[HANASHIR:15051] Re: cantorial certification(long)

[elerner1 <elerner1...>]

I have found all your comments extremetly interesting; and I did not bring it 
up to open pandora's box. Had I had the opportunity to consider being a cantor 
when I was college age, it certainly would have been a big  option for me; as 
it was, there was NO option; it was not even a thought in the mind of any 
female back then. I have sung in temple choirs most of my life,  but by the 
time I met one of the first female cantor graduates who worked at our synagogue 
for awhile, I was already on my way to being a mother of five and I did not 
feel it was something I could persue at that time. Besides I couldn't just 
uproot myself from my husband or my children to persue something that would 
probably have no guarantee of an income if I should ever need it. However with 
a lot of work and self knowledge and the influence of some special cantors and 
opportunities in Sisterhood,  I got to the point when I was able to substitute 
at my own temple which is large,  and now I am a soloist at !
 a small s
Similarly,  I know that I can impart  spirituality in what I do as a soloist. 
What I was looking for as put so nicely by the writer below is what you might 
call a <<creative>> way to improve and get some formal education without 
traveling and  also as a way to legitimize what I do. Many other professions 
and colleges now do this online, and I don't see what a cantor soloist cannot 
get more formal training in the same manner. 

Here is another way I look at it:  I persued BS degree in nursing.etc.  
However,within the medical field there are also  LPN's with less training time, 
 and others who became nurses AIDES or just volunteers who want to help patiens 
 and have had no formal education; but all these levels have different skills 
and all have a place in the system and all benefit from training and education 
within the skills of what they have and what they are "allowed" to do. In fact 
someone with lesser training may very well be better than I in interpersonal 
skills with a patient could do more for that patient.  And so I look at the 
different levels of singers/musicians and  the Jewish Community within the 
skills and abilities and educations we have - but we can always use continuing 
education in order to improve. 


 This is not about being a "CANTOR" vs a "Cantor soloist" vs a songleader or 
about politics or undermining one skill over another.   I am not a Hebrew 
scholar or a Hebrew teacher  I just sing ( am not much of a song leader, but am 
attempting to do this more, which is another topic on its own, but one where 
continuing education would help.)  I don't know how many years I have left to 
sing in the public forum, but people seem to like what I do and I like 
imparting what I can do for others. This is my so-called immediate calling, not 
future ambition.  I am not planning to teach bar/bat mitzvah students, or do 
other cantorial duties.  If I went ahead and persued a cantorial degree or an 
"official" certification, I may be able to do a lot of things, but three years 
from now or 10 years from now there is no guarantee that I'll be able to sing, 
which is a definite part of the job. I also with a large outlay of money in a 
three to five year program would probably not find a job that!
  would ju

The situation in NYC and other major cities is not the same situation in other 
places. The synagogue where I sing has services only erev shabbat on the first 
and third Fridays each month and on holidays and for occasional Bar/Bat 
Mittzvas on Saturday (for which I am hired privately by the family if they want 
me to be there.)And we do not have regular services during the summer months.  
How many Invested cantors want to work twice a month for nine months? I can 
tell you I don't do this for any appreciable income, but I am fulfilling a 
need. Our synagogue is almost 20 years old and we rent space from a church and 
the congregation numbers about 85 families most of whom are probably in "mixed" 
marriages, religiously.  This congregation cannot afford to hire a fully 
accredited cantor-period- even if they wanted to and they are very appreciative 
to have me there. I never call myself a "cantor" and I do not expect to attain 
the same level of achievement, but I do not see anything w!
 rong with

 So I know it has taken me alot of words (and it has been a long day! so excuse 
my rambling  and probably my typing) to say that if there were an online course 
that I or others in a similar postion could use NOW. we could  achieve more 
knowledge and skill which to  impart to a congregation and improve ourselves. I 
hope this makes a little clearer what my original comments were about.

Ellen Lerner
Rochester, Ny.

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