The most important lesson I want to teach my students is the very same lesson I am trying to teach myself: let go of the past, let go of the future, be in the present. Be in: notice, acknowledge, appreciate, understand, dwell, exist. The present: what is happening now, what’s actually happening. There are many […]
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What Makes a Jewish Song?
As a Jewish songwriter and composer I sometimes think about the question: What makes a Jewish song? There are many ways of responding to the question of what makes a Jewish song. Over the years, I’ve discussed and reflected on many of them. Today I stumbled upon a new answer. It came to me while […]
HG&P 2017 Year in Review
2017 was a great year for Hello, Goodbye, & Peace. The year started off with our annual MLK Interfaith Shabbat Service where HG&P serves as the house band, accompanying the joined choirs of Ebenzer Baptist Church and The Temple. Including 3-4 original HG&P compositions is always a personal highlight but nothing beats joining arms and […]
With Thanks to Jack Kornfield
Over the last two years I’ve listened to approximately 50-60 hours of Jack Kornfield’s podcast, Heart Wisdom Hour. Alongside The Grateful Dead, this podcast holds the place for the most oft heard soundtrack in my earbuds. It’s rare for me to find a voice that so compels me and speaks into my life. I’ve written […]
Mi Yimaleil, A New Chanukah Melody
I’m very proud of this version of Mi Yimaleil that I wrote and which will be released on an upcoming Davis Academy/Hello, Goodbye, & Peace album. Mi Yimaleil emphasizes the heroism of the Maccabees in their struggle against the Greeks during the time of the Chanukah story. While the Maccabees left a complex legacy that […]
Life Lessons from The American Hebrew Academy
I recently spent a beautiful Shabbat with the students and faculty of The American Hebrew Academy in Greensboro, NC. It was a wonderful experience for me and I am so grateful to have had a chance to meet the people there and offer a few teachings along the way. I learned a lot during […]