These questions were posed by Robert Workmon, in advance of the concert Thursday, October 24, at UNCW, which featured the North Carolina premiere of Ocean Calling I: Waves and Currents and Ocean Calling II: From the Depths. http://uncw.edu/arts/oceancalling.html I am sharing the questions and my responses, here. 1. Where are you as you respond to […]
Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra performs Tekeeyah Jan 10 & 12, 2013
Last night, Neal Gittleman and the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra performed Tekeeyah (a call), my concerto for shofar, trombone and orchestra, which they co-commissioned along with 4 other orchstras. Haim Avitsur, the soloist for whom it was written, played shofar and trombone. While there aren’t any reviews yet, here are two articles published in advance of […]
One of my earliest memories is hearing our next-door neighbor practicing the piano (we kept the windows open in the summertime in the pre-air-conditioned South), and running over there to sit on the edge of her living room sofa and listen. I must have been about 2 or 3 years old.
Happy Season of Light
For those celebrating Chanukah, tonight is the last night. Here’s a kavannah, intention, I wanted to share. There is a section in the daily standing prayer that is said during Chanukah, and it ends by recalling the lighting of the lights in the Holy Courtyard of the ancient Temple. Today, isn’t that Holy Courtyard the […]
Sierra Club presentation 12-19-11
Just presented my CD (Living Breathing Earth ) to the Sierra Club John Bachman Group here in Columbia. It was great to connect with the club, and they were really excited about the music. That gets me excited again, too. I love connecting with this CD and people working for the environment. I’m working for […]
Southern Jewish Historical Society annual conference
I think I finally figured out how to post photos on this blog! Let’s see if it works…. I’m performing piano (had to brush up on technique to play in public again…) at the Southern Jewish Historical Society’s annual conference, held conveniently here in Columbia, SC, at the USC School of Music–at least for my […]
In Memoriam September 11 performances in Germany
“The miracle, I think, was that through your music born as a reflection on a heartbreaking and unspeakable tragedy we were able to create an profoundly spiritual and unforgettable event which marked our memory and will stay with us forever. “–Mirel Iancovici, cellist and director of I Multicelli
CD tour
I loved our CD tour, starting here in Columbia May 17 at the JCC, presented by their Jewish Cultural Arts Committee. A highlight was a special art exhibit created by Richland Northeast High School students in response to the music on the CD. Jonathan Leader, ba’al tekiah for Tree of Life Congregation, who assisted me in […]
RELEASE DATE APRIL 26!!
April 26 is the street date for this CD! Right now, it’s up at a lot of internet sites, and the download version is already available, as of April 8. But the disc itself is coming out April 26–you can pre-order NOW for shipment then. Break out the champagne!!!! Read all about it at this […]
preparing new web page for CD LIVING BREATHING EARTH
Today I worked on an introductory paragraph for a new page at my website about the CD LIVING BREATHING EARTH. It’s “street date” is April 26, so we want to be ready when it’s ready!! Here’s what I have so far: With Symphony No. 1 LIVING BREATHING EARTH, I invite you to imagine our precious […]
Happy Chanukah
Happy Chanukah! Tonight’s the last night. All eight candles. A full menorah. May all your nights and all your days be full of light.
sweet blessings
Just returned from NY. My daughter had a baby girl two weeks ago, and I went up to help, so I was there for Rosh Hashanah. Lovely holding my 10-day old granddaughter in my arms when the shofar was blown, and her two sisters nearby–ages 2 and 3…sweet blessings
Cover art for CD
Here is the cover art for the album we are preparing for release in january 2011. Couldn’t wait to share this beautiful image created by PARMA graphic designer Leean Zajas!
Audio editing!
Have been working on my comments for the CD audio. My first time working with multi-track miking. The overall sound is fantastic already, but apparently there is a lot of tweaking that can be done, so I went through every millisecond of the first draft audio. Ear fatigue! Sent all in yesterday. Now it’s their […]
Akhat Sha’alti (One thing I ask)
Here are my program notes for Akhat Sha’alti (One Thing I Ask). (Posted the Youtube link to the premiere performance in last post, below, about the month of Elul.) Akhat sha’alti (One thing I ask) For SATB Chorus and Percussion Ensemble (ossia SATB a capella) Commissioned by the Nancy A. Smith Distinguished Visitor Series Coastal […]
Elul, a Season of Return
I just uploaded 3 videos of my 3-movement choral piece, Akhat Sha’alti (One Thing I Ask), which sets Psalm 27, vs. 4: “One thing I ask, this I request: that I shall dwell in the House of the Holy One all the days of my life. ” We recite Psalm 27 daily during the Hebrew […]
Beginning audio edits for CD!!
I received the first edits from the recording sessions and am in the midst of reviewing them for all the details that could make them that much better (they are already really great!). Sent up my first batch of suggestions for Tekeeyah (a call) yesterday. Now starting the Symphony. Getting really REAL now!
relaxing in Olamouc after recording Tekeeyah
Here’s a photo of me and Haim Avitsur (shofar/ trombone soloist for Tekeeyah) relaxing after the last session for Tekeeyah. Haim was leaving that afternoon to go back to Prague and prepare for his early morning flight back to the US. I still had 3 sessions of recordings coming up–devoted to the Symphony No. 1 […]
Tisha B’Av–the 9th of the Hebrew month of Av
Today is Tisha b’Av, a fast day in the Jewish calendar in which we remember the destructions of holiness in the world, symbolized by the destructions of the Temples in Jerusalem, but extending to all the ways in which we turn away from holiness and cause suffering. This morning I was reading the book for […]
Remembering the Maharal, after Shabbat, July 17
Our first Shabbat home after the Czech Republic trip. Last two Shabbatot we were in Prague, and attended services at the oldest synagogue in Europe, the Altneuschul (Old-New Shul), which dates from 1270. It was awesome to be there, and especially to feel the presence of the Maharal, the great rabbi of Prague from the […]