Salon Ben Dosa A Musicians Livestream Heaven
With Corona canceling live shows, new musicians didn't have a place to showcase their talent and get their music heard outside of Spotify, until now. Live streaming came into the picture with Zoom, video calls, Facebook Live and even though live streaming was an option it turned many musicians off, possibly scaring them away. Bringing up the question "who will want to watch me for 30-45 minutes just singing and playing in my room." At least that is how Udi Glinik felt when a friend first came to him with the idea.
So who is this Udi Glinik? What eventually changed his mind?
Udi Glinik is a musician at heart born and raised in Kfar Saba, Israel. Since 5-years-old, he loved playing with technical sound equipment. Figuring what works and what sounds good until he professionally could work as a sound engineer for 10 years for shows all over Israel. He was trying to stay away from the Tel Avian lifestyle, he didn't want to move here and have to work as a sound engineer and bartender! One day a friend of his who owned a restaurant called The Container called him up and asked him to handle sound for artists that would perform at this restaurant. Udi said it was the first restaurant that would pay new local talent for just giving entertainment, the musicians didn't have to worry about selling tickets or hitting a quota for liquor sales. Just going on stage and doing what they love, to perform!
6 months before Corona hit Israel The Container closed down. He didn't know what to do. He was able to stay in the area because there was still work, then BOOM Corona closed everything down. No venues, no restaurants, no place for live music to live! He couldn't return home, there was no room for everything he bought and built! During the first lockdown with nothing to do but scrolling Facebook, he stumbled upon a post saying "if you live stream and you have your own camera and sound recording equipment, then you get 1000 shekel (about $330)." At first, he thought which musicians would have that type of equipment, but then he realized THEY ALL DO! Through their phone or laptop. Then there was a Tel Aviv live stream festival, but Udi wanted to give the audience something special and for musicians to really grasp the audience's attention, so what did he have planned?
Salon Ben Dosa Was Then Born!
He decided to throw his own festival! He was skeptical at first, he didn't think people would connect to it, so before inviting artists he tested the effect of live streaming himself. With whom did he test it? Remember what I said above? Udi is a musician himself! It was just him, his camera, and his cat. 5 songs, too scared to talk in between songs...the test was over. All of a sudden his ex-girlfriend calls and says "Babe your show was so touching I was crying." EUREKA! Live streaming still can relay emotion to the audience! He decided then and there to throw his own festival. 5 bands 30-minute intervals, setting up and breaking down the equipment, making sure the sound came out crystal clear on any platform people live-streamed from, the filming, and HE DID THIS ALONE! Before the first festival, he was too busy getting everything ready to even really think about the impact. Once everything was set the fear set in, shaking him to the core, but he knew he couldn't give up now......
SUCCESS!!! The show went flawlessly, the sound came out perfectly, the video streamed nicely to the audience. Since then he has thrown 5 festivals and 200 solo live stream concerts since May 2020. So what does he have to say on the impact of Corona... "For ten years as a sound engineer I was just taking in all the knowledge, learning and doing, but when everything closed down this really built me, NOW I AM GIVING BACK!" Salon Ben Dosa started to whisper throughout the music community in Israel and because of social media, it started gaining views outside of the country. Although this got heard by many people it did get to someone very important in his life who for a long time he had a rough patch with. His father one Friday called him up (very unusual 🤔) and said "Son I got to see what you have been up to and you know what? I'm proud of you." Udi's passion to just give back something he would want to receive during this time as a musician not only makes musicians feel at home, but this passion also fixed his home relationships.
So you're in Israel or planning to come to Israel and want to get the Salon Ben Dosa experience? For 15o shekel, which is less than three food delivery orders, you get a professional live stream with the warmth and energy of a real live audience from Udi. Then after the show he prepares and gives you the sound recording mastered, the recording of the video edited and with professional sound. Oh and not to forget a clean space and Hot Sangria, there will always be Hot Sangria for when you chose to perform at Salon Ben Dosa.
At the beginning, he thought live stream wouldn't be a thing and now he made it his thing!