Crazy Idea, or Is It?

[wrenb]

Last week I was at the Union for Reform Judaism Biennial convention. I had a wonderful time attending workshops, concerts, a play, and praying a whole lot (and, a.n.ers, meeting Karen for dinner and photos). In addition to the ideas I've got for improving my committee work, I've come home with a crazy idea percolating in my brain.

Would I make a good rabbi? I have an undergraduate degree in psychology, which reflects my desire 10 years ago to counsel people with problems, not with serious mental illnesses. I have always been an institutional prayer kind of girl, ever since Sunday School at the age of 7. I'm a regular on the Torah reading schedule. I have a good voice, but very few technical musical skills, so I feel that being a cantor (a Jewish professional singer/musician) isn't available to me.

On the other hand I'm shy. And I can't go back to school for at least another 2 years. I'd like to spend some years at home with my hypothetical future kids. And this is an idea, not a burning passion.

But I've just spent 5 days surrounded by rabbis, cantors & Jewish professionals, and I felt a deep bond with them. I don't want to be a secretary my whole life. I want to lead prayer and help people through their troubles.

If I do this I need to learn Hebrew far better than I do right now. First year rabbinic students live in Jerusalem. And I can't speak Hebrew, only pronounce it. I wish I could take a class at the UW, but that's not in the budget right now. I do have a workbook that I never finished that I could go back to working through. I figure Hebrew and Torah study (Saturday mornings at my synagogue) are baby steps I can take.

Am I dreaming far beyond my abilities and talents?

Comments

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

I want to second this (as someone who was basically tone deaf, fixed that with 10 years of viola lessons, was too chicken to join a choir for years, then at last discovered she had a decent voice and finally got some lessons...).

Having decent sound quality, you're born with or you're not. But listening to others, controlling what you have, even your range -- all of that is trainable. And most of what it takes to train it is listening closely to other singers and to people who know more than you do, and trying to imitate/obey. And you can learn a *huge* amount that way, and yes, it also helps a lot with public speaking (been there, done that, is my life, never get sore throats, have filled large rooms without a mic and without shouting).

[wrenb.livejournal.com]

Vocal training I have. I sang in choirs between 8 and 18 with an additional semester in college. I did forensics for 6 years. I blew people away with my bat mitzvah speech, and could easily have done it without a mic.

But the program at HUC expects a cantor to have college-level musical education. While I enjoy singing, my joy and experience has always been at a decidedly amateur level. I've tried in the past to learn piano and guitar, but I've never had much skill. I'm more of a voice & tambourine kind of girl. :)

[torrilin.livejournal.com]

*nod* The second instrument part of a BA in music is the hard part for a lot of people. I know why they require it, understand and agree completely, and... it's what kept me from going for a BA in music. I'm just enough of a classic dumb soprano that any instrument other than voice makes me crazy (and just enough *not* a dumb one that I can read music pretty competently). Tho, percussion like tambourine still counts as a second instrument ;).

I do get sore throats still sometimes, and I can't do without a mic... think it goes along with the structural stuff that resulted in me being a straight up soprano despite being tall and with a large chest cavity.