Berklee Professor Releases Heartfelt Hanukkah Song Mike Sempert recently released Hold On to the Light, a catchy track with a sincere message about what it means to be Jewish during the holiday season.
By
Daniel Pesquera
December 14, 2023
At this time of year, there seems to be an endless supply of Christmas songs taking over the airwaves, with new records released every season. In contrast, songs about Hanukkah, especially the non-satirical variety, are much less common and typically lack the widespread presence enjoyed by traditional holiday standards.
Enter Mike Sempert, an artist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, media composer, entrepreneur, and assistant professor of songwriting who teaches both at the Boston campus and Berklee Online. Sempert took on the challenge of writing a sincere song about Hanukkah, and his efforts culminated with the recent release of Hold On to the Light, a warm, catchy tune that borrows from '70s rock to deliver a heartfelt message about what it means to be Jewish during Hanukkah. What started out as a bonus track for Sempert ended up becoming a song that he hopes will offer a genuine perspective on what matters during the holidays that resonates with listeners of all beliefs.
In addition to his role as a Berklee educator, Sempert runs the commercial music company West Channel and is currently wrapping up a film score for an independent action film. His music has been performed at the Guggenheim Museum, the San Francisco Jazz Center, and the Rathaus in Vienna, among many other venues, and his film scores include the award-winning indie films Summoning the Spirit, A Room Full of Nothing, and Homestate. We caught up with him to take a deeper dive into Hold On to the Light and the important message behind the endearing song.
Tell us about what inspired you to write Hold On to the Light. Was writing a Hanukkah song something you set out to do or did it come together more spontaneously?Dan Kaplowitz from Friendly Fire Licensing (a sync house based in LA) is an old friend and encouraged me to try writing a Hanukkah song for sync. Theres not a lot of sincere Hanukkah songs out there! It turned into something Im really proud of and feel connected to in an authentic way. Even if I never license it, its a song that I believe will outlive me and feels very meaningful. The lesson is: something positive always comes from creating new music.
You're a father, and you describe your music as dad rock. What are some of the elements of your music and this song in particular that embody the distinctive dad rock vibe?I dont generally think of all my music as dad rock, but Ive got some songs that are heavily influenced by that era of vintage soft rock and this song in particular certainly is. Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty collaborations such as Full Moon Fever and Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 are big influences on this track. The synth solo is very influenced by Steve Winwoods approach to synth leads. I called it dad rock to be a bit self-deprecating, but deep down I honestly love this sound.
The song's lyrics confront the idea of feeling inadequate or inauthentic when it comes to knowing about your faith and specific holiday traditions. Why is this theme important to you, and what message do you hope others may take away from it?Its important for readers who dont know a lot about Judaism to understand that someone doesnt have to be religious to be Jewish-there are cultural and ethnic components to Jewish identity that are really important and sometimes exist independently of each other. So theres a lot of ways to be Jewish; theres no one right way. I think a lot of secular Jews and even Jews who were raised religious but dont actively practice have this fear that were doing it wrong. The funny thing about this is, I think this kind of anxiety exists around other holidays too-for everyone! For example, Christmas can drive people crazy trying to make it perfect. Is the turkey too dry? I think this all comes from some similar place inside of us that can hinder our enjoyment of the holidays, which should just be about being together.
How challenging was it to write a holiday song that you felt would resonate and feel relevant for current times, particularly a Hanukkah song? Theres a great compilation called Hanukkah+, but theres nothing out there with this particular '70s soft-rock vibe on there. So the lack of precedent kind of helped, to be honest, and writing the song came easily. And I didnt feel like I had to worry about it being too this or too that; it was just a bonus song. I try to encourage all of my students to think of their songwriting in this way if possible. The bonus songs are written from a place of freedom, they arent necessary, they dont define your value as an artist or a person, theyre just for fun (omg what?), and they tend to be the best songs you write.
Will we see more holiday songs from you in the future? Perhaps an entire album?Maybe so! Ive written a couple of Christmas songs too, which is a very Jewish thing in its own way. Type Christmas songs written by Jews into Google and youll see what I mean.
Listen to Mike Semperts Hold On to the Light:
Related Categories
Keyed In
News
Most Popular
15 of the Best Cover Songs (and Why They Work) From Fast Car to Ring of Fire, there's no formula to making a successful cover song. But the best covers answer two important questions.
Latest
Francesco Castro B.M. '21 (left) and Matilde Heckler B.M. '23 (first from right) at the Mean Girls red carpet event
Image courtesy of Matilde Heckler
Alums Make Big-Screen Debut in Musical Adaptation of Mean Girls Francesca Castro and Matilde Heckler bring Band Freak energy to the cinematic version of Tina Feys 2018 Broadway production.
Boston Conservatory Orchestra Celebrates Black History Month Th
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
15/07/2026
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is a big deal for DAZN, which has distribution rights in three markets: Italy, Spain, and Japan. Each requires a different editorial app...
