Beth Hamon
  • Home
  • Everything I make
    • Recordings
    • Sheet music
    • Words >
      • The Watchman's Chair
      • A Sliver In The Sky
      • Ten Miles
      • City Of Love
      • KIDSONGS
    • TRAVEL CAJON (portable drum)
  • LESSONS
  • Calendar
  • Contact
  • BIO
  • Reviews
  • Notes from the road
  • pix and vids
  • OFF THE GRID JUDAISM

spring into summer

4/27/2014

 
Picture(Shabbat in the Park, Gezer Park, Leawood KS, June 2013)
I'm preparing for The Incredible June, Redux.

There have been phone conversations with the clergy and Education Director at Congregation B'nai Jehudah in OPK as I compile music and materials for not only the Machane Jehudah day camp but also for a month's worth of services. This time, I will be pinch-hitting as a cantorial soloist. I think it is perfectly okay to admit that I am nervous about this added element. I don't have tons of formal cantorial-type training and have had to learn everything on the fly. I hope I'll do well by everyone. I've been sent recorded materials to help me wrap my ears around the musical minhag (custom) of services at TTBJ, and that will help a lot. But it definitely does remind me of how much I would benefit from a workshop or three on Nusach (liturgical chanting). I would really like to go to such a workshop one of these days, but they are expensive and there is little local support for such things. So for the time being, I keep trying to learn on the fly.

I have, with a friend's help, compiled recordings and lyrics of Israeli pop music for use at camp; prepared music for Shavuot services (which will happen days after I arrive); and materials for what I hope will be a beginning guitar chug (class) for the older kids and a kids' chorus for all ages. It will be a slightly different June this time around but still a lot of work and a lot of fun.

I also went ahead and sent out copies of my songbook/zine to pre-purchasers and thanked them for their support. CD sales have been small but steady as more people find out about my music by word-of-mouth. I also hoped to travel to synagogues in the next year to bring songleading and other music workshops to them. At least two synagogues are interested and are trying to find the money to bring me in. I am hopeful.

There are just three weeks left in my teaching year in Portland. I am wrapping up various lessons and projects with my students and enjoying these warmer days with the preschoolers as we laugh and sing our way through Friday mornings together. It has been a lovely spring. I am looking ahead to a busy and rewarding summer.

(below: morning T'filot (prayers) at Machane Jehudah, 2013)

Picture

Comments are closed.

    RSS Feed

    Beth

    Musings on this amazing journey through music, prayer and community, most of it accomplished while balancing on two wheels.

    Archives

    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013