24 ARTS&ENTERTAINMENTWEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2015 . THE JERUSALEM POST She writes the songs... American tunesmith Bonnie Hayes comes to Israel to audition Rimon School of Music students for the Berklee School of Music

• By DAVID BRINN for the Israeli students or Berklee’s other diverse international students. hyming “moon” and “June” in “It’s part of an ongoing conversation we song lyrics may not be that different have at Berklee in addressing the needs of from coupling “yeladim” (children) our international students. Yehuda and I and “ketanim” (little ones). The key were just talking last night about the cul- Rto penning a successful song, whether in tural subtexts, the rhymes and the lyrical English or Hebrew, is to be emotionally pattern in English and in Hebrew,” said invested, according to storied American Hayes. songsmith Bonnie Hayes. Even though she prefers that her students And she should know. The veteran Cal- write exclusively in English, she acknowl- ifornian has struck gold with songs for edged that it puts the foreign students at a artists ranging from Bette Midler and Cher disadvantage. to David Crosby and Bonnie Raitt (she “It’s difficult for non-native English penned two songs for Raitt’s Grammy-win- speakers to write good song lyrics in ning album Nick of Time – “Have a Heart” English, and translating is probably one and “Love Letter.”) of the hardest things to do. It’s always Hayes was in Israel earlier this month an issue for anybody coming to study at auditioning Israeli music students at the Berklee from abroad. But we just haven’t Rimon School of Music in Hod Hasharon had the capacity to address all the different in her position as chair of the Songwriting languages spoken at Berklee.” Department at the famed Berklee College Fortunately, most of the Rimon student of Music in Boston. applicants are well versed in English, and Rimon and Berklee have a longstand- Hayes was duly impressed by the audition ing partnership that has expanded into process. the songwriting sphere for the first time. “The songwriters impressed me, particu- Rimon students who have finished two larly in light of the fact that these students years of studies can complete their degree are writing in their second language,” she at the Berklee campus in Boston, and Hayes said. “The young artists I met take their was in town to scout for the next Ivry Liders music and expression very seriously, and and Keren Peleses, two luminary Rimon the auditions revealed a culture of musi- graduates. cal rigor that has created some of the best “There’s no objective criterion that AMERICAN SONGSMITH Bonnie Hayes seen here with an Israeli music student at the Rimon School of Music in Hod Hasharon. (Courtesy) young players I’ve seen. always insures a good song,” Hayes said “I feel that Berklee’s association with in a phone interview during a break from business as a performer back in the spiky ually took a back seat to the behind-the- Founded in 1985 by Berklee Israeli grad- Rimon brings us many great students who meeting with the Rimon students and new-wave days of the early 1980s, when scenes songwriting side – a development uates Yehuda Eder, Gil Dor and Amikam are able to succeed in this competitive holding master classes. “I’ve had very vivid two of her songs that she performed with that Hayes embraced. Kimelman, Rimon is Israel’s largest inde- industry.” disagreements with people over whether her Bay Area band The Wild Combo were “I was tired of being the center of atten- pendent professional music school for the Hayes’ final advice to the students who a song is good or not. Good is not a good featured in the 1983 Nicolas Cage cult clas- tion, I think it’s for young people,” she said. advanced study of contemporary music, aspire to be professional songwriters or per- word. For me, a song has to work emotion- sic film Valley Girl. “It just doesn’t feel appropriate at a cer- featuring more than 500 students and 100 formers is to focus more on the artistry and ally and yet also impart an idea. I like being “When you first find a groove and start tain point. And it enabled me to have my faculty members. less on the career building. engaged on both planes.” to write songs that people respond to, it’s daughter and not be on the road running “Berklee has had a collaborative relation- “You have to deliver the goods on your Hayes, who joined the Berklee faculty in one of the most thrilling and powerful around so much.” ship with Rimon since 1993, but this is the songs to make yourself 100 percent sure 2013, comes from a musical family (one things that can happen to a human being,” Hayes released a couple of solo albums last first time the songwriting track has been that you’ve written the best song you can. brother, Chris, was lead guitarist for Huey said Hayes. “I remember that period with decade, but began to move into academia involved,” said Eder, Rimon’s president. Sometimes, that involves writing 100 bad Lewis and the News and another, Kevin, a great deal of fondness, and I still like the with stints at the Stanford Jazz Workshop, “Some of Israel’s best songwriters have come