Reply To: Jewish music? Mah zeh?

No, I get exactly what you meant from the start. I’ve heard it in class too- I’m just not sure that a) I see it and b) it’s so clear cut.

I play an instrument and I love music with a passion- I definitely know what it means to feel something in music and to be impacted. But by what you’re saying, the frum music that presumably was composed with the best of intentions would be holy, wouldn’t it? Wouldn’t that automatically cause that special feeling?

I just think that there’s an element of subjectivity as far as music is concerned- I’m sure there are people who are positively affected by the current Jewish music you don’t like. (And when I was talking about current Jewish music being from the nineties, my point wasn’t that it suddenly happened- ALL music comes from other music and the Jewish music from the nineties probably came from non-Jewish seventies music for all I know. Music is created through inspiration but even more so from context- within the context of what a composer knows is how he/she becomes inspired to create something new within that framework.)

So why is it that to you some Jewish music is meaningful and other Jewish music is not? It’s subjective, no?

There are only so many combinations of notes, so many beats, so many genres and styles. For example, I personally think that 90% of the frum music now sounds exactly the same- I’d welcome some different-sounding music. I don’t think that means taking an inappropriate song and using Hashem Hu HaElokim as the lyrics- it means incorporating all different types of music to holistically create something new that can create that special feeling.

I know that there’s one frum song that I heard CONSTANTLY at camp that just sounded wannabe pop. What was the point? It was trying to appease everyone. But creating something new, different and kadosh- that I can see.