Category: Blog

By the time those three big boxes from the disc manufacturing plant made it to my front door (lots of stairs… huff, puff!), I’d already answered the question of course. In the digital age, there is less and less demand for actual, physical CDs, since people can easily download the music they want online. Still, it’s always good to have a choice. Call me old fashioned, but I wanted the closure that comes with completing an album, and then offering it to the public in all its shrink-wrapped glory… just like they did back in the 20th century of my youth .

Besides, there’s something about having a product you can hold in your hand, and tuck away along with all the rest of the CDs in your collection. Filing a single copy of my newest disc under “C” – between albums created by artists like Dave Carter and Crosby, Stills and Nash – may not help me get this music on the radio, or into the homes of more folk music listeners. But it sure feels good.

When I first started writing songs, my material was heavily weighted toward the subjects that occupied most of my time: my kids. I remember when I used to introduce my performance of “Survival of the Fittest” by telling audiences how this song was inspired the tri-partite split that characterized my life… the fact that I was (1) a singer-songwriter, (2) a science writer, and (3) the mother of four “what can euphemistically be referred to as ‘high-energy’ children.”

Well, they’re still high energy. But since they’re directing their energies outward these days, I’m a bit less overwhelmed. As a result, I’ve been able to explore new horizons.

Recently, I signed up for a seminar given by one of our local universities. The subject was “public diplomacy” – that face-to-face (or keyboard to keyboard) communication that makes it possible for average citizens to influence how their nation is perceived around the world. I won’t surprise anyone if I say that Israel is situated in a very volatile environment, and as a result, it faces very difficult challenges in terms of its public image. For years, my desire to defend Israel against unreasonable attacks in the media has been growing… but even the most effective “facebook activism” can only go so far.

Driving home after the seminar’s first meeting, my brain was on fire… and as sometimes happens in these situations, an idea for a song popped into my head. I pulled over to the side of the road and started scribbling, and the result was the lyric to “Song of Zion” – already recorded as part of the “Voices From the Other Side” album. “Freeze Frame Truth” – another Israel-related song – followed soon after.

You can read the lyrics to both songs on the Voices From the Other Side page in the Music section.

I don’t think I’m going to redefine myself as a political songwriter. But to the extent that I can use my art to create a little more understanding about the place I live, I’m happy to do so.

Just got back from the first of two summertime “hoots” sponsored by the Jerusalem Folk Club. After a day of oppressive heat and humidity in my home town, it was great to drive up the hill at night and cool off in Jerusalem’s higher elevation. My spirits were elevated, too.

Outdoor hoots – in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv – have become a much-anticipated thing around here. Unlike the regular folk club format, in which a small number of acts are highlighted, hoots are an opportunity for the entire community to get together. Sort of like a mini-folk festival with free entrance (and no need for sunscreen).

Getting such a large number of musicians on and off stage can be a challenge, so the hoot’s mistress of ceremonies – a new olah and great musician named Sharon Klein – instituted a new format. The musicians were placed right in the middle of the courtyard, facing each other in a circle, while the audience spread themselves (and their blankets) all around behind them. Then we went around the circle twice, giving each musician a chance to share two songs. Then Sharon announced the next “round” and a new group of musicians took center stage.

A fine time was had by all.