kaddish in two-part harmony
A conversation between an anthropologist and a musician along with a growing virtual minyan, on themes of death and dying, grief, ritual, and the interplay between music and words.about
Tag Archives: music
the man in the pink suit
When the family lived in Los Angeles, the tzaddik showed early signs of what was to come. Only it was a bit more theatrical down there in Southern California. The tzaddik produced an opera, believe it or not—the opera David, … Continue reading
Posted in essays, kaddish in two-part harmony, Seymour Fromer z"l, tzaddik stories
Tagged dads, Darius Milhaud, Leonard Bernstein, Malkah, music, opera, tzaddik
Leave a comment
daily kaddish: for lev kogan
A Kaddish for the composer of this project’s “Kaddish” for solo horn, Lev Kogan, who died in 2007. Continue reading
another kiddish for our kaddish
Mira, your writing and thinking and worldview blow me away on a regular, delightful basis. This is me saying in front of God and everybody what an honor it is to be your collaborator. Continue reading
daily kaddish: after kiddush
A kiddush for our kaddish. A kiddush for the best collaborator a kaddish-player could possibly have. Continue reading
Posted in kaddish in two-part harmony, podcasts
Tagged exhaustion, George Lawson, grief, healing, horn, music, Quiddler, Scrabble
Leave a comment
on making the “two-part harmony” live, in person
Since Mira and I first met in person several weeks ago, we’ve been planning to start doing Kaddish recordings together occasionally—to start emphasizing the “two-part harmony” of our project title. We released our first collaborative recording last night in daily kaddish: for all the foster children who don’t quite make it. Continue reading
Posted in essays, kaddish in two-part harmony, project news
Tagged collaboration, music, musicians, studio, text
2 Comments
daily kaddish: for all the foster children who don’t quite make it
Tonight’s Kaddish marks the first time that the “kaddish in two-part harmony” was created live, in person, in true two-part harmony. Mira and I agreed this should be a Kaddish for all the foster children who don’t quite make it. The heartbreaking story she posted from her own experience as a foster child earlier today (a kaddish for foster care children) gives the background information for that decision. Continue reading
Posted in kaddish in two-part harmony, podcasts
Tagged children, collaboration, foster care, music
1 Comment
another kaddish for japan’s daughters and sons: on scale-slipping and tragedy
A kaddish for all the sons and daughters Japan has lost and will continue losing in the aftermath of this devastation, whose enormous universal scale I cannot comprehend, whose personal scale is also enormous in its minute detail. On how we use scale-slipping to cope with tragedy. A reply to Mira’s kaddish one daughter at a time. Continue reading
Posted in essays, kaddish in two-part harmony
Tagged 9/11, China, daughter, death and dying, earthquake, Haiti, Indonesia, japan, kaddish, Mandelbrodt, music, New Orleans, scale, scale-slipping, tsunami, writing
9 Comments
counting cards with my grumpy grampa
I never gave my grampa his due, but I’m starting to appreciate him. Continue reading
Posted in essays
Tagged counting cards, dads, farming, food, immigrants, Minnesota, music, Norway, Rook
7 Comments
what is it about words? a rant in response to a preamble
Music sits alongside religion as an opiate for the masses, and when music joins religion, it’s a truly powerful drug—one that scares the crap out of me sometimes.
Continue reading
recent kaddishim: on connection and music
Something unexpected happened a few weekends ago. I asked Mira to record the text of the Mourner’s Kaddish for me, and she did, and then everything changed. We are nearing the end of the first three months. We have almost ten months to go on this daily musical exchange, according to the Julian calendar, because this is a leap year in the Hebrew calendar, which adds not just a leap day but a whole leap month. And after what felt like a lifetime of awful recordings to both of us, we’re both starting to enjoy the music. Continue reading