Testimonials
"Rabbis Micah and Loren Lapidus have joined musical forces to bring their multiple talents to this engaging collection of songs for simchas! Their love of Judaism, coupled with their passion for creating just the right music for each life cycle moment makes this a CD not to be missed! Joined by Will Robertson, Micah and Loren have given us easily accessible melodies which speak to the heart of each family milestone! My collection of “go to” pieces for life cycle occasions has just monumentally increased!"
-- Cantor Deborah Hartman, The Temple, Atlanta, Ga
Be a Blessing (2013) was the realization of a dream-- to produce a high quality, hard rocking, fresh and celebratory collection of Jewishly inspired music. From the opening notes of Zeh Hayom to the Abbey Road inspired medley that comprises the final 3 songs (and the Halleluyah crescendo that closes the album), it's a testament to power and potential of spiritual and religious teachings in a musical context. Like all my musical projects, Be a Blessing was produced by Will Robertson at Gallop Studios. Will knows how to honor the soul of the music and, while he certainly could, he doesn't mess it up with lots of studio bells and whistles.
While the vision for Be a Blessing started and ended with me, I had the special privilege of engaging my Davis Academy community in the recording process. You'll only hear me singing one song-- Darchei Shalom. All the other vocalists (with one significant exception) are teachers and students at Davis. The exception is Rise Up (track 2) which features the Mt. Zion 2nd Baptist Church choir, where our beloved school receptionist is a long time member.
The beauty of Be a Blessing is that different people relate to the album in different ways. Rise Up has become a part of the standard repertoire of interfaith music in the Atlanta community and beyond, while Kol Yisrael has been used as a religious school and summer camp theme in many different Jewish contexts. Bet Ya'akov has inspired at least one parent's blessing to their child upon becoming a bat mitzvah and Zeh Hayom is part of every Davis Academy graduation processional.
The main musical influences you can hear on Be a Blessing, if you're really listening, are The Beatles, They Might Be Giants, The Allman Brothers, and John Denver.
Free downloads available here.
A Palace in Time (2015) is an album devoted entirely to the liturgy of Kabbalat Shabbat. Every Hebrew text appears in the siddur Mishkan T'filah.
Palace is the result of one of the most mystical experiences of my life. On a random day in March, 2013 I sat down with my guitar and the floodgates opened. I couldn't write or record fast enough to capture all the melodies that came to me that day.
In the end I selected 18 melodies from more than 60 that came to me that day. Once again I had the blessing of engaging the tremendous ruach of The Davis Academy in arranging, performing, and recording this music.
When I think of Palace I think of a quote I heard from a musical source I've never been able to identify: "We're not in the entertainment business, we're in the transportation business."
If you love Shabbat, it's probably because you've allowed yourself to be transported by Shabbat. If you let it, A Palace in Time can do the same.
Free downloads available here.
Eit HaZamir (2016) is a collection of songs that reflect the deepest love of family and friends. My first album outside of The Davis Academy and fully under the auspices of "Hello, Goodbye & Peace", Eit HaZamir is both a departure and a homecoming. All of the songs were co-written by me and my wife, Rabbi Loren Filson Lapidus.