3. Kerem 07- 1st in Leviim (3), 1st in Maalot and Swept (3), 3rd in Kerem (1) Second best Shir Chasidi (2), Top Five Shir Aydah (1). Points: 10
Best Zimriyah Song: Heaven is a Place on Earth (Maalot, Aydah)
Worst Zimriyah Song: Yiru (Arayot, Chasidi)
For a rosh aydah who was uninvolved in Zimriyah all three years he was their rosh, and who admits that his least favorite part about camp is Zimriyah, his kids ended up doing a fantastic job rocking the socks off of camp in 05 and 06. They won their first year with three very original songs, and their second year with less originality, but so much will and energy. It certainly was a pleasure winning as counselor[1] and knowing that the win was partially due to mine and my co–counselors creativity.[2] However, surprising everyone, in Kerem they lost it. Their Shir Chasidi and Yisraeli were underwhelming, and their Shir Aydah was good but not over-the-top incredible. If they had managed to pull of the victory in Kerem we would be talking about Kerem 07 as the best Zimriyah aydah.
2. Kerem 12-
1st in Arayot (3), 1st in Leviim and Swept (3+1.5), Second best Shir Aydah (2), Best Shir Yisraeli (3). Points: 12.5
Best Zimirah Song: Heartless Mashup (Arayot, Aydah)
Worst Zimirah Song: Uf Guzal[3] (Arayot, Yisraeli)
I want to attempt to explain how good Kerem 12 is at Zimriyah. Within the first two years of in the older half of camp (Arayot and older), they are half a point away from first place. They are missing both their Maalot and Kerem summers, and yet they rank second. It is almost impossible for me to imagine that they won’t be in first place next year, and I they will most likely break 20 Zimriyah points by the end of their run. Insanity. They are blessed with a talented and motivated aydah, even more talented counselors and a sing/no scream issue that plagues others. Overall it makes for a positively lethal combination.
Now as a matter of perspective they are blessed to be where they are because they didn’t have the powerhouses of Kerem 07 and Kerem 08 to contend with. They also are next to the worst aydah at Zimiyrah (Kerem 11) so this also boosts their stats. People do theorize that it is a very counselor driven aydah, led by Neal Freyman and Avi Packer. Some argue that they have yet to do anything by themselves. Yes, this is true, however, we cannot forget that these kids just completed their Leviim summer. At this point, it is the counselor's responsibility to lead them, and I would never expect a Leviim camper to run their own Zimriyah. Now, in Kerem, if they still have Neal and Avi in the front, then this argument will be more valid. Regardless of all of the criticism, their aydah and their counselors have incredible talent for Zimriyah.
1. Kerem 03-
2nd in Arayot (2), 1st in Leviim and Swept (3), 1st in Maalot (3), Second in Kerem (2) Second best Shir Yisraeli (2), Top five Shir Yisraeli (1). Points: 13
Best Song: Halo Yaakov (Maalot, Yisraeli)
Worst Song Cecelia (Leviim, Aydah)
The best. Number 1. The big kahuna. I kind of like the fact that the number 1 aydah is the second to oldest that is ranked. The members of Kerem 03, as an aydah, were the pioneers of the new Zimriyah. They led the exile from hand-holding-sway-back-and-forth type and into the exciting-rock-out-we-are-gonna-destroy-you type. They practically invented what we think of as good and innovative hand motions, and the antics that they provided certainly bumped everything up a level (or two…or three). Every year to open their songs[4], they had Dan Karp and Sam Seigel sit in lawn chairs and play out some sort of comedy routine either in English or Hebrew. It was hilarious and very representative of their aydah. Now, I don’t know what they were thinking going with an oldie for their Leviim Shir Aydah, and doing it a capella style no less, but we can forgive them. These guys were also blessed with being sandwiched between relatively easy competitors, and they no question would have won in Kerem as well if Maalot hadn’t swept in from under them. Overall though, they were fantastic, and deserve to be in the number one slot. But, as I predict, it just won’t hold on for so much longer. You heard it from me first.
My Predictions for Zimriyah 2011
Maalot (wins two out of three of their songs as well)
Arayot (this aydah will be a powerhouse as well. Watch out.)
Kerem (They finally get on the board by giving it all of the energy they can muster)
[1] It was great being able to experience this from both sides and also it felt way better to win Zimriyah than it did to lose Zimriyah and win melech Zimriyah like I did in 08.
[2] Of course this applies to every aydah (Besides Kerem) that wins as well.
[3] I cannot believe that I am saying that Uf Guzal qualifies for a worst song. Due partially to recognition and partially to the performance, I loved this song and I though Adam Brady and Abby Suldan’s duet was great. But if there has to be a worst song out of the six, this is it. It was a bit too simple and unoriginal.