songs for every good verse you write,” she was Robert Cray’s drummer for decades). music, but maybe not the production. I the REO Songwriting Retreat outside of out of Rimon, and even today we’re pro- said, adding a cautionary insight of irony to “I attended one of the first community think those songs stand the test of time.” Vancouver, B.C., and the ASCAP workshops ducing great ones like Rona Kenan and the a universal art that brings people together music schools in the US – Blue Bear – and Hayes concentrated on her musicianship, in Los Angeles before she joined Berklee. members of Jane Bordeaux, so it was import- in shared emotion. that’s how I found my life,” said Hayes. “I eventually joining the touring bands of This month’s trip to Israel – her first ant for me to bring in someone like Bonnie “There’s a lot of obsessive-compulsive, had taken piano lessons my whole child- artists like Belinda Carlisle and Billy Idol. – didn’t involve touring Jerusalem and to provide the songwriting element.” isolated work involved in writing a song hood but my dad, who was also a piano However, with her success with Raitt and swimming in the Dead Sea, but was spent According to Hayes, the challenges that that is going to eventually want to make player, wanted me to be a doctor.” her rising name as a hit songwriter, the primarily in the recital halls and studios of non-native English speakers face writing strangers who hear it want to be closer Hayes made her first splash in the music performing side of the music business grad- Rimon. lyrics in English is not insurmountable to you.” Motorhead frontman, Nancy Spielberg soars into Israel bassist ‘Lemmy’ to speak at Birthright Cinema Day dead at 70 • By HANNAH BROWN ’ve been to more than 100 cities with • By FIONA ORTIZ Above and Beyond, it’s been shown at more than 120 film festivals. I could write a book an Fraser “Lemmy” Kilmister, about all the responses it has gotten,” said the hard-living, hell-raising ‘INancy Spielberg, interviewed at a Birthright Isra- Ifrontman of British heavy metal el event in Cinema City Glilot on Monday, refer- band Motorhead, has died at age 70 ring to the documentary she produced about the after recently being diagnosed with American fighter pilots who were instrumental an aggressive cancer, the band said in creating the Israel Air Force during the War of on its Facebook page on Monday. Independence. Above and Beyond, which had one With his trademark moles framed of its first screenings at the Jerusalem Film Festi- by dark muttonchops, the bassist val in 2014, has since won over 13 awards at film and vocalist cut an unmistakable festivals all over the world. figure on stage as he craned his Spielberg was excited to be presenting clips neck to the microphone, growling from the film to the approximately 1,000 Birth- out hits like “Ace of Spades” with right participants and to be the guest of honor at a throat he said he fed for decades an event that marked the fact that more than half with a bottle of Jack Daniel’s whis- a million young people have visited Israel on Birth- key a day. right trips. “The thing about hangovers Philanthropists and entrepreneurs Dr. Miriam is, you have to stop to get one,” and Sheldon Adelson, who have given somewhere FILM PRODUCER Nancy Spielberg seen here with Gidi Mark, International CEO of Birthright Israel, at Lemmy liked to say. in the neighborhood of $160 million to support Cinema City Glilot. (Erez Ozir) A notorious amphetamine user, Birthright, and Gidi Mark, international CEO of he once claimed to have stayed up Birthright Israel, spoke at an evening event. of his US citizenship. Eventually pardoned by presi- their desire to help Israel, recalling that she and her IAN ‘LEMMY’ KILMISTER of for two weeks non-stop, but the Billed as Birthright’s Cinema Day, the group dent Clinton, he stayed in Israel and founded Israel siblings were called “dirty Jews” by some of their Motorhead performs on the hard living eventually took its toll turned the Cinema City lobby into an Israeli job/ neighbors when they were growing up in Arizona. Pyramid stage during the 2015 Aircraft Industries. and he struggled with his health in Glastonbury Festival. education/aliya fair. In addition to Spielberg, Israe- As she began researching the lives of these pilots, The enthusiastic audience listened and then recent years. (Dylan Martinez/Reuters) li filmmakers Gal Uchovsky, who wrote Walk on she began to feel “it was a race against time” to watched clips from the film. After the Q&A, the In 2013, the band canceled Euro- Water and produced The Bubble and Yossi & Jag- interview them and make the documentary while charming and self-deprecating Spielberg chat- pean summer festival appearanc- ger, and Talya Lavie, who directed Zero Motivation, they were still alive. Four of her interviewees – ted with the Birthright participants, asking them es after he reportedly suffered a Hawkwind following a drug bust spoke to the attendees. Lou Lenart, Leon Frankel, Coleman Goldstein and where they were from and playing Jewish Geogra- hematoma, and he told Rolling in Canada. Spielberg was pleased to be taking part not only George