Why this tune? This week’s tune is another in my “Parsha Songs” series inspired by the weekly Torah portion. “City of Refuge” was inspired by the commandment in Parashat Masei (מַסְעֵ֣י) to establish “cities of refuge,” as described in Numbers 35:11 “you shall provide yourselves with places to serve you as cities of refuge toContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: City of Refuge”
Tag Archives: original song
Tunes on Tuesday: The Changes
Why this tune? I’m continuing the song-a-day challenge I started at the beginning of January, managingto write at least part of a song every day. Today’s contribution is “The Changes,” which started from another phrase on my song ideas list: “sending more condolence cards thanwedding wishes.” That led to this self-referential tune about aging asContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: The Changes”
Tunes on Tuesday: Let Go
Why this tune? I’m starting the new year with a challenge, to write a song a day (or at least part ofone) through January. This challenge is hosted by Sarah Gulish and Kat Reinhert of “Songwriting for ME.” They provide resources and support for music educators who want to write music and teach those skillsContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Let Go”
Tunes on Tuesday: Let’s Resolve (2024)
Why this tune? Tunes on Tuesday starts the new year with an updated version of a song I wrote last New Year’s Eve. It’s a twist on the concept of New Year’s resolutions, calling for us to resolve to “not resolve at all.” It’s really a love song, where the singer implores their love toContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Let’s Resolve (2024)”
Tunes on Tuesday: Snow Day
Why this tune? Winter officially starts this week, and with it the expectation of snow in the colder parts of the world. One of those snowy mornings inspired “Snow Day,” which I recorded with Aaron Myers for his 2015 holiday album “Snowing In Vegas,” that includes other original songs by Aaron and me plus someContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Snow Day”
Tunes on Tuesday: Thanksgiving With Uncle Rob (2023)
Why this tune? We celebrate Thanksgiving in the US this Thursday, so I’m marking the day with my song for the season, which I wrote in 2011. The version you’re hearing in the video is the 2016 recording with Aaron Myers, which you can find on your favorite streaming services and YouTube. I’m thankful forContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Thanksgiving With Uncle Rob (2023)”
Tunes on Tuesday: Hallmark Movie Marathon
Why this tune? This week’s tune is another collaboration I posted to the FAWM 50/90 community (fawm.org), which closed on October 1. My new songwriting friends David Graham and Vaughan Ray Daniel sent me lyrics for “Hallmark Movie Marathon,” and I took up the challenge of writing a Hallmark-movie worthy pop song around their gentleContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Hallmark Movie Marathon”
Tunes on Tuesday: Strange Fire
Why this tune? This week’s tune is another addition to my evolving “Parsha Songs” project, a collection of songs inspired by each of the 54 weekly Torah portions in the Jewish tradition. The title comes from Leviticus 10:1 in Parashat Shemini, describing how two sons of Aaron, Nadav and Avihu, brought to the sacrificial altarContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Strange Fire”
Tunes on Tuesday: Haunted (not Haunted)
Why this tune? This week’s tune is another one I wrote during this year’s FAWM 50/90, kicked off by aprompt: “haunted.” I want to dive into some of the process I followed to turn that prompt into this song. I started as I usually do by just writing, anything, in a stream of consciousness toContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Haunted (not Haunted)”
Tunes on Tuesday: Big Knife Creek
Why this tune? As I’ve mentioned before, I’m participating in the “50/90” songwriting community atfawm.org. It’s a global forum for songwriters that opens twice a year to a global community of writers who share songs and discussion. The site hosts regular “skirmishes,” where ahost picks a theme and participants try to write a song basedContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Big Knife Creek”
Oren Levine, jazz pianist and songwriter 