May 2008

May the Spring and Summer Seasons bring fulfillment & prosperity to you & yours.

At this spot ...

I keep you posted of the latest news, bookings, recordings, and special events.

The All-New Joy's Net Gazette

In October 2007, I released first issue of my newly designed Joy's Net Gazette, which had been on hiaitus for over a year. Click to see recent issues or to join my mailing list. My monthly newsletter includes updates regarding my concerts, tours, recordings, studio, and heritage news, and discounts. Separate occasional updates keep you informed of specific news regarding music, tours, and studio announcements. My favorite part of the newsletters is the Neat News section, in which I share news of other artists, colleagues, friends, and resources. If you would like me to share news of your project, website, or information in my Neat News section, please email me and fill me in on what you're doing.

Cick to sign up for the mailings you prefer via the new SafeSubscribe or SafeUnsubscribe feature found on the site and in emails. Your email address is kept private and your address is never shared or sold.

Tours

I have just returned from China and serving as Scholar-In-Residence for my March/April 2008 Discovery of Jewish China Tour with Temple Beth El (St. Petersburg). Our group traveled to Beijing, Xi'an, Suzhou, and Shanghai, then continued on an extension to Wuxi, Zhenjiang, Yangzhou, and Nanjing in the Yangtze River Basin. The spring season in China was a profusion of blossoming cherry, peach, plum, Chinese parasol, and rapeseed trees and fields, with the landscape lit up in Fuscia, pink, white, gold, and lavender. What a sight! I took some 5,000 photos on this tour and will be placing them on the website soon. An announcement of the new photo displays will be included in the next newsletter.

Concerts, Classes, & More

In October 2007 and March 2008, I presented programs for Greater Baltimore's Jewish Federation & JCC and Annual Learn Inn Experience. What terrific groups! Together we explored music and stories of Your Hit Parade, American Jewish writers of Broadway and Film, folk and liturgical music from Yiddish, Israeli, Ladino, Kabbalistic, and contemporary American writers, as well as my own compositions, lectures on the Jews of China, and much more. It was such fun, and I will return to Baltimore's Learn Inn Experience for three followup programs on Monday, June 16th, 2008. To see the schedule of classes and concerts I will give, visit my Calendar.

I also had a blast recently at my first concert for the New Jewish Congregation of the Villages, Florida, with an extended performance of music from the American Popular Songbook. What a wonderful audience we had, not only from The Villages, but from other areas in the central Florida region.

During this Passover season I enjoyed bringing special concerts and seders to Beckett Lake Lodge, Freedom Square, and Aston Gardens of Tampa Bay.

The remainder of 2008 continues a busy schedule of classes for Eckerd Elderhostel in St. Petersburg as well, scheduled programs for Grand Edventures of Boca Raton, Temple Beth El Israel of Port St. Lucie, and much much more. Visit my regularly-updated Online Calendar to see more details of these and other programs.

South Florida Mini-Tour

In June and August 2008, I return to South Florida with appearances in the Boca Raton and Port St. Lucie areas. I would love to give a program for your community, event, or congregation. Please contact me with ideas, or see my programs and promotional kit to view possibiliites for your community, and visit my Online Calendar to see more details of the current schedule.

Recordings

My original set of three CDs of Jewish music is approaching sellout of its third publication, and I will not be reissuing these CDs, but rather will be focusing on creating new recordings of Jewish music of all genres. With the final CDs available at this time, I will be offering them on the site and at appearances at a special sale price while they are in stock. Visit my Online Store to see these CDs and my special internet discount.

The double-CD set of A Steadfast Bridge is in production and recording will soon begin on new CDs of Hebrew music and an upcoming Favorite Melody, Vol. 3. In 2006 I completed Favorite Melody, Vol. 2 as well as Holiday Circle of Song, a mini-CD of original seasonal selections. One of the tunes on that CD, "Happy Healthy New Year," was selected for inclusion in a publication of New Thought Spiritual Music for the holidays.

A lecture/class CD or series of CDs on the Jews of China and Jews of Asia is planned as well ... something that can be used as a resource, an audio class, or for enjoyment. I continue to lecture and teach on the subject, often including my audiovisuals of my visits to China. You will see more and more wonderful slide shows of photographs of China on my site in the coming weeks.

Podcast

In the works is a podcast of my own music that will include talk about the creation of the songs. I have considered a variety of topics for this podcast, from discussing the American popular songbook to speaking of my experiences in China. Ultimately, I felt that the most distinctive music I could share would be an intimate view of the songs I have created and the inspiration for them. I am often asked to explain these things, so it makes complete sense to share them in a podcast.


The New Website

The site expands continually as I complete new pages and add new sections. It has been an enormous task - the most challing part of which has been learning the complexities of the web program (Adobe GoLive) and the most enjoyable part of which has been using the complexities of the web program once learned. There has been much screaming behind the scenes! But each breakthrough is quite spectactular. I'm only in early stages. I would love to hear your feedback on the new site - compliments, advice, suggestions, creative ideas.

While you're at it, visit the new Gallery sections (Music Gallery and Tour Gallery). There are several beauitiful displays, and I have so many more I will be creating ... travels throughout the US & overseas, musicians and friends, concerts & appearances, my family, and much more. You'll see the beautiful slideshow of photographs that are currently on the page ... it is a preview of much more to come.

Please keep in touch and thank you for visiting the site.

Joy

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