Working and Learning with Jewish Music Pros

Weber's Music Program continues to provide unparalleled student experiences with its recent trip to St. Louis for the 15th annual Songleader Boot Camp (SLBC). Music Program Director Drew Cohen and Music Teacher Michael Levine accompanied Theo Nash, Noah Blatt, Asher Leder, Jake Carlin, and Dylan Carlin to this premier Jewish music gathering, which attracted over 500 participants this year and features an all-star cast of musicians and teachers.

SLBC, held at the JCC in St. Louis and overseen by Rick and Elisa Recht, is renowned for being the epicenter of Jewish music in North America. Weber students immersed themselves in intensive sessions led by Jewish music artists and respected educators, which covered a broad range of topics, including prayer, antisemitism, the music business, and branding, all while nurturing leadership qualities.

The conference also brought together several musicians who have participated in Weber's Music Program through its Visiting Artist Series, initiated in 2022. Former artists-in-residence Billy Jonas, Eliana Light, Charlie Kramer, Chava Mirel, and Yosef Goldman, all members of the SLBC faculty, led various workshops and sessions, once again providing our students with unique opportunities to engage with musical excellence firsthand. Highlighting the talent within the Weber community, Theo joined the teen chavurah for a group performance at the conference, and Mr. Cohen and Mr. Levine joined Eliana Light and Charlie Kramer, who will be visiting Weber later this semester, for various musical performances throughout the 3-day event.  Mr. Cohen also presented on a panel discussion of various careers in the Jewish community.  Noah Blatt also used his videography skills to document the whole event on video, which the Weber Film Club will edit.

Reflecting on the trip, Drew Cohen shared, "To look at the stage of core faculty at one of the premier gatherings of Jewish musicians in the world and see that more than half of them have visited Weber and worked with our students highlights the way our program provides students access and opportunities to make music with many of the leaders of the field, and it’s great to expose our students to such a wide range of Jewish music talent."