Red Sea Blue Summer Camp News

[Red Sea Blue <Jess...>]

Red Sea Blue Summer Camp News

Well I've just arrived home from seven weeks in your great country and its
been pretty mind-blowing. I completed the four week tour with my band mates
and then was tempted (beyond resistance level) to attend CAJE. As there was
time in between, I got myself a job as a song-leader for a week (all that
Hava Nashira training put to good use) at Camp Lakeland, Buffalo NY. Then
having started our tour in boiling hot Texas I returned to receive and
contribute to the pleasures of CAJE.

I thought all you performers and song leaders out there might be interested
in some of my impressions and observations of what was going on at the
various camps that we visited. The camps were all quite different in
ideology and approach. I guess the main categories were movement camps
(Greene, reform and Young Judea), JCC day or overnight camps and private
camps. There was one camp that had a category of its very own, Camp Kinder
Ring, Hopewell Junction NY. They teach the kids Yiddish songs and it was
the only camp where no-one knew anything by Ms. Friedman.(shocked?
horrified? I was!). The music teacher was keen to hear some modern Jewish
music - so of course my band mates and I happily obliged.

The reform camp was definitely the most sophisticated in terms of
song-leading skills. Not surprising really considering that they have Kutz,
a leadership camp with a song-leaders track and of course Hava Nashira. At
both these places song-leading is taught methodically and without mystery,
as it needs to be. Although Young Judea isn't part of such a network, like
the movements in Britain that I grew up in there is a tradition of chant
based sessions which are fun and get everybody going. These traditions get
passed down and because there is good continuity they remain strong. The
chants I heard there were similar to the ones I grew up with, the main
difference is they are carried out with this strange American twang (!).
They also have songs (gesher tzar me'od etc.) but were keen to be taught
new songs which was really nice. In fact Young Judea have a fantastic
Israeli song book - the most impressive I saw anywhere. I don't know how
much they use it though.

The funniest thing I observed was at Greene family camp who have just had a
huge dining room built that holds all 6-700 of them. The kids are used to
singing a lot (thanks to Angela Gold, Robbi and of course Loui D)  and they
have a chant that ends in your national anthem (you Americans are
definitely more patriotic than us Brits). Right at the end all the kids
pick up their caps and throw them in the air.  700 dancing hats was a real
sight to behold.

It seems like the JCC camps had the least song leading support. People try
hard and have an instinct about what they are trying to achieve but fall
heavily short of doing anything really dynamic. The tefillot, services,
ranged from an orthodox, unaccompanied, traditional tunes and quite
uninspiring to not much better really. (I didn't see any services at
Greene) I helped accompany one service for 500 campers in an outdoor
amphitheatre that was essentially kind of dull although they had a nice
service book that had been put together by Cindy Paley a couple of years
back. The prayer leader was a sweet retired chazan who really meant well
and was open to things that I suggested but he talked too much. Each time
he started talking he would get to that natural end point and then
guaranteed, he would bust the time barrier a least a third extra too long.
I thought the kids were really polite in spite of this. I taught a niggun
at the beginning and stood up to review it at the end. Just as I was about
to start the second time I said to them "O.K. it is shabbat, its meant to
be fun - is anyone feeling joyous?" "No" was the audible response from 500
kids. And I have to say  it took a lot of effort to get my own enthusiasm
going. I just had to send that energy out there.

I understand the JCCA has recognised song-leading as an issue and is
looking to set up a song leading seminar of their own to help remedy the
problem.

There was one camp, a private camp that appeared to have no singing at all
and only the staff turned up for our concert it would appear that the
youngsters had better things to do. We didn't take this personally. It was
a weird experience - an outdoor venue so empty that we felt like we were
performing our (highly participative) show to no-one, as the staff who were
there were sitting on the edges. How do you make a performer deflate? Take
away their audience and watch all the air seep out of them. Yes it was a
bit like that. But afterwards we got the counsellors up with us and had a
good jam.

