I keep forgetting to send you this peep. This one happens all the time with minor variations. The family member that is singing at the chupa. He comes over to rehearse during the Shmorg/Kabalas Panim (even though I am there 2 hours before the wedding with plenty of time). Takes a few minutes to choose the key for each song. We then practice the 2 bar intro I will give him to prompt him on his chosen key. At the chupa all is going according to plan - or so it seems! I play the intro...and then horror of horrors!...he starts singing in a totally different key!
I am looking to buy/download old Ruach albums (Ira Silver/Shmoo Klaver) and I ended up on your blog through google. Do you know of anywhere that they are available?Anyone know if these are available?
Thanks in advance.
And while we're sharing music videos... here's an oldie, but goodie... SoCalled and Theo Bikel rock Belz!
Speaking of "Peeps"...How about the singer who checks his e-mail while performing? I recently saw it repeatedly at a wedding.
Joi writes:
I’m composing some Jewish ‘folk’ music with a Klezmer flavor. What’s a good piano rhythm pattern for the left hand to get a sense of the dance-like qualities of Klezmer? – My tendency is to fall into a latin rhythm, which I don’t want. Thanks for your ideas.I'd suggest listening to a lot of klezmer, and copping those rhythms. There are also some published piano arrangements like the Kammen folios and even the New York Times' "Great Songs of the Yiddish Theater" that would be good references to check out for sample piano accompaniments. However, there is no shortcut for listening to the music, and checking out how it was/is played by the pros.
Mr. Shapiro: "So now I ask my fair-minded readers: Is Artscroll’s statement that Metzudat Tziyon translates שרים ושרות as “singers” accurate? I think the answer is clearly “no”. Metzudat Tziyon translates the words in question as “male singers and female singers,” and yet—don’t tell me you are surprised—in Artscroll this morphs into “singers”. Why would Artscroll fudge the translation? The answer is obvious. They don’t want people to think that Solomon would have listened to women singing."Methinks the rabbi needs to work on his reading comprehension. He simply has no point.Your lack of erudition and bias is outstanding. The English word "singers" certainly implies "male and female singers". It is not exclusively male. It is however plural, which is significant to refute your groundless conclusion. There is no objection in halacha to listening to a group of women singing, especially if their voices are combined with those of men singing. This is based on the Talmudic principle of tre kali mi mishtame'ah. Thus, there is absolutely no reason for Artscroll (or anyone else) to not want "people to think that Solomon would have listened to women singing". Perhaps Artscroll's citation of the M"T is incomplete, but it is not inaccurate or misleading --- except perhaps to he/she who wishes to be mislead.
As well, his misrepresentation of the acceptance of the principal of "trei kali" (which he misquotes; that third word should be "lo") is pure apologetics and not reflective of actual practice in "Chareidi Artscroll-ville", where women are not heard singing in mixed company, with the possible exception of Shabbos zemiros among some (perceived) lenient families.
At this point, it is almost over. The greats are nearing their ends, new artists with mediocre voices and a lot of money come and go every other week, the actual talent can’t afford to produce because no one buys albums anymore: people just rip, burn, download and steal; the artists lose piles of money. Wedding introductions and interludes are all non-Jewish anyway, and not to clean songs. What will be with wedding music, you ask? We have enough songs with Freilach and Hora beats to last us for a week-long wedding. Anyway, with what weddings have become, (concerts with food), no one dances anyway! Everyone just stands around the bandstand watching and videoing, until the kalla’s father realizes that his hiring that famous singer for the extra couple of thousand didn’t enhance his simcha, it ruined it!...
Love your blog. Since you sometimes discuss non-Jewish origins of Jewish songs, could I ask you a question? I recall that one of Avraham Fried's ballads from a semi-recent album was a direct copy of a contemporary (French?) pop song. Do you know what I'm referring to?I'm not aware of Avraham Fried lifting a French song. Perhaps you're thinking of MBD. He rewrote the English version of "Daddy Dear", which was originally a French song called L'Homme Et L'Enfant
L'Homme Et L'Enfant
Little Child (Daddy Dear)
MBD version
But in the end, wouldn’t it be better if religious vendors were able to set aside their personal beliefs for the sake of civility and friendship? I mean, there is no prohibition that I am aware of in orthodox Judaism that would prevent a photographer from working a gay wedding. There is no problem for a tailor to hem a gown or cuff some pants for a gay wedding either. So I guess what I am saying is that while I respect religious beliefs very much, I don’t believe that one’s religious beliefs are sufficient cause to discriminate. To be clear, I am not talking about a member of the clergy performing a ceremony that does not even exist in his or her religion. I am referring to vendors who are uncomfortable working a gay ceremony. There is a difference. I don’t think anyone would expect a member of the clergy be required to perform a nonexistent ceremony. But there is no direct parallel to religious vendors.