More On Shiny Shoe Charity

Velvel graciously posts an email from Monro888 with whom he had been sparing regarding Velvel's posts on Shiny Shoe music. In his email Monro told the story of how Shloime Dachs, hearing about Monro's difficult financial situation, not only offered to sing at his daughter's wedding free of charge but actually provided a one man band as well (and, to top it off, brought Yisroel Williger along). Monro also adds that the Shiny Shoe musicians (my term, not his) are 'on call' to play at hospitals for sick children on behalf of Chai Lifeline and do many other 'in kind' charitable acts.

I know that what Monro says about these musicians is true. Not only do musicians come to the hospitals but many, including Shloime Dachs and Avraham Fried, make an annual trip up to the Catskills to play at Camp Simcha and Camp HASC (as do many non-shiny shoe musicians like Chaim Dovid and Avraham Rosenblum).

Like Velvel, I am not suggesting that the shiny shoe musicians are bad guys. On the contrary, I get upset precisely BECAUSE while many of them are very nice guys, have beautiful voices and are very talented, rather than using these talents in a real and pure way, playing real and holy music, they get caught up singing lousy pop songs, doing silly videos and producing outrageous PR, in order to be a player in an industry that is so fake and artificial.

Indeed, I would be willing to bet that these musicians get much more personal satisfaction from playing for free in front of 100 sick kids at Camp Simcha than for good money in front of 2500 screaming teeny bopper girls at Brooklyn College.

If they listened to their inner voices rather than the external voices of their producers, they would be much better off.