[HANASHIR:14079] Pre-Pesach Thoughts

[Joel Simon <joelsimon...>]

Friends,

I've been thinking for quite some time now about our role as songleaders,
music teachers, cantors, and/or composers, and I've been hit with some
difficulties. I was hoping to be able to discuss these at this year's Hava
Nashira, but seeing as I will be in Israel and going practically straight to
camp, that is not going to happen, so I thought I would present them to the
list.

A) What is our responsibility to the liturgy
B) What is our responsibility to our audience (not in a performance sense,
but you get what I mean)
C) How do the two work together

Our responsibility to the liturgy:

Elohai N'shama. I love the Shefa Gold melody that has become so popular.
However, when we have these melodies that we are putting into the t'fillot
that only contain one line from the prayer (not only the Elohai N'shama,
that was only one example), isn't it our responsibility to make sure the
prayer gets finished, or started? Isn't it important that we make sure
everyone knows the source of what we're singing (and that we know the source
of what we're singing)?

Accents. When we're singing in English, we very rarely change the accents on
words, yet it seems that when we write in Hebrew, we often put words to a
melody without trying to make the accents correct (or possibly knowing where
the accents are...) I'm not trying to suggest that God would not understand
a prayer where the emPHAsis is placed on the wrong sylLABle, but shouldn't
we try to get it right?

Responsibility to "Audience"

I understand that we are working with people in America (for the most part)
and it's more important to just get people praying and being proud of being
Jewish.  Isn't it better that we have people saying one line of a prayer
than not saying the prayer at all?  I came into my first year of Rabbinical
school as one of the strongest supporters of the "something is better than
nothing" theory.  Does it matter if we're saying haMAVdil or hamavDIL as
long as we are saying havdallah (which is havdaLAH :-))? However, is it also
our responsibility to push our audience and ourselves to learn more every
day and to become educated prayers and educated Jews?

How do the two work together?

I think this is my big question. I will give you my theory, but I hope to
hear new ideas as well.  I still believe that something is better than
nothing, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't push the "something" to be as
much as it can be.  When we lead a service and there is a prayer to which
the melody only contains one line, it's our responsibility to make sure that
it is finished, maybe in Hebrew, maybe in English. Maybe with nusach, maybe
read. But I believe it should be finished.  When we're composing, we should
look at accents and phrasing.  Regardless of how I feel about some of the
early choral Jewish music, I do know that their composers put so much time
not only into the music, but into fitting the words into the music in a way
that was respectful to the text.

There are those who argue that "camp music" has no place in the synagogue.
There are others who argue nothing but camp music has a place in the
synagogue.  I don't agree with either side, but I think that this "camp
music" is powerful.  It has connected a generation to Judaism. All I ask is
that we consider the role tradition plays in that music, and the opportunity
we have to use the two together.

Well, that's where I am today. Definitely different from yesterday, and
probably different than tomorrow, but I see our job as magic.  I see our job
as having the potential to create passion (I know Jewish music is why I am
where I am today) but I think it's time we re-think a few things... I
apologize if nothing I wrote makes sense (that happens to me sometimes) but
hopefully there is enough that did make sense to get some thoughts churning.

Chag Sameach l'kulam,

Joel Simon

Joel Simon
ravjoel (at) softhome(dot)net
http://www.geocities.com/imjoelman
AOL IM: imjoelman
Address:
c/o Hebrew Union College
13 King David Street
Jerusalem, Israel 94101