It has been a couple of very busy days for me since I last posted.
I think that the traditional effect of people staying in Jerusalem is starting to impact me: my legs and feet hurt from so much walking and I think I have lost a little weight. YEA!!!!! There is just something about being here that makes you want to walk instead of take the bus. I walked both ways everywhere the first few days, but then started taking the bus where I was going and mostly walking back. This was so that I would not get overheated and then have to sit in class with a soaked shirt.
The buses here move fast and seem to “wait for no man”. That means hang on tight at all times. The bus drivers are just as aggressive as the cars, even driving on the wrong side of the street to push their way in. Makes me nuts watching, but I guess I’ll get used to it.
At the Ulpan things continue to move at a brisk pace and we had our first test Thursday. This covered the first 59 pages of the book, so there was quite a bit of studying on Wednesday night for it.
I still get all the masculine and feminine forms or address mixed up at times, but I’m sure that will come with practice. Having masculine and feminine, along with singular and plural, forms of verbs makes things interesting to say the least. A few more people have come to class from still more countries. We have added Armenia and Czechoslovakia to the list, and I’m sure there are more.
Tuesday night was a cantorial concert by the current students at the school that I am going to. There were men at varying stages of involvement starting as low as less than 2 semesters. The concert was well received, and a number of the pieces were quite beautiful. While I probably should have stayed at the apartment to practice and study, I felt this was an opportunity to hear first-hand some of the results that others had achieved. The evening was well worth it.
I had my second Cantorial lesson Thursday as well. This made Wednesday evening even more crucial as I had a LOT of practicing to do.
We went over quite a number of things, including a new vocal technique to relax the throat before hitting a high note. There are also some things on “the written language” of music. This is really designed to help to keep the rhythm of the pieces flowing.
We changed the schedule for cantorial class to Monday and Wednesday, so those days will now be quite crowded.
I got a call this morning from a friend who has made arrangements for me to spend Shabbat there. I am looking forward to the new experience, and will write about it when I get back.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Ulpan Lesson 3 and Cantorial Lesson 1
Today was the 3rd lesson at the Ulpan and, as with the first 2, there was a LOT of material in a short amount of time. Interestingly enough we learned the Hebrew words for song and sing. The instructor today, who was new to our class and did not know us, started asking each of us in turn if we sang. Naturally I said yes, and she held up a picture of Pavarotti. After a brief chuckle I said no, I do not sing opera but sing only prayers. She said to go ahead, so I sang part of a Torah portion I had learned. As soon as I started her jaw dropped, and when I stopped a minute later everyone applauded. I guess it was an amusing diversion for me, and I had mixed feelings about it. Part of me was a little embarrassed and another part was a little proud. I’m not sure if that is a good thing or not and will have to give it some thought over the next day or so.
Today was also the BIG day: my first meeting with the cantorial instructor. Contrary to my own expectations I was not really nervous about this meeting. The feeling that I was doing what Hashem wanted me to was born out during the course of the evening.
The very first thing he did was ask me to sing the Stars Spangled Banner. I remembered some of the words and he provided the rest. I thought that went ok. Then he asked about reading and following printed music, which I can do, and then had me sight-sing a little. On that one I did moderately well, but we found, not to my surprise, that I needed some work there.
We progressed into some of the melodies from the Friday evening service. I was given “the minimum”, which is what a lay person would do, and then also given the cantorial rendition. I sang those this evening as well, and as soon as I did the first one I KNEW I was doing the right thing! I just felt it. The second I completed that first cantorial rendition I felt an immediate connection with Hashem and a very deep sense of purpose and serenity. It is an instant I will never forget!
Those who know me best know that I never really thought much of my voice. To me it is just natural. When I mentioned to the instructor that I have never had a voice lesson he told me not to tell any of his other students. He said that he was amazed I could sing as well as I did without having any previous instruction and that that kind of capability was extremely rare. I guess since he has been teaching for over 50 years he knows what he is talking about and I will have to believe him, but it still seems very strange to me that something I find so natural is really so rare. I am truly blessed and humbled by that knowledge.
I have found my calling and bless Hashem for the gift of a voice and the opportunity to learn to use it properly in His honor.
