morning minyan and melodies

[cellio]

A couple months ago I wrote about a musical issue in the weekday morning minyan. One of the regulars really likes a melody that the rabbi hates, so I was trying to find a way to make everyone happy. This is a followup.

I came up with a new melody that I thought singable enough (and perky enough) to satisfy the congregant without having the excessively-repeated text and cheesy melody that bothered the rabbi. (The cheesy melody didn't do much for me either, but that alone was not enough reason for me to change anything.) On the day I was going to spring it I wanted to take that congregant aside first to clue him in (I'd previously told him that I'd be bringing a new melody). But he wasn't there, and when we got to the t'filah I had my back to the congregation, so I didn't see him come in late. So when we got to l'dor vador I just chanted it, and I heard him say something like "argh". Oops.

He had an aliya, so I was able to whisper in his ear something like "I have a new melody but need your help; stick around after" and he said ok. After the service I told him I needed his help to get the congregation to sing a new melody; I didn't know if they'd be able to follow just me (with my back to them), but if he was also singing it that would help so could I teach it to him right now? Sure, he said, and the person sitting next to him also stuck around. (Good, I thought; this second person has a good strong voice.)

So I sang it for him, then sang it with him a few times, then asked if it worked for him. He said yes, he likes it a lot, and I said he needed to be ready to sing next week. We've now done it for several weeks; the congregant is thrilled and the rabbi is satisfied. I think most of the congregation is indifferent. (In a brief moment of inattention I let slip to the congregant that I wrote it, but I do not believe this is widely known, nor would I want anyone to feel pressured because of that.)

Edit: On reflection, one small piece of this didn't belong in a public entry. Yeah, what's out there is out there, but I'll still try to clean up what I can.

Comments

[cellio]

Thanks.

In a way I'm the outsider, in that almost all of these folks were there before I was. (And they go every day, while I don't.) So I made some assumptions about the dynamics (that weren't contradicted by anything I saw) that turned out not to be correct. Hmm.

[loosecanon.livejournal.com]

I don't know that others see you as the outsider, though. You might, still, but perhaps others see things differently.
There are also different ways to be an outsider. A newer member who joins and is welcomed, but doesn't yet know all the cues is a different kind of outsider than the long term member who is abrasive.

[cellio]

Ah, that's a good point.

Just in case I've given a wrong impression, I don't perceive anyone involved in this to be abrasive. (I realize you might have been speaking generally and not specifically.)

[loosecanon.livejournal.com]

I was speaking in general terms, yes. No wrong impression.