Blog Archives

pick a prayer, any prayer

12/29/2016

Once again, I am soliciting suggestions/requests for Jewish liturgical texts to set to music.

So if you have a favorite prayer that you'd like me to set to a new melody, contact me here and let me know! It could end up on my next album, which I am planning to record in fall 2017. I want to add a few more liturgical songs for communal singing to the collection, so I am looking to you, my friends and supporters, for inspiration.
Use the contact form to reach me.
If you have a specific liturgical text (in Hebrew or in English translation), it would be great if you let me know what prayerbook you're sourcing it from (bonus points for page number!).
The person whose text ends up being included in my next album will get a copy on me when it's available.

I look forward to hearing from you soon!

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balancing art and technology

12/26/2016

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As many of you know, I am a bit late to the technology side of things. Twenty years working with my hands meant I didn't really need to be current with the latest electronics, and now I am making up for lost time. Sort of.
What I mean is that, while I do have and use a laptop, iPad and now a smartphone, I don't want to spend more time managing those things than I do creating and sharing music.
Maybe that's an unrealistic goal on so many levels. A big part of how I get my music out there depends on technology. I want to continue to utilize the tools, but I don't want to spend all my time fiddling around with them. I am much happier with a guitar or drum in my hands than an electronic device.
So finding the right balance between making music and marketing it is tricky.
I just want to put that out in case you wonder why I don't tweet my every move, every hour of every day.
I do my fair share, for sure, but I don't necessarily want to live a fully-curated life. Some pieces can remain non-electrified. Organic. Human-scale.

I got an old smartphone this past week, a gift from a friend who upgraded. It's allowed me to experiment with posting videos to Facebook more easily. More than that, I don't yet know in terms of value for me. But it's good to learn, I guess. Still, I don't want to spend my every waking minute living in the electronic world. I know I need time away from screens, and I am working on making that happen mroe regularly each day.

So if I don't get crazy-famous, you'll know some of it is totally on me. Because I'm not feeding the super-slick electronic beast. I am not interested in being super-slick. It takes too much time and energy and I have limits on both those things.

This has been a great week for getting away from it all, with family and friends.
I hope you're all having a wonderful holiday season. The juxtaposition of winter festivals this year means more light in a time of darkness. I am all for that. So let's find ways to shine our light a little brighter.
All the best to you and yours in 2017.

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more light over here, please

12/16/2016

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when you go out at night, remember to shine a little light

This year, Chanukah begins a few days after the Winter Solstice, and overlaps with Christmas and the secular New Year.

The first night of Chanukah is Saturday, December 24. I love the juxtaposition of all these festivals of light. With every candle we kindle and every log we burn in the fireplace, we are adding light to a dark season that desperately needs it, especially this year.

Another way we can add light is through sharing the healing power of music. That's why I'm honored to join hundreds of other musicians and music-lovers in a new project called Harmony In Unison. This live online concert series begins on Facebook during Chanukah, and I invite you to join the group so you can enjoy the warmth and spirit we hope to project through LIVE online performances. Created by talented Jewish artists Beth Schafer and Stacy Beyer, the group is designed to showcase artistts who will perform their original works in a live feed five nights a week, from late December through at least the early spring. There will be no ads, no sales pitches and no persuasion of any kind. This is just a freewill offering of heartfelt music for all to share.

It is hoped that, through sharing music this way, we will help each other find what we need to move forward together to work for peace and justice -- for ourselves, each other, and everyone we don't yet know.

I will perform LIVE on Sunday, January 29, at 5PM Pacific Time.

To catch this and other performances, simply sign up and join the group here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1768444576753418/

Once you've been accepted into the group, simply check the calendar, gather friends around the largest computer screen you have, and watch live concerts in the comfort of your home. Concerts will last anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour, with most averaging 30 to 45 minutes in length.
Some music will be familiar, much will be brand new, and all of it will be a gift to you, to brighten the dark days of winter and lift the sagging spirits of so many who need it.
Please join me and some truly amazing musicians on this journey of hope, love and peace. And may the warmth of family, friends and the light we kindle and grow keep us all warm and safe during the darkest days.

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