[HANASHIR:4660] Re: Hanashir-Into the Next Century

[David & Susan Esterman <estermans...>]

I think this list is very good indeed. So far I have found it informative,
useful, challenging and supportive - not bad for a newbie! I intend
promoting it to the constituent members of the Australian, Asian and NZ
Union for Progressive Judaism. because those of us downunder and removed
from large Jewish communities and resources need all the help and input we
can get.'
Thanks
Sue Esterman
----- Original Message -----
From: Adrian Durlester <durleste (at) home(dot)com>
To: Hanashir <hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org>
Sent: Friday, December 24, 1999 4:50 AM
Subject: [HANASHIR:4651] Hanashir-Into the Next Century


> Chaverim:
>
> This is a perfect opportunity to take stock of the Hanashir list, where it
> has been, where it is, and where it may be going.
>
> We are now three years old (the list started in November 1996.) We began
> with about 15 members and have grown to over 230. We have subscribers from
> all over, with many different affiliations.
>
> The list started as a way for attendees at OSRUI's annual Hava Nashira
Song
> Leading Workshop to stay in touch, and keep the spirit alive. It rapidly
> grew into much more than that - a true online community and a resource. It
> has become a place for Jewish song leaders, music educators, songwriters,
> performers, cantors, musicians, teachers, etc. to share information,
> experiences, ask questions, receive guidance. It is a friendly, loving,
> caring respectful (though sometimes passionate) community.
>
> We have subscribers from orthodox, conservative, reform,
reconstructionist,
> unaffiliated, post-movemental and other backgrounds and communities. We
are
> bonded by a common love of Judaism and the integral place of music in
> Judaism and Jewish worship.
>
> Other lists may focus primarily on cantorial arts or "ethnic" Jewish music
> (i.e. klezmer), or are lists for fans, listeners, etc.  Here at Hanashir
we
> focus on the full range of music that is being used today in worship,
> schools, camps, etc. I have been searching for adequate terminology to
> describe this genre, but as of yet have been unsuccessful. I lean towards
> "contemporary Jewish liturgical music" but even that can be a bit too
> exclusive. I'm open to suggestions on this one. After all, we are lumping
> into one giant pot traditional nusach, "mi-Sinai" tunes, turn-of-the
century
> (hmm-that's about to become an unspecific term...) classic synagogue
music,
> camp songs, chalutzim songs, Israeli pop music, classic and contemporary
> cantorial music, classic contemporary folk-style liturgical music, new
> contemporary liturgical music, pedagogical music, and dozens of other
> categories.
>
> I am always working to improve the affiliated web site. Soon, I will begin
> working with the creator of the zemerl list at Princeton on getting the
> contemporary liturgical music into this database. We will also be enabling
> access to the Hanashir list archives via the web, and will create an index
> of topics so that people can review old message threads that may be useful
> to them.
>
> What can you, as subscribers, do for Hanashir?
>
> First of all-write in. Often. Keep your messages relevant, and avoid
> one-line comments-but write. Ask questions. Offer advice. Share
experiences,
> tips, new ideas, announcements about your work (please limit commercial
> announcements to one self-serving post per item or event), suggestions,
song
> parodies, useful web sites, useful books, etc.
>
> Secondly-support and work with each other. Attend each others
performances.
> Buy each others music. Perform together. Work together. Back each other
up.
> Record albums together. Block book. Honor copyrights and insist that your
> institution do the same. Co-write new songs together. Visit each other.
> Attend workshops (like Hava Nashira, mini-CAJES, CAJE, etc.) Encourage the
> newcomer. Thank those who are and have been writing and performing this
> music. Be respectful.
>
> Third-help the community grow. Anyone who is involved in teaching,
> performing, writing, leading Jewish music at synagogues, schools, camps,
> JCCs, or anyplace else should be a part of this online community. Tell
your
> friends and peers about Hanashir. Get them to join in and share.
>
> Fourth-make this a place people want to be. That means following the rules
> of netiquette. It also means accepting the responsibilities that go along
> with being part of an online community. It's a two-way proposition. You
must
> limit and restrain and control what you do. You also need to be tolerant
of
> those who find it harder to do that sometimes - and learn to use that
delete
> key. As list-owner, I walk a fine line between encouraging active
> participation, and dealing with the complaints of those who are
overwhelmed
> by the volume of list traffic at times, some of it, to their taste,
> unnecessary or irrelevant. I do NOT moderate this list-i.e.., messages are
> not held for my approval. Once the list grew large this became an
impossible
> task. Anything you send to the list goes directly to it. So think twice
> before hitting send.
>
> Fifth-visit the web site: http://uahc.org/hanashir/, utilize its
resources,
> and make suggestions for improvements, useful links, etc. Want to write an
> article to be posted to the web site? Let me know.
>
> Sixth-Make music. Share it. Pray it. Write it. Perform it. Listen to it.
Buy
> it. Support the people out there who support us, like Tara, Soundswrite,
> ARE, Transcontinental, ACC/GTM, Cantor's Assembly, etc.
>
> Seventh-rest. "Even Gd had to take a nap..."*
>
> Now that I've asked what you can do for Hanashir, I must ask what Hanashir
> can do for you. What's good about hanashir? What needs improving? What can
> we add? How can it serve your needs better? Write me publicly or
privately.
>
>
> Thanks to all of you for making Hanashir what it is, for bringing your
gifts
> to it. Shiru L'Ad-nai.
>
> Adrian
>
> *-from "Shabbat Shalom", a lullaby, by Karen Daniel.
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Adrian A. Durlester  -  durleste (at) home(dot)com
> http://members.home.net/durleste/
> Student, Vanderbilt University Divinity School
> http://divinity.lib.vanderbilt.edu/vds/vds-home.htm
> Music Director, Congregation Micah, Nashville, TN
http://www.micahnash.org/
> Home phone (615) 646-9788 Nextel cel-phone (615) 207-2661
> You can page me from http://www.nextel.com
> List-Owner for hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org; Co-Owner for L-Torah (at) 
> shamash(dot)org
> http://uahc.org/hanashir
> Editor, Bim Bam (for Torah Aura Productions) http://www.torahaura.com/
> Alternate Email: aad (at) iname(dot)com  adriand (at) aol(dot)com
>
>
>

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