The door flew open and I immediately took the tape out of the deck and hid it under my covers. I was lying in bed listening to Dream Theater’s Images and Words Album, I was blown away by it, it pounded out of my tape deck into my oversized sony headphones, but I was always on alert for intruders. No, this wasn’t a war, this was more of a game between Rabbis, Dorm Councilors, beis medrish guys and us – the lowly high school guy, forever at the wrath of everyone else. Having our rights trampled upon, and in this case it was music.
Don’t get me wrong, music was perfectly fine, we could listen to all of the frum music we wanted, all of those horns blaring and bearded men howling out ancient torah texts in tunes that we sang every shabbos and I nor anyone I was very good friends with wanted to have anything to do with it. Why would we want to listen to depressing brass orchestras singing the morning prayers? But, all was not lost, for in their sympathy the Rabbis had permitted us one leniency, we could listen to non-Jewish music with headphones on – or instrumental music without headphones – but those sneaky Rabbis knew that 15 year old boys from orthodox homes didn’t really have a penchant for Jazz or Classical music.
So I shoved my tape under my covers, waiting for the Dorm Councilor to leave, he may or may not check the tape deck, but I switched to the oldies station just in case he checked my headphones. They were quite ruthless, I remember kids getting entire music collections taken away, never to be seen again. The meaner folks would break CD’s and cassettes in half, to torture the kids.
I myself didn’t care much, any CD’s I had stored away were in fact stolen from BMG and Columbia House several years before those companies realized that thousands of prepubescent kids were scamming them out of thousands of dollars worth of music by getting the free stuff and then not going by the rules. I don’t think it hurt my credit because I spelled my name wrong – I was pretty smart for a fifth grader.
But the tapes I had, were of a friend’s, a friend that I would hold responsible for opening my mind to the fact that there was music beyond the radio. That Van Halen and Led Zeppelin had great songs that weren’t hits and the introduction to a world of instrumental metal and rock, allowing me to soak up the music of Joe Satriani and Jeff Beck – sans headphones.
My friend seemed to have dozens of collections, he was from the Midwest and apparently there was a store in his town that sold tapes at the ridiculously low price of 3 for a buck. He was witness to the destruction of much music, but he strode on to become one of the few true music junkies I know.
In the meantime we were stuck in yeshiva in Rochester, smuggling away our music into cubbyholes, cereal boxes and refrigerators, actually it was very similar to porn, in that everyone hid it in similar places. Porn and CD’s were the two big things on the Rabbis hit lists when they conducted a room search, cigarettes and booze came in a close second, and finally things like extension cords and toaster ovens supposedly a fire hazard – but probably just a way to make extra cash on the side from the sales of those items.
I don’t where they are now, but I can remember certain albums that changed my life, or that I at least listened to over and over again. Van Halen’s Balance, Def Leapard’s Hysteria and Joe Satriani’s album The Extremist, I would listen to these over and over again and still have them all on my I-pod, but for the life of me I have no idea where they are. I do remember lending a box of tapes to my friend in Philly, but have since forgot of them, luckily I never had any music taken away or destroyed by my Rabbis.
They claimed that non-Jewish music destroyed our souls and that when we listened to it our souls became connected and we could even get their evil inclinations. All of it never made any sense, because if that was the case any Jewish singer with a non-Jewish band may be problematic. What was the difference if the music was instrumental or not? It was still non-Jewish.
Oh how I wish I was jazz fan in high school…
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{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
led zep and van halen – nice!
Dude, been reading this blog for ages. Images & Words finally got a comment out of me. In fact, my introduction to DT occurred at Camp Magen Av, when rather than listening to all the garbage blaring over the PA system, I was handed a copy of Train of Thought.
Can’t non-Jewish music have a positive message?
It’s not all “sex, sex, sex”. Pop music is basically that, but more underground stuff can be very deep and meaningful. It seems that the Frum world considers non-Jewish music as some sort of sonic cheeseburger.
Heshy I didn’t read this post yet. Right when I saw the cover art for images and words I had to immediately post. Dude, you just went up huge in my book. Isn’t black clouds and silver linings the best they’ve put out since 6 degrees? I think so!
Long live prog rock.
pull me under …
hmm I guess my school was more modern than yours, because we could listen to whatever music we wanted on our headphones.
I do have a clear memory of a rabbi asking what I was listening to, and me handing over my headphones so he could listen to the Smashing Pumpkins (I think it was mellon collie and the infinite sadness), and him being all “how can you listen to this, it’s just a guy screaming?”
Oooh my favorite music story is that when I was a senior we had a ‘Music class’ where the teacher had us bring in our favorite songs (with no cursing) and we would analyze the music. I brought in Korn’s “Blind” and lent my friend the cd for Pink Floyd’s Another Brick in the Wall Part 2. Ha. We thought we were such badasses.
Attack of the fanboys.
if you listend to phish in high school you would have had no worries. Turn on a 17 min jam, and the rabbis will never get to the words. and just assume the entire album is instrumental!
why o why did i never think of this in yeshiva…
I was on the opposite end of the music spectrum – I listened to Rock, Metal, Oldies and Country – didn’t get into blues, jam, jazz or world music until the middle of college
I had the “best” spot to hide my tapes, no-one ever found them during searches, they were in my tefillin bags (Rashi + RT’s) behind my tefillin. I only had a few tapes, but usually borrowed 2 or 3 at a time from my local metalhead buddies.
In retrospect, I wonder if Ozzy felt at home next to my Rabbeinu Tams or vice versa.
The tefillin bag held all of my pot/rolling papers.
Not even el al security found it.
a good story: I was on a yeshiva trip in Israel and my rebbe was sitting next to me. I was listening to Rush 2112. Trying to get into “friend” mode to a) show he was cool and b) hear what I was listening to, he asked me if he could listen. I guess he was waiting for me to be embarrassed and slowly give the cd player to him but instead I said sure. I started the album from the beginning and he sat, listening enthralled for 4 minutes. He took off the headphones and said, ‘wow. I’ve never heard drumming like that. And the guitar was amazing as well. You can listen to this music.’
First, if any of you know the album, the first 5 minutes or so are instrumental. second, he gave it to me right before the singing started. Third, I told him the bassist was also really good, and jewish too. I told him that not all music is ‘dirty,’ and that jewish music lacked the musical expertise and caliber that I was looking for. Not that I needed it, but he gave me his “p’sak” that I could listen to this type of non-jewish music. I like educating frummies about alternate, non-mainstream-radio, non-jewish music.
(“Listen to this Jewish song! Isn’t it great?!” Me: “Yes, but it’s rock you like a hurricane by The Scorpions…” )
I was listening to Rush out loud once and my dorm councilor came in and started yelling to me about Kol Isha
Rush IS Kol Isha.
Geddy Lee may sing like a Eunuch, but he still kicks ass.
Licks ass is more like it!
I thought so too till I saw Rush live 2 years ago.
BT here. Just take those old records off the shelf , I sit and listen to ‘em by myself. Today’s music ain’t got the same soul; I like that old time rock and roll.
My rabbi’s sons know the words to Charlie Brown; I’m the one trying to get them to memorize the words to Moshe Schmiel.
Country Yossie chai!
…I recall once someone trying to pass off The Beastie Boys as Jewish music. Any less than Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, Billy Joel, or Sammy Davis Jr.?
Phish, btw, is half Jewish.
actually, geddy has a pretty deep voice. The fact that he used to be able to hit high pitches is called talent.
I do remember seeing quite a few CD’s destroyed by rabbis in my time..