A Postcard to Nina

On Spotify today I was reminded of this mellow tune by the incomparable Jens Lekman. In it, the Swedish singer-songwriter tells the funny story of unwittingly playing 'beard' for a lesbian friend, at her parents' house. There's a message here, somewhere.

PS This version was lovingly animated by Nathan Heigert. 

Sailing to Philadelphia

Mark Knopfler and James Taylor are two of my favorite voices. Who but they could create such a sublimely beautiful and calming duet about the Mason-Dixon line, of all things.

Seder Song With Hand Motions

Well, it's been over five years since I uploaded my first and still most successful Youtube video. This song was not something I experienced as a child, but it's for children, so here goes.

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What's Happening?

My friend this morning asks, What's happening?
To which I reply:

Haftara on the Violin

I've always liked the trope melody to which the haftara is chanted on Saturday mornings. It's so sad and grandiose. Melodramatic. Fits the prophets perfectly.

Cinnamon Life

This "then and now" picture received a bunch of likes on FB and some funny comments on Imgur. When we were kids, our favorite breakfast cereal was Quaker Life, and especially Cinnamon Life. Back in the eighties there was a contest to find the next "Mikey", and my mom snapped this picture. Thirty years later, I still eat this stuff almost every day.

Romeo and Juliet (Dire Straits)

The first time I ever heard of Mark Knopfler was in the study hall of Hebron Yeshiva. I had just started playing violin again, and a friend of mine had just started playing guitar. He asked in Hebrew, Shamata al Knopfler? (Have you heard of Knopfler?) Back in the dorms, he popped a cassette in the tape deck and I listened for the first time to Romeo and Juliet. I still think it's one of the best ever written.