We can seek rejuvenation through many avenues. It can be a change of scenery, an escape from routine, or immersion into an altogether different environment. Sometimes, it can be as simple as putting in our headphones and letting music transport us to new places. Indeed, music can enhance our journeys as it helps us capture a sense of newness, rejuvenation, and even reinvention that can inspire us to consider how old routines give way to new ones.
Through his album Hitchadshut (Revival), Israeli guitarist, composer, and educator Nir Popliker invites us into his personal journey of revival as he captures milestones along the path toward parenthood. This instrumental collection of guitar compositions begins with “A Song for Uriah” (“Shir L’Uriah”), written for the birth of his first-born son. The album also addresses the challenges embedded in new beginnings and journeys of change. Tracks such as “Sleepless Nights” (“Nedudei Sheinah”); “Longing” (“Kisufim”); and “Adjustment” (“Histaglut”) lead to the concluding composition, “The Road Home” (“Haderech Habaytah”) which invites us to reflect on the literal and metaphorical paths that lead us home. Click on any one of the links in the song titles to play.
This listening experience can inspire us to consider how our journeys can transform the very essence of home, expanding both the physical walls of the house and the capacity of the heart.