Meaning in Melody traced the preservation of Russian Jewish identity via music, whether secret or exposed, from the late 19th century through today. The project produced an album, Crypto Jewish Melodies: Semitic Sounds of Russian Extraction, consisting of 14 tracks. The tracks were split into 5 sets: “Father and Sons”, contrasting the liturgical music of Avram Dunayevsky and the popular music of Isaak Dunayevsky; “Immigration, the Early Years”, surveying the impact of Russian Jewish immigrants on the American Songbook culture; “Songs of War”, highlighting the importance of Jewish music as it relates to Russian wartime experiences; “Younger Audiences and the Soviet Thaw”, demonstrating the a more open return of Jewish melody into popular children’s music upon the decline of the Soviet Union; and “Beyond Borders”, revealing the way in which Russian Jewish music continues to permeate the musical cultures of Israel, America and beyond. CD is available online and 40% of proceeds was sent to COJECO.
The event took place on May 21, 2015.
Website dedicated to the album www.LaraTraumMusic.com
Fellows
Lara Traum Meaning in Melody Lara Traum, the daughter of Russian immigrants who came to New York in 1979, grew up in Queens. She graduated from New York University with a BA in Music, Literature, and Judaic Studies and is currently studying for a Juris Doctorate at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. Before pursuing a career as a lawyer and mediator, Lara worked with the Zamir Choral Foundation as one of their choral conductors. Lara is a frequent soloist in venues such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.