Today was also the BIG day: my first meeting with the cantorial instructor. Contrary to my own expectations I was not really nervous about this meeting. The feeling that I was doing what Hashem wanted me to was born out during the course of the evening.
The very first thing he did was ask me to sing the Stars Spangled Banner. I remembered some of the words and he provided the rest. I thought that went ok. Then he asked about reading and following printed music, which I can do, and then had me sight-sing a little. On that one I did moderately well, but we found, not to my surprise, that I needed some work there.
We progressed into some of the melodies from the Friday evening service. I was given “the minimum”, which is what a lay person would do, and then also given the cantorial rendition. I sang those this evening as well, and as soon as I did the first one I KNEW I was doing the right thing! I just felt it. The second I completed that first cantorial rendition I felt an immediate connection with Hashem and a very deep sense of purpose and serenity. It is an instant I will never forget!
Those who know me best know that I never really thought much of my voice. To me it is just natural. When I mentioned to the instructor that I have never had a voice lesson he told me not to tell any of his other students. He said that he was amazed I could sing as well as I did without having any previous instruction and that that kind of capability was extremely rare. I guess since he has been teaching for over 50 years he knows what he is talking about and I will have to believe him, but it still seems very strange to me that something I find so natural is really so rare. I am truly blessed and humbled by that knowledge.
I have found my calling and bless Hashem for the gift of a voice and the opportunity to learn to use it properly in His honor.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
My First Shabbat in Jerusalem
Friday afternoon was time to clean for Shabbat. It seemed that everything slowed down as the whole city was preparing. Most businesses are closed on Friday so traffic overall was much lighter that I have seen during the week.
On Friday night I went to a Shul about a block and a half from the apartment. As I was walking I saw no cars at all on the road, which is usually busy. It was an odd experience in that there were no familiar melodies and, the truth be told, not really any melodies at all. Before the service started there was basically nobody talking at all. Most of the other men were sitting around reading newspapers.
After services I had a nice Shabbat dinner with my flat mate and spent the evening relaxing.
Saturday morning I and was once again struck by the lack of traffic. During the walk to The Great Synagogue, which took about 20 minutes, I saw only 4 cars on the road.
While I felt at home at The Great Synagogue, again there was very little to no conversation before services. There was a guest Hazzan and the choir was also singing. The Hazzan was marvelous, having a tenor voice as smooth as silk. While the choir was also very good, the combination turned the morning into more of a performance than a participatory service. There were portions of the service that had familiar, but slightly different, melodies and some that were brand new to me and that I hope to learn.
I must admit that when I heard the Hazzan start to sing, combined with the environment I was in, it at first made me question what right I have to be here and to aspire to be a Hazzan. Thoughts like “Who do you think you are?” and “What makes you think you can do this?” crept in. Those doubts were removed during the Amidah when I added my own prayers and sought help and guidance from Hashem. I guess it is “normal” to have doubts like that, but the speed at which they were removed just serves to prove to me once again that I am on the path that Hashem wants me to follow.
On Friday night I went to a Shul about a block and a half from the apartment. As I was walking I saw no cars at all on the road, which is usually busy. It was an odd experience in that there were no familiar melodies and, the truth be told, not really any melodies at all. Before the service started there was basically nobody talking at all. Most of the other men were sitting around reading newspapers.
After services I had a nice Shabbat dinner with my flat mate and spent the evening relaxing.
Saturday morning I and was once again struck by the lack of traffic. During the walk to The Great Synagogue, which took about 20 minutes, I saw only 4 cars on the road.
While I felt at home at The Great Synagogue, again there was very little to no conversation before services. There was a guest Hazzan and the choir was also singing. The Hazzan was marvelous, having a tenor voice as smooth as silk. While the choir was also very good, the combination turned the morning into more of a performance than a participatory service. There were portions of the service that had familiar, but slightly different, melodies and some that were brand new to me and that I hope to learn.
I must admit that when I heard the Hazzan start to sing, combined with the environment I was in, it at first made me question what right I have to be here and to aspire to be a Hazzan. Thoughts like “Who do you think you are?” and “What makes you think you can do this?” crept in. Those doubts were removed during the Amidah when I added my own prayers and sought help and guidance from Hashem. I guess it is “normal” to have doubts like that, but the speed at which they were removed just serves to prove to me once again that I am on the path that Hashem wants me to follow.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)