Aviva Kessler Wins the First AJMF Songwriter's Contest
And the winner is...
A native New Yorker, Kessler has been involved with music her own life as she described her start as sitting in the back of a car while on road trips to upscale New York with her family. Many voice lessons while a teenage, proficiency with multiple instruments plus being a part of an a cappella group at Tufts University has molded Kessler into the musician she is today.
Kessler is the lead singer in her band "Aviva and The Flying Penguins." She met her fellow band members at open mic nights around Atlanta and the band was formed. In a recent interview with AtlantaJewishNews.com, Kessler did not really describe her music type, but described her style as a "world musician" and said express herself and her views through song, dance and performance.
"World music is one's own style that you have to listen for," said Kessler. She is extremely proud of having her own style and not emulating any other artists.
Kessler found out about the Festival's contest through a fellow band member and submitted the songs. For winning the contest she gets a spot in the AJMF's Spring festival plus a stipend to record the band's fourth album "Painted Truth."
Aviva and the Flying Penguins have toured around the metro area as well as some performances in New York. Kessler said she hopes to expand regionally in cities like Savannah, Asheville and Athens. Here long term plans, along with her touring, include connecting and building an audience to help push her views of an environmentally friendly Earth and how to drive a more sustainable planet.
AJMF was founded in 2009, by 25 year-old Russell Gottschalk said there was a need for more culture in the Atlanta Jewish community through music and took his experiences from working with the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival to expand his idea.
Gottschalk said he started working for the film festival while in college and then was able to incubate AJMF with Limmud Atlanta+Southeast (a non-profit experiential learning opportunity for Jews each year in Atlanta) where Limmud promoted the new music festival while also being its fiscal agent. AJMF is an independent organization that celebrates fresh Jewish music. “What exactly is Jewish music?” I asked Gottschalk.
"Jewish music is a form of artistic expression by a self-identifying Jew," said Gottschalk. "It can be Klezmer or Rock or Hip Hop or any type of musical expression. We respect the diversity of the Jewish experience and take a broad view of what Jewish music is and can be. But great Jewish music elicits a Jewish response and connection by the audience."
The first festival was in 2010 and was a one-day festival. In 2011, the festival expanded to three days with over a dozen events and attracting over 2,500 people to various local venues including Eddie’s Attic, Congregation Bet Haverim and a closing night concert at Center Stage in midtown. Now, AJMF produces programs year round, including a Teen Open Mic Series this Spring.
AJMF developed the songwriting contest as a way to engage and reward local musical talent. They’ll
showcase Atlanta’s fresh Jewish musicians at the Local’s Stage (May 10th this year) during their annual Spring Festival. Gottschalk added, “I’m thrilled that Aviva won AJMF’s songwriting contest and we all look forward to hearing her and the Flying Penguins at our 3rd annual Spring Festival.”
For the upcoming festival, volunteers are needed and more information can be found on the festival's Facebook page or by e-mailing Gottschalk at russell@atlantajmf.org.
AJMF is the preeminent producer and promoter of live, contemporary Jewish music experiences in Atlanta, providing opportunities for musicians and audiences to deepen their connection to Jewish music, culture and each other. While connecting Atlanta to the global Jewish music renaissance, AJMF will foster a more vibrant Jewish community throughout the Southeast.
Visit AJMF on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/atlantajmf
Learn more and listen to Aviva at http://www.avivaandtheflyingpenguins.com
By Josh Bernstein Exclusively for AtlantaJewishNews.com
