Songleading with pianos

[Rachel Gurevitz <rgurevit...>]

Hi All,

First, thanks to all of you who were at Hava Nashira who made my first visit
there and to the USA absolutely amazing.  I hope I'll get to see you again
next year.

Second, back home in the UK, when I feel that the songs I'm teaching will 
benefit from accompaniment, I use a piano or a keyboard, as I can't play
guitar.  I try to teach the song without either, but will sometimes use
a keyboard which I play standing up, and position the chairs of participants
in a circle with the keyboard as part of that circle, so I'm still `with'
the group.

There are a couple of things that my group sings where the piano really enhances
the sound (eg. Debbie F's `This is the Day'), in which case I usually get the
group singing with me to come and stand in a tighter circle around the piano.
Rather than twisting my body to meet them all, I just lift and turn my head
from time to time to get some interaction with as many individuals around me
as possible.  The tightness of the circle and overall sound seems to carry
everyone together with this kind of limited direction.

Finally, while I was in Madison, I was introduced to the Piano accordion - 
it's a bit loud (but can be played quite subtedly with a lot of rhythm in
the squeezebox motion), so if you fancy introducing a new sound into Jewish
songleading, it could be a more portable kind of keyboard.  Well, it's a
thought, anyway.

BTW, there was some interest from a few people at Hava Nashira in my CYCLES
round that I taught.  I've got a couple of names and addresses, but if anyone
else wants it, please let me know.  I have printed music with words and chords,
which I am perfectly happy for people to use in all teaching or performance
activities.  You only need to contact me re: copyright if you have an interest
in publishing or recording it (I should be so lucky).

Love to all,

Rachel Gurevitz
rgurevit (at) geog(dot)ucl(dot)ac(dot)uk