels -- the video

This music video was the brain-child of the very talented, Levi Teldon. He worked very hard on the project. Let us hope that the time of sitting in our current exile has come to an end, and we will once again re-unite with Rabbi and Rivky Holtzberg together with the coming of Moshiach Speedily in our days. All it takes is one good deed, and the world, as we know it, can forever change.
As always, please share this link with your friends. Post it to your Facebook accounts, and spread it around.

-moshe

American Lies & Schizophrenic Soul

These are two of my own personals. The sources for these songs may be found in the Hasidic teachings which i have pasted below. Thanks for Listening. -moshe


Schizophrenic Soul

Tanya Likutei Amarim Perek Chof Ches (Chapter 28)

"But in fact there are two souls, each waging war against the other in the person’s mind
The mind is thus not only the battleground, but also the prize, the object of the battle between the two souls, for:
Each of them wishes and desires to rule and pervade the mind exclusively."
and can be read more at length over here

http://www.chabad.org/dailystudy/tanya.asp?tDate=2/21/2009

American Lies

American Lies

Likutei Sichos Chelek Lamed Vav Parshas Shmos
Iggeres Hakodesh (in Tanya) siman 25.

and ppl can read more about it right here

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/507284/jewish/Reaction-to-Tragedy.htm

The person who truly believes in G‑d and His providence does not fear vulnerability; the word doesn't exist in his/her lexicon. One is never "vulnerable" to random acts of nature, nor is one ever the victim of another's evil (or illness). Everything which occurs to a person is predetermined -- "on Rosh Hashanah [their fates] are inscribed, and on the fast of Yom Kippur they are sealed." This doesn't in any way diminish the pain and grief which result from such tragic events. Indeed, Jewish law mandates mourning periods when we are required to express our hurt and pain. But it does elimte the most dreaded feeling of all: vulnerability. edit

Soul Awake

This is a collection of 9 holy melodies from the Chabad heritage. Please note, these are not simply notes combined in order to form a fine, relaxing tune. Rather, throughout the history of the saintly Rabbis and their holy followers, it was known that music had the power to transform, to heal, to better. When all the chips were down, and the end seemed near, a lone hasidic follower would call upon the power of these melodies, and ask that through them, G-d have mercy on his individal situation. I present to you, Soul Awake.
-moshe

For those that were ripped away from us in the Mumbai Terror Attacks

May G-d speedily avenge their saintly blood. This world is upside down. We must walk towards truth even if the path along the way is distorted. May we all merit to be taken out of this Exile and towards Jerusalem together with our Righteous Moshiach Tzidkeinu.

Soul-Awake

Welcome to my site. All songs are completely free to download and share with friends. All features were recorded for the purposes of inspiring a genuine awakening of your soul. May you go on to inspire others and make the world a better place. -moshe