Why this tune?
This week’s tune is very much a work in progress, another song in my “Torah Tunes” series inspired by the weekly Torah portion. “Here I Am”, for Parashat Vayera, takes its cue from Abraham’s first response when G-d calls him to sacrifice his son Isaac. The song doesn’t deal with that story, but focuses on less dramatic times when any of us may have received a call. It could be after a loss or other emergency involving family or friends, when we are asked to step up and act in response. The song focuses on that statement, “Here I Am,” as the first step of accepting your role in the crisis.
I have two verses and a chorus so far and am working on the rest. I’m trying to write this one in the style of contemporary musicals. I’m pretty happy with what I have, and welcome your feedback and thoughts!
You can hear more Torah Tunes by visiting my Torah Tunes page, which links to demos and shows my progress.
Oren Levine, jazz pianist and songwriter 