We played a number of gigs on outdoor sports courts. They were great - lots
of space for everyone to dance. In fact in regards to the dancing, it
happened a lot in very different ways. At one JCC day camp we got all the
kindergarten kids moving and all the seniors qvelling from their seats. I
spotted a few four/five year olds who danced brilliantly in rhythm and
totally without inhibition too. It is seeing such things that are my
ultimate payment. I hope that if you teach little ones their own dance then
they will have it with them all their lives. Getting little ones dancing is
quite easy and gratifying, getting older ones dancing is more challenging
but even more gratifying. When they start doing amusing things which make
you want to get off the stage and join in, you know you have really pulled
it off. I do find dancers thrilling to watch, especially funny ones. Its
great because whilst I entertain them, at the same time they are
entertaining me (except they don't know it). Singing from a big stage can
be boring because you have heard your own music all before.

Finding the balance between fast and slow as a performer is challenging,
because on the one hand you want them up and enjoying themselves and next
minute you want them sitting listening in a serious attentive manner. I
know that we aren't the only ones who face these issues. You just have to
follow your instinct and find out what works for you, and no doubt it will
be different things for different audiences.

The embarrassing stuff is when you get together with the native song
specialist and they start playing, in this case it was a Klepper number (I
think lo alecha), and they got the chords totally wrong. So I gently say -
'eh actually my friend wrote it - it goes like this'  and then they say
staunchly 'yes but I like playing it like this' - so I limply but
stubbornly play the correct chords for loyalty and musical truths sake!

They don't know it, but the greatest compliments are paid to you by the
little children. They come up to you and say simply "I really like your
song" and you say "thank you". As they turn and leave you, your heart jumps
with delight because you know that they are not being polite or diplomatic,
neither do they want to sleep with you, it just comes straight from their
little hearts.

A highlight of our trip was playing at a seniors camp (I don't know what
the current PC term you use to refer to anyone over 60). I hadn't marketed
to seniors but had got this gig by accident. It was at Emmanuel camps in
Copake, NY. They had a beautiful new theatre where we played which was a
real treat. We played a combination of trad stuff and new stuff. Afterwards
there was coffee and cake for everyone and they came up to us to chat. They
thought that because Jon and I sing so nicely together that we were or
should be married. Someone else called us a Jewish "Peter, Paul and Mary"
(we had done an acoustic set with no heavy drums). I was immensely
flattered because I am just an old hippy at heart but Andy (my third trendy
band member) was mortified, but fortunately he's recovered now. Someone
else came up and started giving us a recital at our table whilst telling us
at the same time that she used to be on the stage. In my book there is
nothing like the gift of live spontaneous entertainment.

Highlights - Conclusions - Titbits

1. Your mosquitoes seemed to think that my body was healthy option gourmet
whilst my legs were a desert delicacy. I discovered a new satisfaction in
aggression, killing the mosquito straight after the bite. Hopefully next
year I'll improve and learn to kill in advance of the attack.

2. Tea - making hot tea - lessons offered.

3. Texans are overheated and very laid back and the most common phrase used
is 'y'all have a good time', next most common phrase is 'no problem'. A
really delightful people.

4. These days kids call making out 'Sucking Face' don't you think thats gross?

5. Being on stage definitely seems to give you an unfair and illogical
advantage when it comes to attracting members of whichever sex you are
trying to attract. Whether you exploit that or not will obviously depend on
personal motivation and preference.

6. People were stunningly good to us. Thanks to our Angel Evan who housed
us in New York and Patti Leonard who organised and trained us in our first
very hot,  culture-shocked,  jet-lagged week.

It looks very likely we'll be returning next summer with East coast (New
York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Ohio) definite and West Coast and Canada
as possibilities. If you are interested just be in touch.

Well that was it. The work of the Jewish musician and song leader continues
apace all over. May you all sing like angels, and may your little angels
sing like cerefal beings.

Shanah tova everyone and thanks for your support.
regards
Jess

P.S. if Anyone wants one of our tour T-shirts if you send a cheque for
$20.00 (includes package and posting) I'll mail you one. Please specify
medium or large.