[4] This was a time where they had formal openings to all songs
Part 1/2
ReplyDeleteSince the fire of K'11's rebuttals in Yoni's first Zimriyah ranking blog seemed to have subsided before I really caught on to all the fun, I think someone needs to respond to the grossly unfair attacks on the 8th graders of Levi'im '10 (let's remember they weren't even in high school yet) regarding their Zimriyah performances of the past two years, which are briefly highlighted in the post above.
*This might be long
The main sentiment heard on the this blog and at camp last summer is loud and clear: the counselors, Glee-powered drill sergeants of Leviim '10, created an vast army of entrancingly harmonizing, perfectly synchronized Sirens that helped Lt. Col. Neal Freyman and Gen. Avi Packer complete their worldwide domination of Jewish Camp Singing Competitions. As one anonymous poster related in three successive points:
1) "They did not even make up their own hand motions for zimriyah this summer"
2) "The counselors are the only ones who care about what the results are"
3) "Leviim this year did not want the win as much as the counselors"
I would like to clear up some inaccuracies in the previous statements, because I think it is giving people an absolutely wrong message.
1) I don't know why all of a sudden popular opinion has it that campers not in Kerem routinely made up hand motions. If so, I especially loved the classic nose-pick and chew that worked well for Gurim '03. The truth is, Leviim '10 campers made up the hand motions to 2 out of the 3 songs.
2+3) There is a wide range of enthusiasm for Zimriyah across campers and counselors alike, so there is just no way one can say the "counselors wanted it more." The facts are, some of the campers were so blisteringly excited to rehearse for Zimriyah they repeatedly asked the counselors for back-to-back practices. If you knew how difficult keeping kids quiet during ONE Zimriyah practice is (let alone two in a row) then you're really overestimating the excitement Zimriyah brings to counselors, even Supreme Overlords Avi and Neal.
Part 2/2
ReplyDeleteMZT brings me to my next and hopefully last point, when he writes "My discussion of counselor influence was pointed towards (in all honesty) kerem 2012 whose counselors control and decide almost everything they do." Yet I'm afraid us poor counselors would be woefully bored and possibly unemployed if eighth graders could plan and execute a summer camp program by themselves, especially a complex singing competition.
Historically speaking, the counselors of A'09 and L'10 did not do more or less work than any other non-Kerem staff before them. They picked all three songs, wrote the words to Shir Aydah, did some of the hand motions, and planned the stand-ups and sit-downs. People have cited the arrangements of some of these songs to illustrate overbearing counselor involvement, but this is also just another job that pre-Kerem counselors have been doing forever. Avi and Neal's musical experience led them to to spice up the the songs so the campers would enjoy singing them more (e.g. singing a Kanye song in Zimriyah is every camper's dream).
The shame of this all, in closing, is that the campers of Kerem '12 are not getting any credit. In saying that the counselors have done everything for them, we would be completely discounting the hard work, talent, and passion these guys have for putting on a great show. Suffice it to say, they love to sing and are pretty good at it. Kerem '12 campers repeatedly show a strong commitment to the performing arts at camp and are heavily involved in singing programs like ArtsFest, the Yavnotes, and the camp play. If you talk to Bentzi, he'll tell you that this adya's campers are in general the most enthusiastic and turn out in the greatest numbers.
Kerem '12 deserves a chance to show what they can do without being unfairly criticized for doing exactly what every non-Kerem aydah has done before them. Let's leave the counselors out of this.
Though I understand what you are saying, if Kerem 2012 zimriyah was really supposed to be all about the kids, then it seems odd that the counselors are constantly in the spotlight. Obviously, since Avi and Neal are always the subject of discussion when discussing their aydah's successes at zim, clearly they are doing something more than what other counselors are doing. Currently, I do not have a very high appreciation for the technically amazing songs, since the passion that the kids put into it does not match the passion of the counselors. I am fully aware of a few kids in the aydah who adore zimriyah and would love nothing more than zimriyah practice all day for three weeks, the vast majority of the aydah does not have the energy that is needed in zimriyah. The judges simply do not hear beyond the technicalities, which is why they win. If this coming summer maalot '11 wins, I would be quite sad to see an aydah with equally amazing talent that has a lot more energy and excitement lose to them.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with what you are saying about K'12's energy and want for a win at zimriyah. K'12 wants to win zimriyah even more badly this year than in the past years. Each year we want to win zimiryah but we understand that in order to win, we have to sing not scream. That proved to do us well the past two years and so we will continue with this technique. How the judges choose to score, based on singing not screaming or energy is up to them, we just comply with what they are looking for. And I completely agree with the first two comments on this post.
ReplyDeletewatch out for naaleven...their overseas video contribution is going to add some tough competition
ReplyDeletewhen k12 is in kerem will they do as well as they have been doing with out all of the help of their counselors?
ReplyDelete...cue the suspenseful music...
ReplyDeleteYoni, there is a mistake in the post above. Kerem 03 and 07 should each receive an extra 1.5 for sweeping in Leviim and Maalot, respectively.
ReplyDelete