[HANASHIR:8861] Re: introducing new service music

[Helen Andrea Galkowski <hgalkowski...>]

At 09:24 AM Monday 04/23/2001 +0200, you wrote:
>I would like to hear from others on the subject of introducing new service 
>music.  How are musical changes greeted in your congregation?  Have you 
>found a successful way to get people on board?  I am learning that 
>congregational receptivity to new melodies varies hugely from one 
>community to the next, even when changes are introduced s-l-o-w-l-y.

In our congregation we introduce new songs by doing a service.  We have 
even had special shabbat dinners where we teach the songs after supper 
before the service.  After the last service we did some of the congregation 
asked if we could please make up a book of the songs of they could follow 
with us.  I do know that our friday night service has an older population 
and in turn is more resistant to new tunes to prayers they know.  But in 
general it seems to work pretty well.

We also do the Saturday morning service.  This is the family service as we 
have all the children from the religious school.  Our group, Kolot has two 
guitar players and 5 other members singing.  We stand in front of the seats 
to lead the service.  Even on the prayers where we do not play we still 
lead all.  Of course our Rabbi is in charge of the service so everything is 
coordinated with him.

Liz, our leader works with all the children before services each week 
teaching them songs appropriate for we are in the Jewish Calendar. Then at 
the end of services for our closing songs we invite all the kids to come up 
on the Bima and help us with the closing song.  Since they had practiced it 
with Liz earlier they have a good time and it's a really nice way to end 
the family service.

Hope that helps
Helen




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   Helen Galkowski,

     hgalkowski (at) stny(dot)rr(dot)com
     http://algebraist.com/jmusic.htm,
     FAX 630-214-8625