[HANASHIR:14401] Re: Kids' Songs

[rahel <rahel...>]

At 08:50 PM 5/21/2003 +0000, you wrote:
>What are we teaching our children if we only use Jewish music?  Do we want 
>to see our kids grow up isolated from the world (to exaggerate)??

I think the real question is why are we sending our kids to a JEWISH camp? 
Or JEWISH Sunday, Day or Hebrew school?????? Is it so that they can learn 
JEWISH music or folk, pop and other music that they hear all around them in 
their secular non-Jewish worlds? Last year I was songleader in a Jewish 
camp. I was shocked to find that I was to be playing the songs you 
mentioned (Circle Game, Cats in the Cradle, Jet Plane etc.)  - first of all 
because - talk about a time warp - or living in an isolated world?!?!?!?! 
Secondly - why the heck were the kids in a Jewish camp anyway???? And 
forgive me for being appalled at finding those same songs in the Shireinu 
chordster - but WHAT THE HECK ARE THOSE SONGS DOING IN A JEWISH SONGBOOK 
ANYWAY???? I truthfully could not believe my eyes.


>I see camp as an opportunity to teach them the value of music in general, 
>and to expose them to artists that they might not get the chance to sing 
>in school.


So why not try teaching them some songs from Jews around the world - India, 
Ethiopia, Yemen, Africa, South Africa, Australia etc. etc. - and in those 
languages????!!!! American kids - Jewish or not - are hardly exposed to 
anything world - oriented - let alone JEWISH world music!!!

Which brings me back to the American (Jewish) vacuum. Talk about isolation....

Why aren't Jewish songs from around the world included in the Shireinu 
editions INSTEAD OF those outdated old folk and pop songs????  Even *I* 
(who was a true blue folk/pop loyal) have outgrown those songs already.


So It's about helping the campers to find the type of music that they 
enjoy, Jewish or not, and working with them to develope a life-long love 
for the artform.  I would much rather have a child be excited about coming 
to music because he enjoys singing Leaving on a Jet Plane, amidst the Bayom 
Hahu's, than not want to come at all.

The campers I taught last year sang those songs in such a warped and hyped 
up manner. I had no control over  the kids once they went at them. If you 
want to teach the kids to appreciate music - well.... I really have to 
wonder if the kids had any idea about the songs they were singing. For 
example, I started to sing Circle game just like Joni Mitchell - open 
tuning and all. The kids looked at me like I was from another planet. In 
fact, I probably was. After all - I remember when those songs became hits. 
In fact - I own the vinyl! But the kids had no idea where these songs came 
from. And they certainly weren't interested in finding out. All they wanted 
to do was sing them fast, loud and do silly movements to them. talk about 
butchering the music.



Rahel

"It is a great mitzvah to be happy all the time." - Rebbe Nachman of Breslov
"The Holy One, blessed be He, will be the Head of the dance circle of the 
tzaddikim in time to come."
- Yerushalmi Succah, Lulav veAravah and Vayikra Rabbah 11 end

www.geocities.com/rahelmusic, www.geocities.com/bneishalom