[HANASHIR:9701] Re: High Holiday Choir complaint

[Dr. Alan Mason <dralanmason...>]

I am the Director of Music at Temple Israel in Miami.  We just added an 
Argentinian Jewish jazz singer to our musical staff.  She is fantastic.  
Some people adore her, some people do not.  When I am able to restrain 
myself, I simply listen to the congregants who share their negative input 
with me.  To those who are supportive, I thank them and ask them to spread 
the good word.  If you want to keep that musical director at your Temple (as 
I want to keep this singer at mine), perservere really hard to surround 
yourself with those who are supportive.

Alan Mason
Doctor of Musical Arts
Pi Kappa Lambda



----Original Message Follows----
From: Susan Schanerman <susan (at) emanueloftempe(dot)org>
Reply-To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
To: "Hanashir (E-mail)" <hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org>
CC: "Guild of Temple Musicians (E-mail)" <gtm (at) shamash(dot)org>
Subject: [HANASHIR:9698] High Holiday Choir complaint
Date: Sat, 1 Sep 2001 08:20:35 -0700

We have a persistant congregant (who happens to have a lot of influence) who
believes that our high holiday choir is "churchy".  What has happened over 
the
last three years is that our former director (elementary school music 
teacher
and friend of this guy) quit and our new director (non-Jewish PHD candidate 
in
vocal music) has transformed our choir from a primarily 2-part group to a
proficient 4-part group.  The pieces that this man seems to be objecting to 
are
pieces (that I select) by Steinberg, Isaacson, Richards, Osborne.  (Almost
everything we sing is in Hebrew).

We are a Reform congregation.  How do I address this man's concerns?  My 
guess
is that they have more to do with the change in personnel than with the 
change
in music - but I don't want to go down that road.  I want him to feel that 
we
are listening to his opinions and considering them seriously (which we are.)

The choir has lots of positive feedback from other congregants every year.
  Maybe it's those who were raised in conservative synagogues who don't like
choirs?

Todah,
Susan

Susan Schanerman
Director of Education, Cantorial Soloist
susan (at) emanueloftempe(dot)org






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