[HANASHIR:8639] Re: How do I start out songleading?

[Adrian Durlester <durleste...>]

Dare I jump into this fray?

Chevra-

Songleading, like any craft, is not a skill one acquires overnight, or in a
week, month, even a year.  The simple fact is, that the Shireinu Chordster
is not designed for people who don't already know the melodies. It is a tool
for the experienced-it is, in essence, a "fake book."

There are plenty of places you can find sheet music for the many songs in
the Chordster - a simple look through Tara's or Transcontinental Music's
catalogues will help you locate many resources. Build up your library.

But I don't think a comprehensive book that has all the music in sheet music
form is the solution. It deceives people into thinking that all they need is
to have the music in front of them to learn it. Music, and songleading, is
so much more than that. One needs to hear and see music sung by others,
songlead by others, and devote time to learning the songs themselves, and
the techniques for transmitting and teaching them to others. And, IMHO,
teaching Jewish Music also means knowing what it is that you are
teaching-what the words mean, where they come from, what our tradition
teaches us about those words, proper pronunciation of and ability to know
what the Hebrew text says. and to always remember that, at the center of the
music, is Gd.  That's some of what the Hava Nashira Workshop is
about-learning those kinds of skills.

Sure, not everyone can learn a song just by hearing it, and needs the sheet
music to assist in the process. and that's OK. But let's stop searching for
shortcuts to being good songleaders and good musicians. There aren't any.
Like the joke says, the only way to Carnegie Hall is practice.

That's my two shekalim.

Adrian

Adrian A. Durlester. M.T.S.
http://members.home.net/durleste/
Judaic/Ivrit and Music Teacher-Akiva School, Nashville, TN
Music & Choir Director, Congregation Micah, Nashville, TN
Editor, Bim Bam, Torah Aura Productions, Los Angeles, CA
Evening Program Chair, CAJE 26, Aug 5-9, 2001, Colorado state University.

  -----Original Message-----
  From: owner-hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org [mailto:owner-hanashir (at) 
shamash(dot)org]On
Behalf Of Debra Olitzky
  Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2001 8:21 AM
  To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
  Subject: [HANASHIR:8638] Re: How do I start out songleading?


  My question is, if you have a resource like the Chordster, but don't know
the melodies, what do you do? I read music. But this is my first year in
Jewish music. I've learned quite a bit so far, enough to get by. But, so
much of what you get your hands on is just lyrics and chords. A musician
cannot live on lyrics and chords alone...