Polina Shepherd: Cultural activist, Singer, Composer, Choir leader

I was honoured to speak with the inspiring singer, composer, choir leader, pianist and cultural activist Polina Shepherd. In this episode you’ll hear Polina’s stories from growing up in Tartarstan, in the former Soviet Union, finding a bridge to her Jewish identity through Klezmer music, collaborating with her mentors, founding Yiddish and Russian choirs in the U.K., and many other creative projects. During the episode she sings songs from different traditions, including one of her compositions, and is such a warm and engaging speaker I trust a wide audience will find inspiration and food for thought in her perspectives on education, mentorship, creativity, health, identity, connection and collaboration.

The link for both the podcast and video is linked with the full transcript: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/polina-shepherd  Her website https://www.polinashepherd.co.uk/

If you are specifically interested in Klezmer music, you may be interested in previous episodes with Alicia Svigals, Josh “Socalled” Dolgin, and Marilyn Lerner.

Please encourage me to keep this series going. https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman

photo credit: Shendl Copitman

Timestamps:

(00:00:00) Intro

(00:01:27) connecting through music, COVID, Sing With Me workshops

(00:05:14) Polina’s childhood, family music-making

(00:07:16) intro to Russian Romance by Lermontov and Shashina

(00:10:14) Polina’s musical training and voice

(00:12:16) Tomsk, Kazan, growing up in Tartarstan, Jewish community, perestroika

(00:16:27) Yiddish song, Polina sings “A Frisher Vind” Dovid Hofshsteyn poetry

(00:21:31) secular Yiddish culture, song cycle with poems of Troim Katz Handler

(00:24:11) falling in love with Merlin Shepherd, experience of immigration to the UK

(00:28:17) first trip to US, Lorin Sklamberg, Adrienne Cooper, Zalmen Mlotek

(00:31:07) 150 Voices with Lorin Sklamberg, part in “The Crown”

(00:35:09) The Caravan Orchestra and Choir, teaching improvisation, working with youth

(00:40:39) Tartarstan cultural influences

(00:42:40) Polina’s advice for musicians, collaboration

(00:48:13) memorisation, playing by ear

(00:49:15) advice for health for singers and everyone else

(00:52:48) accompanying silent films

(00:57:43) collaboration with dance, community outreach

(00:59:22) Polina’s way of manifesting projects, starting her choirs, Jackie Fuller

(01:04:12) working with community choirs

(01:06:55) learning from Adrienne Cooper, Zalmen Mlotek, Lorin Sklamberg, Frank London, Merlin Shepherd, Psoy Korolenko

(01:13:37) Niggun Koyach

(01:16:14) Polina’s reflections and advice