Music is one of the most powerful language acquisition tools, especially for adults. I know this is certainly true for me, and still, after studying Yiddish for over 13 years, I find myself remembering Yiddish vocabulary words from songs. Indeed, when I'm trying to figure out whether or not something is in the accusative, I often draw on song lyrics as examples, more than on conversations I've heard or something I've read.
But, the problem is that Yiddish typography is challenging and can be expensive. It adds a lot to a CD's budget to get all the lyrics in the booklet, especially if the CD is a reissue and the original artists are not involved. I've long dreamed of a deluxe Barry Sisters/Moyshe Oysher box set with all the lyrics in Yiddish and English, as well as a musical analysis of the groundbreaking work done by both artists. A box set like this would be a monument to Yiddish-American creativity, both musical and lyrical, and would be a tremendous teaching tool.
I propose a dedicated fund for CD booklet Yiddish lyrics, Yiddish typesetting, and paying translators, where necessary. Any record company could apply for funds to pay for Yiddish lyrics/typesetting/translation/transliteration. This one fund would create a wide reaching resource for the entire Jewish world.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
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8 comments:
Music is a good method for learning languages, I think it just helps us to remember better. But I don't know if we need a special fund for such projects - we just need some initiative. If a deluxe Barry Sister or Moyshe Oysher boxed set will ever appear - which would be great - it will be due to some enthusiast with the time and talent to prepare it, or the money to pay others. Better to make it a specific project - the Barry Sister Yiddish Classics Collection - and go shnorring for funding.
good grief leizer. propose your own darn project!
Is anybody else in this blog? Is anyone out there? For now, I assume I'm just writing rokhl - which is A-okay. Though it feels strange to write English. yekh.
Probably the best project I can think of is the yidishistisher besmedresh - like one of the old synagogues in Boro Park, where people hang out and learn and lecture on various topics around the clock, but which would be open and tolerant for apikorsim and gay people and so on. Since the Komune idea does not seem to be so attractive for other people, it would be good to have at least a gathering point at a spot to which Yiddishists (and open-minded fringe-frum people) could come locally. Living in one neighborhood and meeting frequently would create the kind of community we only have during the Yiddish Week, which is important for linguistic and cultural continuity (to use the hated word). Community is the main reason the grandchildren of Bobovers speak Yiddish and the grandchildren of Bundists don't.
Anyway, that's the idea I'm working on.
gut shabes!
Is anybody else in this blog? Is anyone out there? For now, I assume I'm just writing rokhl - which is A-okay. Though it feels strange to write English. yekh.
Probably the best project I can think of is the yidishistisher besmedresh - like one of the old synagogues in Boro Park, where people hang out and learn and lecture on various topics around the clock, but which would be open and tolerant for apikorsim and gay people and so on. Since the Komune idea does not seem to be so attractive for other people, it would be good to have at least a gathering point at a spot to which Yiddishists (and open-minded fringe-frum people) could come locally. Living in one neighborhood and meeting frequently would create the kind of community we only have during the Yiddish Week, which is important for linguistic and cultural continuity (to use the hated word). Community is the main reason the grandchildren of Bobovers speak Yiddish and the grandchildren of Bundists don't.
Anyway, that's the idea I'm working on.
gut shabes!
maybe this blog was a mistake.
is my idea so bad? I have many that are much worse! We need to get Jordan Kutzik in this blog, he will post every day, and he has many good ideas
nisht keyn toes! nor, teyl fun undz zaynen farnumen mit shpiln "magic pen" af internets (pruv es - take oysergeveyntlekh!) un veysn nisht vi azoy onteyltsunemen in a blog. ikh meyn az siz a gut tool tsu nitsn, ober dos iz mayn ershte mol.
oh, i had a bad magic pen moment when i was finishing up my projects for this past semester. (got stuck at level 13) them's trouble.
anyhow, i'm around and reading and pondering a bit. post forthcoming sometime...
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