Klepper's Thoughts et al

[Adrian Adam Durlester <aad...>]

I think this may be a somewhat meandering post, but camp is keeping me pretty 
busy, so thinking straight is hard. Nevertheless, here goes:

Jeff's well thought out treatise on the subject of fair use was an interesting 
read, but we part company on one major point.

Although songleading is often seen as being from the folk tradition, utilizing 
an open format of sharing-the reality is that there is more than one approach 
to this.

Like Neil and Michael, I learn music best from a formal printed score. Those of 
you who know me also know that this DOES NOT IMPAIR my ability to use the music 
in a freewheeling style. Simply learning from, or using printed music does not 
necessarily impose a rigid structure. And no matter how rigid he structure may 
seem, without interpretation by the musician, the structure is meaningless 
anyway. There are times when adhering closely to the printed structure of a 
musical work are advantageous - and there are times when that is equally 
disastrous (I would never hand out printed music at camp, i.e. unless I was 
directing and organized and formal choir.)

Just as Reform is fighting a battle between "classic Reform" and an growing 
segment of those wanting a change (even if that change is to go back to more 
tradition and ritual), Jewish liturgical music encompasses camps that might be 
considered from the "classic" vein and the "Songleading" vein. There is no need 
for them to be mutually exclusive, nor for there to be a lack of collegiality 
between them due to the differences in their approaches.

But I do ask that we all respect the differing approaches.

Hava Nashira is wonderful. But allow me to share a story with you that 
exemplifies why the differing musical traditions we have needn't be so 
exclusive: A few years back, when Dan Freelander still had time to be on Hava 
Nashira faculty, he was excited to allow me to listen to an advance recording 
of the new Yamim Noraim CD set. Though fully immersed in the "folk" milieu of 
Hava Nashira, I had no trouble enjoying hearing some of the "traditional" 
Lewandowski, Adler, et al performed by an excellent assemblage of cantors and 
choristers. (Well, not all of it was that fabulous a performance, but that's a 
story for another time.)

(As an aside, if you do some research, you'll learn that much of what we now 
consider "traditional" Reform liturgical music was truly intended by the 
authors for participatory congregational singing!)

I've schlepped my piano around enough at Hava Nashira to demonstrate, at least 
to my satisfaction, that one needn't be a folk-singing guitar player to 
songlead (though it certainly helps.) And some of us are simply not destined to 
be a folksy guitar-strumming type. Nevertheless, we have our place too in 
Jewish music.

I don't spend countless hours listening to Woody, Oscar, Dylan, and more 
contemporary guitarist/folk singers. You'll likely find my radio tuned to 
classical. Does that stop me from playing the music of Friedman, Klepper, 
Silver, Cotler, Taubman, Sher, Dropkin, -or even David Broza? No.

So-my Hava Nashira chaverim - let's remember the diversity in our ranks and 
celebrate it.

Shavua Tov,

Adrian



Adrian A. Durlester      durleste (at) plains(dot)nodak(dot)edu
Production Manager, Festival Concert Hall, North Dakota State University
Director of Music and Religious Education, Temple Beth El, Fargo, North Dakota
Alternate e-mail: durleste (at) compuserve(dot)com   adriand (at) aol(dot)com