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For 30 years Steve Dropkin has been actively involved in Jewish music. He began his songleading career with skill he learned at the Eisner Camp in Great Barrington, MA at the age of 14. In high school he was the Regional Songleader for the Jersey Federation of Temple Youth, a region of NFTY, the national youth organization of the Reform movement. That experience led to his inclusion on three of the NFTY “Songs NFTY Sings” record albums where Steve sang and played guitar.

At college, while majoring in theatre at Clark University in Worcester, MA, Steve’s songleading career blossomed. He had a great success in his ability to motivate groups to sing and pray. He has now led literally hundreds of retreat weekends and conclaves.

Steve has been a regular guest lecturer at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion School of Sacred Music in New York for over 10 years. His presentations on contemporary Jewish music have been heard by scores of cantorial students who have used his concepts to balance contemporary music with the more traditional Jewish modes. He has also been a guest panelist at the American Conference of Cantors national convention.

Even though Steve has been writing songs little more than 13 years, it is amazing how quickly his songs have found their way into the mainstream of Reform Jewish music. Many of his songs are already “standards” in Reform camps and religious schools, as well as in worship services. He is widely regarded as a major new composer of contemporary Jewish music and liturgy. Steve's songs have been heard on Tower Airlines’ “in-flight” music programming. His powerful song, "If Not Now, When?" was chosen as the New Jersey State Anthem for the first World AIDS Day commemoration. He has been a finalist in the American Jewish Song Festival, as well as the Zionist Organization of America Song Contest. His composition "Hashkiveinu" was the winner of the first ever Shalshelet Choral Song Contest.

Steve Dropkin's music is published by the American Conference of Cantors (ACC) in their new Chazzan’s Life-Cycle Manuel. Transcontinental Music Publishing, the largest publisher of Jewish music in the world, has included more than 20 of Steve’s songs in numerous projects. You can find his work in “The Complete Shireinu”, “Shabbat Anthology I and II" and in “Manginot II”, a curriculum of children’s music. His songs can also be found on the “Ruach” CD’s series, 5761, 5763, and 5765, (and the companion Ruach Songbooks) as well as a collection of music called “The Nigun Anthology”. Steve is also a contributor to the new "Torah Alive" Music Curriculum Project. Two of Steve’s major liturgical pieces (Shalom Rav and Oseh Shalom) have already been released by Transcontinental Music in choral settings for synagogue choir, and has third choral selection (Hashkiveinu) will be out this month.

Steve has performed all over the United States, in England, and in Israel. He has been a featured performer the URJ National Biennial Convention on three occasions (most recently in Houston this past November), and at three National NFTY Conventions. He has also performed at 13 CAJE Conferences. Dropkin is considered to be a Master Songleader and teacher, having presented at numerous Jewish conferences and conventions. Steve is the founder of the Birmingham Jewish Folk Choral. He also serves as a part-time Cantorial Soloist at Temple Judea in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

Steve has just released his 5th CD entitled “On That Day”(11 brand new and exciting songs!), fresh on the heels of his other solo CD's “Innerpeace” and “Keep Our Hopes Alive”. Dropkin's first two CD's were recorded with his former trio, Ketzev.

He has two beautiful daughters, Marni and Ariel.

View all albums by Steve Dropkin

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