Dear Rabbi Mitterhoff,
I ask you to excuse once again my lack of knowledge and my maybe coming across as an inconvenient member.
However I do this because you are the only approachable, sincere and knowledgeable Rabbi I have managed to come across in the internet, and I have many pressing questions as well a great wish to have contact with someone as yourself to orientate me in my quest for Hashem's path.
I have another question which has been in my mind and in my heart for some time: I am a part time musician and actually take great pleasure in doing live presentations. The music I play is very lively and I (my band) usually make people dance and have a great time. I am the leader of the band. I feel that Hashem has given me this talent, ie, make people feel good through my playing.
The problem is that I do not any play music that could closely be described as being jewish. I am Brazilian Jew (my father was a Polish refugee, my mother is a British jewess and I was born in Rio de Janeiro) and before my re-conversion to judaism I gained an great knowledge of how to play this kind of music, and love it very much and believe I do it well. However I have always felt it has not been Hashem's wish that I take this activity on to a higher level and make a living out of it. Opportunities to be successful have always gone wrong, things never work out in the last moment, etc.. etc..
I must state that my audiences also aren't jewish. Since I have began studying the Torah I make a point of not including any song that would be offensive to Hashem in what I play and sing.
My question for you is this: Is what I am doing something close to idol worshipping or am I actually doing a mitzvah when I make people feel well by dancing and singing? Is my talent a blessing or a barreer to my progress?
If this question is not really in the scope of your site I ask you to excuse me in advance.
Many thanks,
Plateau

I appreciate your sincerity and courage to change your life style. Both the Rambam in Hilchos Issur Bea chapt. 23 and the Shuchan Aruch Even HaEzer 23 both state that is is forbidden to do anything that could cause sexual thoughts. Seeing women dancing is definitely in this category. The Sefer Chassidim 393 states "a mitzvah that brings a wrongful act in its wake is better left undone" (Talmud Yerushalmi, Challah 1:5) For example, it is a mitzvah to gladden a groom and his bride. But if a person knows that there will be brazen people present at the wedding who will do vulgar things, and he cannot avoid gazing at women, then he should not attend that wedding". All the more so a bar or club where many of the people are there for the sake of sinning. The Gentiles are also forbidden to married women.

The Gemara Brachos 24a states: R. Hisda said: A woman's leg is a sexual incitement, as it says. Uncover the leg, pass through the rivers,23 and it says afterwords, Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen.24 Samuel said: A woman's voice is a sexual incitement, as it says, For sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely.25 R. Shesheth said: A woman's hair is a sexual incitement, as it says, Thy hair is as a flock of goats.26" and the Gemara Brechos 61a says: Our Rabbis taught: If a man counts out money from his hand into the hand of a woman so as to have the opportunity of gazing at her, even if he can vie in Torah and good deeds with Moses our teacher, he shall not escape the punishment of Gehinnom, as it says, Hand to hand, he shall not escape from evil,25 he shall not escape from the punishment of Gehinnom.

From all this you can see that anyone who trying to grow close to HaShem should avoid any mixed gatherings. You should try to use your talents for religious get togethers where the men and women are separate. Then your music will uplift both you and others because it will be for the sake of a mitvah.

Here is a quote of the Sefer Chassidim 1136:
G-d created man in His image. As long as man does not transgress and does not derive pleasure from gazing at immorality and does not try to make himself attractive to women and keeps his mind clear from immoral thoughts, then his image above in the heavenly spheres radiates. And as long as this image gleams, no demon is allowed to touch him. But when a person transgresses, his image above does not radiate, and angels of destruction attack him.

Dear Rabbi Mitterhoff,

I would first of all like to thank you for your generous reply and for the time you must have taken to answer it.
I have given deep thought to what you wrote and it has cast a light on my motivations for playing etc... the Sefer Chassidim passage was extremely helpful for that. I will try from now on to end the seductive and sexual part of my playing, which I cannot deny exists, and stick to the bright side of it which is also there. I will direct the talent which was bestowed on me from above to the right path.
About the rest of your letter; I grew up in a very "liberal" environment as far as exposure to women's bodies are concerned (Rio de Janeiro, next to the beach) and it has been the story of my life to try to match this environment with my jewish roots, it is not an easy task... I pray to HaShem that he gives me strength and wisdom to do so.
I thank you again for your wise and sincere words, and wish you all the best.