Whether you have 10 people or 15 000 people at an event and either just two artists or a full orchestra it’s immaterial to the quality of the music says piano virtuoso Mendy Hershkowitz. For him musical performance is all about the energy and the chemistry between the performers.

“Yes I’ve been at huge parties together with tens of musicians and it’s wonderful. But small intimate gatherings can also produce great music. I once did a kumzitz with MBD singing and myself on the piano in someone’s home in Chicago and the energy there was so beautiful that we could have gone on forever.”

I NEVER COMPOSE WITHOUT.. 

ARI GOLDWAG composer and singer:

  “Two things: a Tanach so I can find a concept or a pasuk which inspires me and some means of recording because I can easily forget the musical concept I’ve created. I used to compose on the keyboard or guitar but recently I’ve found that composing with no instrument lets the creativity flow even more.”

(Originally featured in Mishpacha Issue 683)