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 sang out the names of every store that we passed whenever we got 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. This CD 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 the barriers between us all. When we blend our voices together with the understanding that we may travel different paths and live in many different ways all over the world, we are held to each other with bonds that transcend 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.

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 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.