Lichter – have passed away since she made phy with them. Stone magazine in 2014 he had seri- After a bumpy start and lineup because she feels her film can inspire young Ameri- the film. Spielberg has been busy this year, and not only ously cut back on his drinking and changes, the trio of Lemmy, guitar- can Jews, but because her family has a very personal Ben Lichtman, the grandson of one of the pilots, with taking Above and Beyond to 120 film festivals. smoking. ist “Fast” Eddie Clarke and drummer connection to Israel. She and her husband, Shimon Gideon Lichtman, is here on a Birthright trip. She produced the television documentary, Mimi “We cannot begin to express our Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor tore Katz, recently built a small apartment building in He spent Monday touring Hatzor airbase, the IAF and Dona, about an elderly mother and her autistic shock and sadness, there aren’t through a string of albums that fed the German Colony neighborhood of Jerusalem, base where his grandfather served, and received an daughter, which The New York Times named one of words,” Motorhead said in its off the energy of punk rock and laid where they keep an apartment, and her daugh- award. the best television programs of the year. Facebook posting about Lemmy’s the foundations for thrash metal. ter Jessica “Jessy” Katz moved to Israel four years Speaking to the Birthright group, Spielberg She is currently developing two documentaries, death. “We will say more in the Between early 1979 and late ago. Jessy Katz was a popular contestant on the acknowledged the 500-pound elephant – perhaps one to be directed by Roberta Grossman, who also coming days, but for now, please... 1980, “Overkill,” “Bomber” and Israeli television show The Voice in the summer of 500-pound dinosaur would be more accurate – that directed Above and Beyond, about the Oneg Shabbat play Motorhead loud, play Hawk- “Ace of Spades” sent the band rac- 2014. Spielberg’s husband and both her daughters is always in the room at her public appearances: her archives, a collection of diaries and other writings wind loud, play Lemmy’s music ing toward the upper reaches of accompanied her to this event. brother, Steven. hidden by inhabitants of the Warsaw Ghetto and LOUD. Have a drink or few.” the British album charts. In 1981, “Jews are really affected by the film. I get thou- As she talked about how she came to make Above recovered after the war. Another project, to be After cutting his teeth in beat Motorhead finally hit No. 1 with sands of emails, that say things like, ‘I’m a bad Jew and Beyond, she joked, “The difference between directed by Dani Menkin, is called On the Map, and bands in the 1960s, he spent time its live classic, “No Sleep ‘til Ham- at best, and this film has renewed my pride in being my brother and my film is that I don’t have any it tells the story of the Maccabi Tel Aviv basket- as a roadie for Jimi Hendrix before mersmith.” a Jew.’ I never expected this reaction. I just set out to dinosaurs or aliens in my film, but I do have some ball team that defeated the Soviet Red Army team his first taste of stardom with Brit- The band’s classic line-up broke capture this incredible story.” real-life Indiana Jones guys. That is really the story from Moscow, to win the European Cup Basketball ish space rockers Hawkwind, sing- up in 1982, and Motorhead would She got the idea of making a film about the most- that I want to share with you guys.” Championship in 1977. ing the band’s biggest hit, biker record 22 studio albums in total. ly US-born pilots who begged, borrowed and stole She mentioned that she “died a thousand deaths” “I’ve done more things by accident than by inten- anthem “Silver Machine,” in 1972. Former drummer Taylor died to bring planes to Israel and then flew missions in the movies her brother made when they were tion,” admitted Spielberg, as she recalled how she During his stint in the band, only last month, prompting a typi- during the War of Independence, when she saw kids, and said that it was difficult to raise money had not yet picked a title when a clip she released Lemmy’s pummeling bass lines cally laconic response from his old the obituary for Al Schwimmer. Schwimmer was to finance a film when “Everyone says, ‘Why don’t on YouTube with the film’s working title, Above and became a stock-in-trade and pro- bandmate. an American who is considered the father of the you just ask your brother, or Jeffrey Katzenberg, or Beyond, garnered more than a million views. “A vided the backbone of the ear-split- “He was a real character, he was a IAF, and who, after serving as a US flight engineer David Geffen?’” That she did not ask any of them lot of what I’ve done has been min hashamayim ting Motorhead, which he formed real nutcase, and I do admire that in World War II, smuggled 30 surplus planes into for money is a point of pride for Spielberg. She also [from the heavens] and I’m so glad to be here and in 1975 after being thrown out of in a person,” Lemmy said. – Reuters Israel in 1948, and was later indicted and stripped emphasized that she identified with the pilots and sharing it with these kids.”