Shira Cohen as her name alludes is a musical priestess.
Shira accesses some higher, mystical, musical dimension. I have known Shira since her birth as her mother and I are close friends. Over the years, I have had the privilege to follow Shira’s progress from up close. We were there two years ago, at Beit Ha’Am, Rehovot’s Performing Arts Theatre when Shira was awarded the first place at a Rehovot singing competion for teens. We also, enjoyed hearing Shira sing at the musical “Magic Games” organized by the Rehovot municipality at Beit Ha’Am in 2018.
Shira’s singing feels like a download of some musical code; her voice gets straight into my core. “Shira’s tone of voice has an emotional power, affecting you deeply whether you like it or not,” Ella Wilhelm, Shira’s first vocal teacher comments moved by her student’s progress.
In Hebrew Shira means singing and poetry and it is no accident, nor a coincidence that her name describes Shira’s essence maximally. From as early as when she was in her mother’s womb, Shira would listen to her mother Shlomit Israeli Cohen sing. Singing is to this day one of Shira’s family favorite passtimes.
Steadily but surely when growing up Shira took singing up herself. Shira first sang at home for the family, then to the wider extended family at family gatherings, and eventually took voice lessons and enrolled to an arts school and the Moran and the Ankor Choir and performed to wider and wider audiences.
And now comes this, her first song on video, titled You Are Not Alone. It is like a healing statement to hear You Are Not Alone these days when everyone is sort of closed in alone in one’s home. Many have the privilege of having a nuclear family at home, but for most of us out there, this second coronavirus lockdown in Israel, is a challenging time, a time of prolonged loneliness, and estrangement from time spent indoors on one’s own.
I ask Shira, who wrote the music and the lyrics to the song.
-Shira: The words of the song were written by a young writer Batel Doron at the beginning of her career, and I composed the music.
-What made you choose this song Shira? Why: You Are Not Alone? Why now?
-Shira: At first when the song was presented to me (one among many) it had only the first two verses and the chorus and it just spoke to me in a way that was beyond explanation. I felt as if it was written about me, for me and the music just came to me almost instantly. Then the writer completed the song. I made my adjustments and the song came to be.
I think that the special thing about this song is that everyone can relate to it. It is about this feeling after you have gone through something difficult or having a hard time and you feel like noone understands what you are feeling and you are all alone in that place that you don’t want to be in. But you re not, whatever it is that you are going through, you are not the only one and you are not alone. There are people who can help you and be there for you, “You Are Not Alone” is a reminder of that.
-I like the video, how was it for you making it? What did you enjoy? What lessons did you learn from making it?
Shira: It was a fun experience when we filmed it but the process of getting there was a bit
stressful, it took a long time to get to the point when we were ready to shoot and seeing myself in
that way was a very strange experience for me. At first, I didn’t even feel like my voice and body
matched, it was like seeing oneself for the first time in a way.
Shira continues: I learned a lot from making the video mostly because everything was a first. I have never done anything remotely like it and pretty much jumped into uncharted waters. Looking back on it I would have prepared better, I would have done a little more research and would have probably been more sure of what I wanted and would have made sure I would have gotten it.
I think the recording process was more interesting than the filming because the recording was a
process. Along with my amazing Musical Producer, Shiko Feldman we worked on the song for
months and it has evolved so much you’d barely recognize it, even the genre changed.
– How is it to be back at school and to have your first song officially released online? Do your classmates and friends respond positively to your video, do they encourage you?
Shira: It’s weird but in a good way. Everyone’s responses were very positive and my friends
encouraged me right from the start.
I have the sense that Shira’s musical journey is unfolding gracefully. Shira has found her voice and is sharing it with the world.
-Shira You Are Not Alone either. All your family and friends, your teachers and fellow singers, your support community, are here with you now, clapping for you, encouraging you, and giving you a hand towards bringing to the fore the unique musical talent you were born with.
Shira, just continue being the musical priestess that you are, downloading sounds, words and voices you have come to share and communicate with the world just like a Cohenet.
From Jerusalem with love,