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About Us
| Ilene Safyan and Margie Rosenthal
have been recording music since 1987 and they were good friends and making music years
before that! Their recording career began because they believed music to be one of the
best ways to teach children, to ground them, to give them a love of their heritage.
"O, Mother and Father, you planted seeds in me when I was a small child. Songs that you sang to me and that I have remembered. They have taken root in me and they have grown and now, as you sang them to me, I sing them to my children, so that one day, they will, sing to their own." Margie and Ilene are the winners of two Parents' Choice Medals, three awards from Parent's Guide to Children's Media and have received enthusiastic accolades from industry professionals as well as teachers, parents and children. They perform and teach in communities all around North America. |
Margie and Ilene
refer to one song in particular, which reflects their feelings about the importance of
music in the transmission of culture. There is a Hebrew song called Niggunim
(Melodies) in which the child says to his parents,| Growing up in Pittsburgh, PA., might
seem an unusual place to nurture a love of Jewish music. But for Ilene Safyan, that's
where it happenned. Her community was one which profoundly influenced her. Her
grandfather, an Orthodox Rabbi, taught her Hebrew and instilled in her a love of Jewish
learning. Her grandmother gave her a love of Jewish family and heritage. Her parents were
always singing. Add to that, her summers at Camp Ramah, years of Hebrew study, and her
relationships with extended family in Israel. These influences all contributed to her
passion for Jewish culture and music and at a very early age, Ilene realized that Jewish
music touched her in a way no other music could. She has shared that love and her musical talents in
many ways. She works with teachers and children, as she teaches in private and public
schools in Oregon. She develops music curriculum for secular and religious schools. Her
recordings, Ilene's pure, smooth voice, her enchanting harmonies and her talent at improvisation have led her to explore and sing many types of music. She is as comfortable singing folksongs as she is opera. She teaches children's music and performs with jazz and Klezmer groups. She has spent her life developing a vast repertoire of music, which she has had the privilege to share with people around the US and Canada. In addition to her busy music schedule, Ilene is a devoted wife and mother, involved in schools and volunteers for numerous community organizations. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and her two children. E-mail her at ilene@sheeramusic.com |
with Margie Rosenthal, have touched the hearts and minds of thousands of
families across the nation. In addition, Ilene performs cantorial responsibilities for two
synagogues in Portland, Oregon and, together with Marcia Liberson, implemented a monthly
Healing Service that now serves as a model for other synagogues. She teaches voice to
private students. She is a composer and music arranger, as well.| Margie began teaching and performing
Jewish music during high school, and began recording with her good friend, Ilene Safyan in
1987. Gifted with a clear, natural soprano voice, Margie is equally comfortable singing
Jewish folk and liturgical music, classical music, or popular music. She and Ilene perform
concerts and teach workshops throughout the United States and Canada.
In addition to her music career, Margie is actively involved in identifying and teaching children with reading disabilities. She trains reading tutors and volunteers time tutoring children in inner city schools in Portland. Throughout her years in Portland, Margie has given a great deal of time to Jewish organizations and causes. She was recognized for her volunteer work by the Jewish Federation of Portland as a recipient of the Song of Miryam Award in 1996. E-mail her at margie@sheeramusic.com |
After graduating from UCLA and
receiving her Masters Degree in Special Education, Margie and her husband, Elden, moved to
Portland Oregon in the early 70's and raised two daughters. They were instrumental in
starting a new synagogue/Havurah in 1978. Margie donated her musical talents to this
group, learning as she went. The group now has over 300 members, and she continues to
volunteer as a cantorial soloist. She has also taught Jewish music at every religious
school in the city during her years in Portland. To read what other people have to say about Margie & Ilene click here for Reviews.