Album Notes

GAN SHIRIM (A Garden of Songs), recipient of a Parents' Choice award and nominated for "Best Jewish Album of 2006" by Just Plain Folks music awards, is the double-CD set that's becoming a favorite in Jewish schools, preschools, and homes. Like all of Carol's music, these 70 songs are designed not just to be listened to but to be sung and enjoyed. Included on the first disc are songs about Jewish values, Bible characters, learning Hebrew, as well as "everyday topics" with a Jewish twist such as weather and friendship. The second disc has songs for Shabbat and for other Jewish holidays from Rosh Hashanah through Shavuot.

The lyrics range from heartfelt to humorous. The songs are composed in a child-friendly with melodies that children - and adults - will find appealing. With titles such as "Halleluyah Hoedown," a Tu B'shevat song called "Groundhog Noses" and a Rosh Hashanah song named "The Bumblebee Waltz," you can't help but have fun with this music. And songs like "I Wanna Be A Tree" and "The Calendar Soft Shoe" sound as though they've come direct from Broadway. "Nakum Uvaninu" was selected by the Shalshelet Foundation for the First International Festival of New Jewish Liturgical Music and was the theme song of the 2002 Conference on Alternatives in Jewish Education.

Carol sings the songs to the wonderfully clever and skillful accompaniments of co-producer Adrian Durlester. A youth choir sings several of the songs as do child soloists. A 7-year old girl sings "Sleeptime Sh'ma" with honest emotion because it's the same song she sings herself to sleep with at home each night.

This is a wonderful resource for families, preschool and elementary school teachers, music teachers, songleaders, youth choir directors and cantors who are looking for new melodies to introduce to their congregations and schools.

There is a companion 160-page top-quality songbook published by KTAV Publishing House that contains all the sheet music, chords, big-print lyrics, educational informational about each song and even teaching suggestions. The GAN SHIRIM songbook is available from Carol's website (www.carolboydleon.com) as well as from KTAV.

Also available from Carol's website are her SONGS FROM THE HEART: FAMILY SHABBAT cd/songbook, JEWISH LIFE CYCLE songbook, VOICES IN PRAYER songbook, sheet music for individual songs, adult choral music and MUSIC DOWNLOADS FOR INDIVIDUAL SONGS.

According to acclaimed Jewish musician Fran Avni, “Carol Boyd Leon is one of today's most prolific Jewish family, children's, and congregational songwriters and composers. Like an American Naomi Shemer, Carol has a wonderful gift of transmitting heritage and content through her songs which are eminently singable and enjoyable for both the singers and their listeners.”

Carol is a Washington, D.C.-based Jewish songwriter, songleader, and music educator at preschools and religious schools. She is a prolific writer of Jewish music whose compositions for both children and adults have received recognition at many Jewish conferences and choral festivals. Carol is available to teach GAN SHIRIM and other workshops. She'd like to hear from you!