15/07/2026
As sports-media organizations manage rapidly growing content libraries and incre...
15/07/2026
HBS director of digital Johannes Franken talks SVG Europe through the operation built to serve FIFA World Cup 2026 rights holders remotely from Stratford, east ...
15/07/2026
IBC has unveiled the conference program for IBC2026, with this year's event ...
15/07/2026
Software-defined wideband RF platform supports 96-kHz monitoring, streamlined fr...
15/07/2026
New AI-powered module enables broadcasters and content owners to extract dialogu...
15/07/2026
Weeklong gathering at EBU headquarters will test new IPMX capabilities and expand certified product ecosystem...
15/07/2026
Force Tech has announced the appointment of Bryan Adams, CTS, as Vice President of Integration. Adams will oversee AV and broadcast integration project delivery...
15/07/2026
USA Sports has announced an exclusive English-language agreement with the Bundes...
15/07/2026
ITV Sport's FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage has been produced from one of the m...
15/07/2026
Program will provide professional camera kits, training, and technical support to participating local newsrooms...
15/07/2026
San Francisco church becomes first U.S. deployment of the 2 M/E production switcher...
15/07/2026
Former ESPN and NFL Network executive to advise startup league on media, distribution, technology, and fan engagement...
15/07/2026
The Houston-based RSN is the live-game home of the Astros and Rockets...
15/07/2026
Launched alongside new FreqSoft installer
Designed to bridge the gap between hardware and software, Freqport's FreqInOut FO1 unit provides a simple way ...
15/07/2026
Save up to 55% on software until 23 July 2026
Expressive E have just launched their Summer Offer sale, with discounts of up to 55% now applied across their ...
15/07/2026
Real-time stem-separation tool updated
zplane have recently released a new and improved version of their real-time stem-separation plug-in which they say ma...
15/07/2026
A new benchmark in bass enhancement
Described as a new benchmark in bass enhancement , Baby Audio's latest release has been designed to augment the lo...
15/07/2026
DMC Production's AR 1 and AR 2 units reverse the conventional OB workflow, keeping all production-critical processing at the venue while operators work remo...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
GigaCloud, a leading Ukrainian cloud service provider, and Cubbit, the first geo-distributed cloud storage enabler, today announced a new Business Alliance Part...
15/07/2026
SMPTE, the global society for media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has announced the launch of the SMPTE 110th Anniversary Campaign, a fundraising...
15/07/2026
Studio Technologies, a leading manufacturer of high-quality audio, video, and fiber-optic solutions, unveils the new StudioComm Model 762 Stereo Level Control, ...
15/07/2026
COW Jobs: Producer, Virtual Events - Hybrid, Full Time, Salaried
Brie Clayton July 15, 2026
0 Comments
Producer, Virtual Events (Hybrid | Full-time | ...
15/07/2026
Brazilian media organization builds nationwide CDN with Broadpeak's high-performance software for low-latency streaming and new content distribution service...
15/07/2026
DHD announces a new utility designed to increase the efficiency of its audio mixing systems during initial installation and subsequent configuration.
Anyone w...
15/07/2026
BCNEXXT Brings Next-Generation Vipe to IBC2026, Breaking the 1:1 Channel-to-Server Ratio New innovations liberate broadcasters from legacy playout infrastructur...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Wednesday 15 July 2026
Screeners and press pack now available: Gomorrah: The Or...
15/07/2026
Trinity's Treasures features Ruth Negga, Eleanor McEvoy, and David Norris, a...
15/07/2026
Join geographer Dr Susan Hegarty, Engineer Tim Joyce and Architect Orla Murphy a...
15/07/2026
Home to leading manufacturers, robotics pioneers, infrastructure builders and gaming, of course, Japan is one of the world's centers of AI - building across...
14/07/2026
South end zone videoboard, cloud-based control system will be ready for 2026 football season...
14/07/2026
Redesigned website, enhanced mobile app unify content, ticketing, and personalized fan engagement...
14/07/2026
Agreement spans sponsorship sales, digital monetization, radio production, and new practice facility naming rights...
14/07/2026
Independent league adds 14 regional sports network affiliates, growing distribut...
14/07/2026
New strategy aims to unify competitions, content, fan engagement, and commercial...
14/07/2026
ESPN and Disney+ become exclusive home of PFL events in key international MMA market...
14/07/2026
Gill will oversee engineering, technology, and sports operations across the company's 64 local television stations...
14/07/2026
Submitted by North American Broadcasters Association (NABA)
As broadcasters con...
14/07/2026
Modernized mobile unit combines HOME Apps, mc 56 console, and IP infrastructure ...
14/07/2026
Every match of the 32-team tournament will air across ION and Scripps Sports platforms in English and Spanish...
14/07/2026
FloHockey to stream every game of the annual international tournament under four...
Berklee Professor Releases Heartfelt Hanukkah Song Mike Sempert recently released Hold On to the Light, a catchy track with a sincere message about what it means to be Jewish during the holiday season.
