By Eileen Wingard
LA JOLLA, California — The 14th year of Jewish Poets—Jewish Voices will open Monday evening, November 15, 7:00 p.m. on Zoom with an unusual program featuring three outstanding creative artists in our community, Dr. Richard Alan Schere, Ruth Weber and her daughter, Emilia Lopez-Yanez.
Unlike other programs, where local poets/song-writers each take one third of the first hour, Schere will read during the first third of the hour while Weber and Lopez-Yanez will be performing together and will therefore be allotted the other two-thirds.
Schere will read from his large body of works. Weber and Lopez will perform songs they have composed to accompany Weber’s grandmother Betty’s lyrics. They have named the song cycle, “I Have A Dream-Songs of an Immigrant. “ Lopez-Yanez will be singing and playing the oboe, Weber will be accompanying.
Dr. Richard Schere, a psychotherapist with a La Jolla office, specializes in the assessment and treatment of adolescents and young adults. He is also a faculty member at Aliant International University and at the California School of Professional Psychology.
In addition, he is a recognized published poet and songwriter. He has had his poetry in anthologies of the National and International Libraries of Poetry. In the 1970s, he served as a singer-songwriter with Fast Folk in New York City. Three of his songs were selected by the Smithsonian Museum for their modern folk collection. He has also written in other genres such as novels, short stories and articles on education and psychology.
Ruth Weber serves on the music faculties of Miramar College and Palomar College. She is best known in the San Diego Jewish community as the artistic director and conductor of the San Diego Jewish Men’s Choir, a post she has held for almost a decade. She has also had an extensive international career as an accompanist/coach with organizations such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute, Opera Auascalientes, and the San Fernando Valley Men’s Choir.
An accomplished song writer, her compositions have won the New York Pro/Am Songwriting Competition, the Jewish American Songwriting Competition, the Music City Song Festival, the Grand Prize in the John Lennon Songwriting Competition, the Shalshelet Music Festival and the Grand Prize in the Hollywood Music in Media Awards. Her artistry is heard on numerous recordings including two albums for children made with her daughter, Ruth and Emilia, which have garnered the prestigious Parent’s Choice Award and Creative Child Magazine’s Children’s Album of the Year Award.
Weber’s daughter, Emilia Lopez-Yanez received her undergraduate degree in vocal and oboe performance from Chapman College and her Masters Degree in oboe performance from USC. She serves as professor of oboe at Palomar College and Mira Costa College and maintains a private vocal and oboe studio. Both mother and daughter are ASCAP writers and voting Grammy members.
Following the first hour of featured poets, there will be a half hour of open mic. This is the link to register. If you wish to participate in the open mic session, e-mail Melanie Rubin.
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Eileen Wingard, a retired violinist with the San Diego Symphony, is a freelance writer specializing in coverage of the arts. She may be contacted via eileen.wingard@sdjewishworld.com