Cantorial Soloist
I was born in Miami and have spent most of my life living, working, and raising a family in our Floridian tropical paradise. Music has always been a very big part of who I am. Professionally, I have worked as both a composer and a producer, and have been blessed with a fascinating and very successful career. Over a 25 year period, I have had the pleasure of working with artists such as Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine, Madonna, Cher, Diana Ross, Jennifer Lopez, and many others.
I have been married for 23 years. My wife Robin and I have three wonderful children, Jaxson, 20, Harrison, 18, and Alliya, 10 years old. They are definitely our “greatest hits.” Although we moved to southwest Florida for a quieter lifestyle and a retreat from a hectic entertainment industry schedule, it wasn't long until I realized, while I could consider a sabbatical from the music industry, I could never retire from music itself. As our lifestyle has changed, so has our message. In fact, it was our involvement in the Jewish community that inspired our family to create contemporary music with a message that reflects our roots. After a trip to Israel in 2006, Robin and I began working more and more on this idea, and the result was several CD’s, recorded both here and in Israel. In addition to recording together, our family has had the honor of performing from Corpus Christi to Crown Heights, and from Haifa to S’derot. It has been an incredible journey.
I met Rabbi Barras on several occasions since living in Southwest Florida and when he contacted me back in January, I was certain it would be for the purpose of scheduling a concert. To my surprise, he asked me if I would consider taking over as the Cantorial Soloist for Temple Beth El. It did not take me very long to realize that there are no coincidences and this is where I was supposed to be, and this was exactly what I was supposed to be doing. I, of course, accepted. I consider it a blessing and an honor to be able to share music from a Jewish perspective with the entire Temple Beth El family. I look forward to getting to know everyone, celebrating every milestone and every mitzvah. I am thankful for being able to play a role in the continued building of our strong Jewish community for many years to come.
L’Chayim,
Lawrence Dermer