Re: Songleading with pianos

[Neslein Ronald <ron...>]

please take me off your mailing list immediatley...Ron sends







Rachel Gurevitz wrote:
> 
> 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