Kol Isha for some, not for others

Drew Kaplan (a Chovevei Torah seminary student) stated that he attended a musical performance of Pharaoh's Daughter.

Here is the chat transcript when someone questioned him about the potential transgression of Kol Isha:

Eliyahu said...
Drew, with all due respect, doesn't going to Pharaoh's Daughter violate Kol Isha?
9/25/2006 5:06 PM

Drew_Kaplan said...
Eliyahu,It all depends on one's understanding of kol isha. So, for me, Pharoah's Daughter is fine, although, for example, listening to Neshama Carlebach live is something with which I am not comfortable.

Here's an interesting continuation of that discussion in the same thread:

jdub said...
could you explain the distinction b/w Pharaoh's daughter (lead singer, Basya Schechter) and Neshama Carlebach? Not challenging, just questioning the distinction. Is it because Basya (a college classmate of mine from way back) is backed by a band? I'm not sure I understand how you draw the line.
10/04/2006 3:44 PM

Drew_Kaplan said...
JDub,It's not necessarily that Schechter is backed by a band, but in this case, it is. Such that Schechter's voice doesn't hit my ears the same way that Carlebach's does. It's about how it sounds.
10/04/2006 4:11 PM

jdub said...
so it's a subjective thing? I don't think that's exactly supportable by halacha. I personally draw a live vs. recorded distinction, which is well supportable, but I don't think the "how it sounds" has any textual support. Can you support that?10/05/2006 5:50 PM

Drew Kaplan is an Orthodox seminary student. I wonder if terse statements like his give a misguided perception of the halachos of Kol Isha.

Kol Isha halachic sources
- Sources Regarding Kol Isha
- Cherney, Ben. Kol Isha Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society 10, 57-75.
- Kol Isha by Rabbi Saul Berman