Re: RE: New member

[MHersher <MHersher...>]

Adrian,

I agree with everything you've said.  We must be treading the same well-worn
path.  I am working with Cantor Carl Naluai, Jr.  who is a wonderful musician
and teacher but definitely of the classical school.  Our relatively new
rabbi, Brad Bloom, is very consumer oriented and wants an upbeat service, but
also tends to be more traditional in terms of the amount of hebrew and the
wearing of kipot and tallisim.  Both have been supportive of my efforts to
introduce contemporary nusach, but I have to learn it and perform it pretty
much by myself.  I understand what you said about the classical music being
amenable to participation, I joined the choir so I could get that experience.
 The problem is that the music is simply not presented in manner that people
feel comfortable singing along.  Part of the problem is that the cantor is
just too good and people want to listen to him.  Another is that he changes
the melodies a little too frequently and that people don't attend often
enough.  I am co-teaching an adult class after the High Holy Days on the
music of the service to try to help folks reach a comfort level that will
allow them to sing along.

The hardest advice you gave was to be patient and move slowly toward change.
 My head knows that, but my heart is racing.  I went to Kallah this summer in
Santa Cruz and had a wonderful experience at the services conducted by Debbie
Friedman and Evan Kent.  It was hard to come back and gear down to the
relatively uninspiring services at my shul.  But I have a series of projects
going that keep my spirit up and will eventually bear fruit.

Thanks for the feedback and the encouragement.  And by the way, what are you
doing out on the prairie anyway?

Michael