[HANASHIR:1507] Re: Sharing music online...

[LSalvay <LSalvay...>]

Steve ? first let me say that I just taught/song-led your "Ein Keiloheinu" to
a group of senior adults (average age about 78) at the local Jewish Community
Center. They took to it like ducks to water, and could hardly stay in their
seats, they were so caught up in the tempo. (They would have gotten up to
dance, I'm sure, but the room was too crowded, and there was really no space
to move.) It was quite an exhilarating experience for everyone. So be assured,
your song is definitely a hit, even with the older crowd.

On the idea of learning music via the internet: It really doesn't seem so much
different from learning songs from the radio, record albums, tape recordings,
CDs -- or whatever the musical medium of the era happens to be. Goodness, how
much great music of centuries past was lost forever to future generations
because there was no way to transmit it besides live performance and one-on-
one teaching! Imagine how limited our collective musical knowledge would be if
we didn't have access to tape recorders and Tara Publications!

Transmitting music via the internet is yet another step in making music
universally available -- literally. It reminds me of that old Coca Cola
commercial, "I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony...." Who
ever would have thought that sort of technology might even be possible in our
own lifetimes? It's a boon to what we're trying to accomplish, not a bane.

I'm not at all suggesting that our PCs (or Macs, as the case may be) replace
other opportunities to learn and share music on a human level. But if you
could "teach the world to sing" through a simple downloadable file, wouldn't
that just almost make Moshiach want to show up on the spot to sing harmony?

Linda Salvay