Get Up, Stand Up!

Yes, I'm talking to you!

Um... Is this thing on?

If you're joining our program already in progress, welcome... Shalom, pull up a chair. According to all of the "top ten" lists I peruse on the Internet about marketing in the Digital Age, blogs like this one, Facebook, and Twitter are the supposed ways to cleverly put Listen Up! (our Chicago-based Jewish vocal band) into your hearts. Sure, you may have seen us perform in Your Town, or may have heard one of our CDs... but, "stickiness" is about relationships and value. So, faire reader, what can our vocal band do for you today?

(Oh, and by the way, if you missed last night's rehearsal... we taped it for you here.)

Sometimes singing is just what you need

"Look, Ma..."

A cappella "bands", by definition, are egocentric. Really. Look at the "Maccabeats". From the first mesmerizing stanza of "I throw my latkes in the air sometimes...", you're hooked with a singular message that says... "look at us -- see how clever (and cute) we are!". For those of us at the edge of that target-demo... eg, multigenerational (graying) and not-so-cute, we have to bring a little more substance to the table. But, what substance can we bring?? First, let me tell you a brief story...

Since I was a lil' Singer growing up in Skokie (suburb of Chicago), I remember the "Walk". We brought our sneakers. We brought water and sandwiches. We brought sunscreen. We brought Israeli flags... and we walked, and walked, and walked. I remember that the length of the "Walk with Israel" was equal to the number of years of Israel's independence... each year. It was hard-core and we loved it. We loved shlepping together with the entire community in solidarity. We loved how exhausted and blistered we were the day after. At some point, the Chicago powers-that-be decided to make the "Walk" a little less literal, and more symbolic. The walks got shorter, and began to morph into neighborhood rallies and celebrations around town. We still have had the opportunity to participate in some big, city-wide rallies -- for the "big" birthdays, but now it's more of a communities thing.

Lipa!!

Invariably, there is entertainment at the event. Some years, an Israeli group has been brought in... and other years, local yokels like yours truly have performed. Interestingly, when the "Walk" has fallen during Sefirat HaOmer (the Counting of the Omer -- between Pesach and Shavuot), our vocal band has been utilized to serve a special need -- a performance without instruments. What's funny this year, is that our Chicago "Walk" actually occurs on Lag B'Omer, the 33rd day of the Omer -- which, for many Orthodox Jews marks the end of the period of mourning that recounts a number of tragedies that occurred during this period of time in Jewish history. For any of you Lipa Schmeltzer fans (or our fans who have a 718 area code), you might know that Lag B'Omer is actually Hebrew for "Jewzapallooza". Most communities have a crazy 5-stage "band-aid" type festivale on this day because it is the first day in more than 4 weeks that Orthodox Jews can even listen to instrumental music. (Perhaps the jubilation is really over not having to listen to Jewish a cappella anymore...).  So... you have to see the humor in the fact that at this year's citywide event, Listen Up! is the headliner. Yes, a cappella is all the rage. But, really..., should we be taking the place of a real band??

Team "Nakba"

So, returning to the matter at hand, what substance can LU! bring to this year's rally? Reading the news -- particularly the juxtaposition of Abu Mazen's appalling editorial in yesterday's NY Times (dissected here by the media watch-dog group, CAMERA) and the anticipation of President Obama's middle east policy speech tomorrow -- I'm thinking that a primal scream might be more apropos for us to share with the crowd. But singing?



This week, I also had the opportunity to view a screening of our local Hillel Torah day school's Names, Not Numbers oral history project - in which 8th graders interviewed Holocaust survivors. One of the survivor's said, "If you think it can't happen again, I'm not so sure." With all of this swirling in my head, our non-instrumental performance at the "Walk" seems just that... inconsequential to the urgency of the day. Fluff.

Good times...

Genius! But, a great voice?

Last night, as we were working up some new music to perform on Sunday, I came to rehearsal as I often do... with a headache. Long day. Longer night to come. However, something happens when we start to sing. (The neuroscientist in me would say that the process of singing triggers physiological processes that relieve stress.) Certainly, the camaraderie of spending time with Kevin, Noah, Mo, and AY adds some humor and levity to my workweek. But somehow, it's more than that. Singing is transformational... essential. I had a conversation last night at Jack's baseball game about davening. My friend said that he liked davening, but he said he doesn't have a good voice -- "too nasal". Nonsense. Some of our best vocalists have been really lacking in the "pipes" department -- from Dylan to Reb Shlomo. It's not always what or how you sing, but that you sing. There's something very personal about singing. Maybe there's something in that...

Braverman: Solidarity is not a choice.

Marla Braverman, in this essay from Azure Online makes the argument that solidarity (with Israel) is a "Zionist Imperative". As American Jews -- perhaps with family in Eretz Yisrael, we are apt to have a smug sense of accomplishment. Yes, we have achieved so much. However, as the events of this week -- enemies of Israel spilling across its 4 borders -- have shown, the world is ready...in a heartbeat...to turn away from us. Sure, we've got AIPAC, we've got our shuls, we can write to our Congressmen. Nu, there are things to do. But, Sunday, perhaps standing... walking... and even singing is just what we need to do to affirm that we're all on the same page -- and that's important. I'm not sure if our performance is going to lead anyone to tears... or to laugh. But, on Sunday, we're going to sing our hearts out regardless... maybe it will help. I hope you'll join us. For more information, click here.




What Have You Done for Me Lately?!

The Amazing Marc

May has been a busy month for us. We had the privilege of performing for the "Friendship Circle", a project of the Northbrook Chabad. (Who are we kidding?! Zelik Moscowitz is a chesed machine). It was a special evening and we were proud to be part of it. The featured speaker for the evening was Marc Elliot who, aside from the fact that we (and he) love Billy Straus's "Change in My Life"... is a singularly amazing guy. If you're looking for a dynamic speaker for teens and families on tolerance, being different, and living with challenges, you've got to check him out. See this video.

Other than this Sunday's concert at the walk, we're also heading to Westchester, NY for a bar-mitzvah over Memorial Day weekend... then on to a special Zimriyah program for Camp Ramah later in the summer. More to come on that...

If you or yours would like more information about having LU! perform for your thing, please contact us via the website. And... you might want to read these tips on having a successful event.