Re: Davvening Music

[Philip <mike...>]

Reply to Joel:

>Phillip,

>Thank you for your response, but I must honest with you and say that the
>commision on synagogue music, in my opinion is not a great friend of the
>cantorate.

I have the feeling that the cantorate is not a friend of the commission.  I
believe that the cantorate is having a very hard time with the fact that
they have lost the momentum of modern Jewish Music.  They will not recover
until they realize that they need to invite the popular Jewish Spiritual
group to the seminary to help them learn what they have been deaf to.  They
need help to find the pulse of the Jewish People.

It seems to me that it is a shame that the Cantors have decided to declare
a TURF WAR instead of incorporating this very vibrant thread into their
repertoir.

I would like to see the cantors and the commission work together to bring
Kavanah to synogogues everywhere.

I am a great advocate of Cantors.  I think that they are way off track and
are not keeping up with the changes of the wishes and needs of modern
Judaism.

If they can't see that people like Silver, Safam, Friedman, Taubman,
Friedlander and others are being paid big bucks to bring Jewish Music to
congregations around the country.  These congregations have Cantors.  I
believe that they are fulfilling an unmet need that the cantors have
basically refused to fill.  I travel Jewishly and have been to many
congregations around the country.  I have found that the more classical the
music, the smaller and older the group.

If you go to Doug Cotlers congregation, it is hard to find a seat.

It is very disappointing that the Cantorate has not felt secure enough to
have some of these homegrown, grassroot "Popular Cantors" to teach aspiring
cantors about the kind of things that they are doing in packed houses.
What is it going to take to get some of these people to Wake UP?

 And though I cannot deny the popularity of the music people enjoy
>singing in your temple (and why should I deny it), I hope you can understand
>that as a cantor, I am a schliach tzibur, a messenger of the prayer.

That does not mean the only one praying or that you should be doing the
praying for the other people.

>I have
>been studying for 5 years traditional music for the festivals, High Holidays,
>reform music for the same, etc., etc.  Does that mean I go into a shul and
>sing ONLY those popular pieces of music?

NO!  Absolutely not.  But if you don't incorporated a large selection into
your service, you will be singing to small groups of people who are hard of
hearing.

>Who decides what music to bring in the temple?

I believe that the cantor should decide what is helping the congregants to
find spirituality...not just himself.

Who decides when to let traditional music die and not be heard?

Traditional Jewish Music will not die if there are worshipers attracted to
services for thier spiritual needs.  Most of it seems to me to be very
sterile and not very spritually compelling.

> There is a role for the cantor, and that person is the one who decides what
>music should be sung ... including the music you enjoy so much.

I beleive that he should be the person who decides what music is sung only
after considering how it's effect on the worshippers.

The purpose of the music is to enhance the spirituality of the service.  In
fact, it is to enhance the spirituality of the congregants ... not the
cantor alone.

>As for your
>operatic cantorial associate, well I don't know him or her ... but I know
>that when I sing, I do not sing with an operatic feeling.

(BUT HOW DO THE PEOPLE YOU ARE SINGING TO PERCIEVE IT??)

>I sing with the
>responsibility that I should know and understand the texts of what we are
>singing, as we pray.

I AGREE 10,000%  That is one of my complaints about a cantorial associate
who does not understand the meaning of what they mean.  Nevertheless, I
would suspect that 90% of the people do not listen to or understand the
meaning of the classical music that you are speaking about.  You may be the
only one that is listening to the words ...  the worshipers are listening
to the music.

>I do not deny a place for what you call "Nusach America," but I would like
>for people to be aware that that kind of music is still not of the highest
>musical quality,

I believe that it is of the highest Spiritual Musical Quality.  Time will tell.

and there is music out there, that if sung correctly can
>bring out spirituality on the highest level.

I believe that it is the music that is being developed at a grass roots
level by the commission because the cantorate has lost touch with the
people in many ways.

>Phillip, I hope you understand that our discussion here is of a nature in
>which I truley respect your opinion and comments.  I am sure your temple is a
>place in which one feels good about being Jewish, and is a place where people
>enjoy learning, singing, praying, celebrating, and at those sad times -
> mourning.

You have not hurt my feelings.  I hope I have not hurt yours.  I have been
thinking about this alot.   I believe that New Music is the Key to the
Renewal of the Jewish Spirit.  I Long for a Cantorate that is Up to the
Job!

 b'shalom,

Philip J. Leonard
mike (at) order(dot)ph(dot)utexas(dot)edu