biography

Helene has been capturing the hearts of audiences since age 12. Formerly a featured performer with the American Youth Repertory Theater in New York and choreographer for the Beloit Civic Theater, her credits also include film appearances, television commercials and voice-over work.

“When I was three years old I made my first recording - ‘Honey Bun’ - at an amusement park in one of those little ‘make your own record for 50 cents’ booths. I guess that's when I got hooked. I didn't stop singing after that, much to the chagrin of my brother, as I would sing out the names of every store that we passed whenever we rode in the car.

“It's been a long road with lots of bumps and detours that took me away from my deepest passion, but (thank G-d) has led me back to it with my life-long partner, my husband Michael. All Our Lives is more than a collection of great music to me. It is a prayer. It holds my longing for a world filled with song, the type of song that melts away barriers. Whenever we blend our voices together as a people we form a bond that transcends all time.”

Helene is also a teacher and music specialist at several of the religious schools and pre-schools around Atlanta, GA.

Michael is an accomplished performer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist whose credits include composing for film, television and commercials. After a childhood education in classical piano, he went on to study jazz improvisation with pianist Sal Mosca for 11 years. Over the years he was a session keyboard player and member of many rock and jazz bands in the NY / NJ area.

“When I was nine years old I heard the Beatles ‘I Wanna Hold your Hand’ for the first time. It was a very powerful moment that I recall vividly. I didn't have the words for it, but I experienced how music can transform and shape the soul. Much later in life I became acquainted with Chassidic nigunim and began to realize there were much deeper levels of transformative power in music, levels that I feel I'm only beginning to touch upon.”

In addition to touring with and producing The Baal Shem Tones he can be found doing session work, producing other artists, composing, writing songs, teaching music or teaching Hebrew school. Sometimes he accompanies the improvisational comedy troupes Laughing Matters and Blacktop Circus.