South African Music Teacher

[Albert Combrink <combrink...>]

Hello there and thanks so much for responding!

A little bit about the situation at Herzlia School:
Herzlia in Cape Town is made up of 5 Jewish day schools, three Primary
(Grades 1-6) one Middle (Grade7-9 - Adolescent Nightmare) and the Senior
School (Grades 10-12). It is an all-inclusive school, so we accept Orthodox
and Reform Jews, as well as a few Christian pupils who come here for the
very high academic standard. We have a "Head" of Hebrew and a "Head " of
Jewish Studies in each school, with a few teachers in each dept., plus one
overall Head of Dept for each. I am in the same sort of position in the
Music Department. For about two years I WAS the music department, being
called the Music Coordinator, but with only 1 other part-time staffmember to
coordinate! At least now there is a part-time person in EACH school. 

I take most of the academic teaching in senior school, plus three choirs
which sing a mixture of Hebrew and English songs. The school is
predominantly Zionist, so I have to provide music for all the Chaggim, Yom
Ha'atzmauth, Yom Hazikaron, etc,  while servicing the needs of the community
on the High Holidays, etc. 

Music/Judaica Intersection
The problem has been where Judaica and Music intersect, in terms of funding
and time, ie, if we need music for Pesach, who's responsible, the head of
Judaica or the Head of Music, and as always, WHO'S PAYING! But those issues
aside, I have been fighting for more Hebrew music, and I have wormed my way
into the Hebrew lessons, to teach Hebrew songs, which we then use as the
basis of part of the curriculum. They get worksheets on the songs, meanings
of the the text, relevance to Judaism, etcetc, and get examined on the
content, while my colleagues and I teach the songs.

We have done the "big jewish numbers" here like Al Kol'Ele, Yirushalayim
Shel Zahav, Shir la Shalom, as well as solid religious music, Settings of
Adon Olam, Yigdal, etc. and I have even written my own music to Hebrew and
Yiddish words when I have been unable to find the correct music - you see,
most people just hand me a bit of text in hebrew and say please do this one!
And Pesach is HUGE, with the whole schoolband and soloists and choirs, and
we do a lot of pop stuff as well. We have special Bnei Mitzvot assemblies
every Friday and we have a choir that sings ONLY Hebrew religious music to
sing for those, which we cobble together in about 30 minutes per week.

The Present situation
Three years ago there was no Music Department at all, it always being
considered a luxury. But Herzlia started losing pupils to other Good private
schools in cape Town, and lack of music was one of the big reasons - as was
a lack of teaching any ethnic language, which now also is built into the
week. So I came in as a musicican first and foremost, to build a music
curriculum. That is roughly in place, and we offer Music as Academic
subject, we have 30% of the school all taking an instrument, we now have
music rooms, equipment etc, so while I am squeezing the poor funder till his
eyes water, he can see we're building up something solid. In our primary
schools pupils may leave academic lessons for music, but the staff do not
support this. We also have Hebrew Singing classes aimed at teaching the
chaggim music, as well as regular Bar/Bat Mitzvah musical items. Staffing is
4 part-timers and myself.

My Problem with what is considered "Jewish"
But my idea of "Jewish" is that the resepct for tradition and music and
learning and culture is at the core of that Jewishness, and I was shocked to
find Jews who did not know the music of Carlebach or Rosenblatt, who never
heard of Barenboim, and Menuhin was the brat who plays the Violin at
Prize-giving every year. So while I am fighting for a MUSIC ethos, I am also
trying to establish a JEWISH MUSIC ethos.

My Aims
But since I am not Jewish, my learning curve has never levelled off, and I
have been here three years! I can now do all the festivals, in the school
and smaller community context. If a Shul wants a Shavuot Choir, I can give
it to them. Our Yom Ha'atzmauth celebrations are gigantic events with
thousands of people, and the pressure is always on for a good performance to
impress the people. But my material is limited, I only have SO many songs,
and I have to mix the familiar with the unfamiliar, while containing within
it the essence of a solid MUSICAL education, and that I find quite hard to
do.

We had a Cantor who did a bit of Hebrew pop with the children, new songs for
chaggim and so on, but he was not a trained musician, so things were
difficult. But he fulfilled a vital role - so vital that they snapped him up
for a school and a Shul in Australia - that is another issue here, the
Jewish community is reeling from all the emigrations, and the knowledgable
ones either leave, or become very tightfisted with their knowledge. I am
trying to build a department where the Jewishness of the pupils can be
encapsulated and expressed by the pupils. This means musical skill of a high
standard and genrespecific teaching focused on a broad base of Jewish Music.

Where I need Help
I need money! I need Music! I need Instruments! I need to brush up my
Hebrew! 

A big need is sheetmusic of Hebrew Popular and Sacred music. I do not know
what's hot in the Hebrew Popcharts at present, and I do not know where to go
looking. I need a Hebrew Music Syllabus! I need to know how others have
approached these intersections in their schools, and WHAT they teach and how
often they do it! I need to know how your institutions approach Music
Education, and specifically how you tackle Jewish Music. Do you have Bar/Bat
Mitzvah assemblies? What music do you provide, and WHAT do you perform? 

Where I have already looked
There is a SA Jewish Music Center, but they barely exist because their
holdings are as yet uncatalogued and they have no venue, etc. The Sectretary
is very helpful and will be doing a "Staffdevelopment' session with us which
we are all looking forward to, but the center is basically a locked room
filled woith cardboard boxes, and the poor lady is trying to write her PhD
at the same time. I am looking on the Internet, but there is just SO MUCH,
and my literacy in the field is limited. We have quite a few of Tara books'
publications but I do not know what is current. I have taught myself to read
printed Hebrew but I am lost with cursive. I listen to anything I can lay my
hands on and just collect as much music as possible. I am coming to New York
in June and would love to do a course of study if I could find one that fits
into a few weeks.

But I must go now, I have to prepare for a class

Thnaks a lot for the responses i have had so far

Regards
Albert Combrink

Albert Combrink


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