Reb Shaya Higayon Album Demo by Reb Shaya
There is little question today of music’s healing qualities, and its direct effect on the health of living things. However you choose to interpret it, considerable research has been done on the effect of different types of music on the growth of plants, confirming that plants flourish when exposed to beautiful, calm music and shrivel up when exposed to distorted, harsh music, when compared to plants exposed to no music at all. So It’s time that Jewish music be made for this purpose, especially considering the precedent set by King David when, as a shepherd, he played his harp to calm the King.
Personally, I feel that Jewish music must be melodious, but not necessarily in a structured, memorable way. Many Chassidic compositions have long “recitative” like sections, and cantorial pieces are also like that. Being melodious, they are bound to have some emotional content, but as long as it’s upbeat and positive, I figured that would not be detrimental. Thus, I came up with the current album.
Although I certainly hope it is usable for its original purpose (and Miriam has already gotten lots of positive feedback from her clients), I feel that it transcends that function to enter a level which has an important precedent in Jewish music.
The compositions presented on this album are improvisational and spontaneous, not inspired by any specific meditation or religious text. The names and descriptions of the various tracks were written afterward as a personal response to the kind of feeling I get when listening to them, and a vague recollection of what I was thinking about as I played them. Every listener will probably feel differently; these are only suggestions, and encouragement to think a little into the meaning of the music, because I feel that there is considerable depth here. However, you can just as easily simply listen to them in a quiet place and let them take their subconscious effect.
I sincerely hope this music will provide some relief and support when you’re feeling anxious, agitated, or generally down, bringing calm and hope into the relentless, inevitable pressures of our lives. To delve a little deeper into the subject of relaxation in spiritual terms, read by post about Musicianship and Life.
In Search of the Lost Melody
In the old days, a song meant a melody. A melody is a sequence of notes with a beginning, middle and end. It is constructed from phrases, not simply a phrase repeated over and over. It is not a sequence of sounds, sound effects, or random noises. It is not a series of screeches or unintelligible monologue. It is a series of musical notes with meaning. In the old days, songs were song or played on a melodic instrument, like flute or fiddle. They may or may not have been accompanied by strums on a harp, guitar, or something similar. If they were...
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