[HANASHIR:12629] How do you do, or more precisely, what do you do?

[RMann73214 <RMann73214...>]

Hi all,

I have been lurking and occaisonally posting over the years, but I've never 
initiated a thread.  I thought it might be interesting to know what the 
minhag (custom) is like 
at other temples and synagogues.

In order to keep these brief, how 'bout the following as criteria: (I'll go 
first)

Name of Temple:            Temple Shir Shalom
Location                        Buffalo Grove, IL  (NW suburb of Chicago)
Age of Congregation       15 years
Building:                        Nope, leased office space and rented school 
space
Size of Congregation       165
Rabbi/Cantor                  1 rabbi, 1 soloist

What is your job?           Soloist and director of choir and klezmer band



Your musical minhag in one paragraph:

I work with another musician for Shabbatot.  He plays keyboard and mandolin. 
(Not at the same time).  I play guitar. Some music is guitar/piano, other 
pieces are guitar/mando, some are piano only and there's also liturgy chanted 
a capella. We have a congregation that loooooooves to sing.  I feel more like 
a song leader than a soloist at times but that's okay. The congregation wants 
to take ownership of their Shabbat experience.  We have a Family Choir that 
sings once a month.  And by the way, thank you Hava Nashirites, for all of 
the music that I've learned up in Oconomowoc.  It has come back piece by 
piece and found its way onto our pulpit, into our choirs and religious 
school.  I guess you could say our style is eclectic. 
Very.  But it works.

Well, I've gabbed too long......let me hear from some of 
you...ahem....next...?


Rick Mann
Buffalo Grove, IL

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