The composer Arnon Naor, known as Sun Taylor, decided to form a committee that would unite all the musicians, including conductors, songwriters and producers • "There is no such profession as a 'musician' in Israel" • So who's inside?
With all due respect to the interest in gardening, the acquisition of baking skills and other Corona leisure clichés, it seems that the real lesson that the foul virus brought with it is actually about future assessments.
For many cultural figures and especially musicians, the inability to function professionally and make a living was a shaky wake-up call.
The possibility where the obvious - stage, performances and a bustling musical scene - suddenly no longer exists.
This is a reality that until half a year ago seemed absurd, in which they would find themselves forced to improvise income channels, think of solutions outside the box or lie on the couch in their fetal position, wondering if they should have taken a few different turns in their personal and professional lives.
"The corona has revealed Rick in all its nakedness," says musician and creator Arnon Naor, known as the stage singer San Taylor.
Naor found himself, like many of his friends in the last six months, homeless - unable to make a living.
But not a house in the physical sense, but more like a professional roof.
One that will support him, understand his plight and most importantly represent him in front of large bodies and governments.
In other words - Sun Taylor realized that musicians also need a committee.
"The great discovery on our part, beyond the terrible crisis that revealed how unprepared we are, is the understanding that we are one public," he says today (Tuesday) with the official establishment of "Sounds" - an association of musicians in Israel.
A legal organization that has engraved on its banner "operating a musicians' association, protecting them professionally, taking care of their salaries and working conditions," while "maintaining, nurturing and promoting the status of musicians and musicians."
"It's an initiative that actually started rolling out during the first wave," he says.
"We gathered a group of musicians and started talking, because we saw that we actually have no voice or representation. No one came to our aid during this difficult time. It is difficult for everyone, but especially for cultural figures and musicians specifically. No one speaks our speech, does not shout the Our cry in front of the government and the various bodies. There are all kinds of bodies in Israel that deal with things related to musicians, such as the various royalty bodies (including ACUM), but they are economic bodies, not trade unions.
Their job is not to help us put together this or that outline during the most difficult crisis that befell us, so they did not do that either.
So we gathered and decided that we should be that voice, bring it and not wait for someone to do it for us. "
From the living room conversations, this turned into an initiative run by Arnon and his friends - Nahdi Lazar, Shira Z. Carmel (the Luz sisters), Ran Nir, Erez Daskel, Tanya Winokur and Nadia Raz Hacham.
They all come from different worlds, fields and genres of the industry - including dance, music production, rock and classical music.
Some have been involved in helping musicians for years.
And all are now united under the understanding that they have a common interest.
A statement of intent and a successful crowdfunding campaign and as mentioned, musicians now also have a body that will shout their cry.
"We were one public made up of different sectors, which until today were very separate," Arnon explains.
"There are musicians and there are music producers and there are many other roles that were simply separated. The big innovation here is that we are a sector of all Israeli soundtrack makers. We estimate that the numbers are about 15,000 people. It is impossible to know exactly, because one of the signs we have no representation He is the one who does not have a professional classification. There is no such profession as a 'musician' in Israel. There is a sculptor and there is even a fig picker, but there is no such thing as a 'musician'.
"There is such a general definition of 'art and entertainment'.
So we do not know how many there are in the Israeli ecosystem.
In a few months we have raised almost NIS 300,000 and we already have over 500 members, which is very little in relation to our potential, but it seems that people have really been waiting for something like this.
It's like a start-up saying 'how has it not been until now?' ".
A logical question, given that such bodies exist in countries like England and Germany.
" There is the 'Musicians' Association' in the country which was established 46 years ago and is not so active.
He only represents the artists, they are not looking to represent all the functionaries and they are not connected to the field.
There are no young guys there and they are not really active in certain age groups.
This is our gospel, in which we say 'we are basically one sector'.
It also contains songwriters, singers, musicians or DJ trances who perform all over the world. "
Do you have models you are inspired by? Not every musician knows how to work with government bodies.
" There are unions here in the country that we are in contact with and they help us, Like the Shaham (Israeli Players' Association). In the UK there is the Musicians Union, one of the oldest musicians in the world, and we learn from it. Beyond that there are professionals who help us. A lawyer who represents us, helps us with the registration process and advice and guidance in general I am the chairman of the temporary board of directors and will be in this position until we hold democratic elections among our members.
We said ‘we need this body’ and donated our time voluntarily.
Of course the corona helped, she gave us lots of free time to do it because no one had anything to do.
We realized we had to take advantage of the fact that we were all in a terrible state to rise from the ashes.
We volunteered to build the infrastructure, but from the beginning we said we did not own this thing. "
How many really different populations can belong to such an association? The law of Omar Adam as the law of Arnon Naor?
"It is important to say that members of the association are also people like Yizhar Ashdot, Rona Keinan, Assaf Amdursky, Noga Erez and Daniel Salomon. Its members are classical musicians, conductors, people from the world of singing groups or hip-hop singers. Both mainstream and indie. They're a relatively dominant part there right now. We're still missing some of the big names, but Daniel Salomon is not an indie.
"We understand that people like Omar Adam, Sarit Hadad or Shiri Maimon, who have huge careers, do not need a trade union, which usually cares about the people they are. Not in the top. But we turn to them from a place of solidarity. That it means saying to an artist like Avraham Tal, for example, ‘We need you, especially at this time. For people starting now. ' There are music rules that will benefit both Omar Adam, Sun Taylor and the one that is now starting in Lebontin. It is not only an act of solidarity but also a practical matter. The idea is to unite musicians, regardless of role, genre or status. To say how much we have in common than not. "