Well, here we are at Friday again and another busy week has come and gone. Things are still the same at the Ulpan: hectic. We continue at a frantic pace. On Wednesday the instructor expressed (in private) her concerns that there was just too much material for the time allotted. There are more chapters in the book than we have lessons, and covering a chapter a day is just NOT going to happen. Well, we’ll see how this plays out.
I made a very important investment on the cantorial side of things and got an electronic keyboard so that I could practice and especially fine-tune some of the transitions that have been giving me fits. This was a gamble in some ways. I used to play the accordion so had experience with the right hand, but that was about 45 years ago. Much to my delight and amazement, within 15 minutes I was playing the music without looking at the keyboard at all and actually hitting the right notes! I can tell already that this is going to make my learning go MUCH faster and is definitely a worthwhile investment.
I got my Shabbat cleaning and shopping done already, and am looking forward to a nice Shabbat here in Jerusalem. I will likely be trying a different synagogue this weekend and am looking forward to yet another new experience. I will undoubtedly write about it and let you know.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Another Week? Where did it go?
Yet another week has gone by! I am amazed at how quickly it has passed.
Things at the Ulpan are moving very quickly. There is so much new material every day that I am having difficulty keeping up. This is partly because I do not have the time necessary to adequately study and do the homework in addition to the cantorial practice, which is my first priority. As a result I have to choose between completing all assignments and studying Hebrew or practicing for cantorial class. The only possible decision is to do the practicing as that is my primary reason for being here. I am wondering if a less intensive Ulpan schedule would be better and am looking into that for the next class.
Things on the cantorial side continue to move along at a brisk pace as well, but here I believe I am doing well. The summer session is nearly over and I have been learned the entire Friday night service as well as a few other pieces. I have two different versions of some of the pieces, one of which has more cantorial embellishments than the other. During the break I will be practicing what I have been taught and will also be working on additional material. One is a piece from “The Merry Widow” and another is a piece in Italian from “Fedora”. Well, my grandmother told me I should be an opera singer, so here is my chance!
I stayed at the apartment again this Shabbat, and enjoyed a nice Shabbat dinner with my flat mate. After I sang the Kiddush (Blessing over “the fruit of the vine”) he commented that it sounded different from when I got here, and was better. I was pleased to hear that as I tried to incorporate some of the cantorial techniques I have been taught. I guess they work.
It is now Sunday afternoon here and I am going to be spending the rest of the day alternately practicing and doing homework. This will be interspersed, of course, with the “usual” chores of laundry and shopping. Sounds like fun. (Well, ok, the singing part will be.)
Things at the Ulpan are moving very quickly. There is so much new material every day that I am having difficulty keeping up. This is partly because I do not have the time necessary to adequately study and do the homework in addition to the cantorial practice, which is my first priority. As a result I have to choose between completing all assignments and studying Hebrew or practicing for cantorial class. The only possible decision is to do the practicing as that is my primary reason for being here. I am wondering if a less intensive Ulpan schedule would be better and am looking into that for the next class.
Things on the cantorial side continue to move along at a brisk pace as well, but here I believe I am doing well. The summer session is nearly over and I have been learned the entire Friday night service as well as a few other pieces. I have two different versions of some of the pieces, one of which has more cantorial embellishments than the other. During the break I will be practicing what I have been taught and will also be working on additional material. One is a piece from “The Merry Widow” and another is a piece in Italian from “Fedora”. Well, my grandmother told me I should be an opera singer, so here is my chance!
I stayed at the apartment again this Shabbat, and enjoyed a nice Shabbat dinner with my flat mate. After I sang the Kiddush (Blessing over “the fruit of the vine”) he commented that it sounded different from when I got here, and was better. I was pleased to hear that as I tried to incorporate some of the cantorial techniques I have been taught. I guess they work.
It is now Sunday afternoon here and I am going to be spending the rest of the day alternately practicing and doing homework. This will be interspersed, of course, with the “usual” chores of laundry and shopping. Sounds like fun. (Well, ok, the singing part will be.)
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)