*Michel D’anastasio “Shema Israel”
Language, with it’s rhythms and sounds, can fit the category of music; and Hebrew maybe more than any other as it is the language of creation.* So, what better way to naturally absorb Hebrew than by combining the rhythms and sounds of this rich and ancient language with the beauty, form, and harmony of music.
Prayer in the synagogue is led by a cantor who weaves the words of prayer together with melody. Even the reading of the Torah is done with a particular form of intonation and melody known as cantillation. Prayers of praise in many forms of worship are lifted in song. Music and language indeed blend well together.
It has been proven that music not only helps trigger memory recall but the rhythm of music can help with the articulation of words. It is an easy way to increase vocabulary and learn the melody of the language itself.
Singing songs certainly speeds up the time it takes to learn a new language. Research has found that singing the new language allows for a faster processing mode rather than just repeating the phrases over and over again. This is because the melody provides an extra boost to help embed the new language into one’s brain.**
We will be bringing you soundtracks to help in your learning of Hebrew. So sit back, relax, and remember the one rule — listen! Let the language internalize before you vocalize. Let it move from your ears to your heart.
* Psalm 33:6
** Cognitive Neuroscience of Music, Wikipedia
6 Responses
Wow, you have my attention! This truly is ‘music to my ears’!
I’m really looking forward to this. It calls to mind Dwight would almost unfailingly sprinkle Hebrew words and phrases into his speaking and praying followed by the translation. I learned many Hebrew expressions this way without effort. Music sounds like another great way to get that kind of exposure!
Before I ever started studying Hebrew, I had a rudimentary grasp of at least the way it sounds and how some grammar works, just by listening to the music of Barry and Batya Segal, Paul Wilbur, Elisheva Shomron and others, and reading the linear notes (when they were transcribed correctly! Sometimes I think the receptionist at the production company’s front desk just listens to the new CD and transcribes phonetically — they should actually have the artists themselves write the linear notes! Like on one PW song, *Baruch Haba b’Shem Adonai*, “celebrate aloud” is written “celebrate the love” in the notes). I think every seminary Hebrew class should require students to purchase Messianic worship music! 🙂
I say Amen to this. My journey into the Hebraic roots of my faith started 25 years ago with the purchase of a recording called “Messianic Praise”. Many of the songs were in Hebrew and the language/music spoke deeply to my spirit. As a classical musician for over 50 years, I know the power that music brings to life and look forward to hearing from what is being described.
Thank you for your interesting and inspiring comments dear friends!
We will be starting off with a few children’s songs – as they contain rudimentary vocabulary, as well as being enjoyable to the ear! Messianic songs and artists already are known by many of you, so we will also introduce Scripture based Israeli and/or Jewish music, with which you may not yet be familiar and which is well worth a listen.
Looking forward to this, , I remember when I was a child and learnt the ABC it was always through singing and moving xx