50.0°,
Overcast Finding faith through music
Community leader sings Jewish a capella
Scott Eckers has always been deeply involved in music. The 35-year-old East Meadow native said he received an excellent music education in the local schools, went on to sing a capella in college, and has since recorded his own albums, performed across the Northeast and led school and community music programs.
But one of his musical pursuits holds a special place in his heart: his involvement with Shir Soul, a New York City-based Jewish a capella group. Noting that “shir” means song in Hebrew, he explained that connecting music and religion has allowed him, and fans of the group, to experience their faith in a new way.
This year, Shir Soul released a holiday music video for its song “Lift Yourself Up” to celebrate Hanukkah. Eckers, who is also an East Meadow School District Board of Education trustee, said he will continue to spread positive messages through music, both with Shir Soul and on his own.
After graduating from East Meadow High School in 1998, Eckers attended Binghamton University. After seeing all of the college’s a capella groups perform at the beginning of his freshman year, he decided to join one called the Binghamton Crosbys.
A capella is unique, he said, because these groups perform without instrumental accompaniment, singers must collaborate to mimic the sound of a band and strengthen their vocal harmonies.
“You have to do it together,” he said. “You have to listen to all of the other people in the group and blend in with them. It’s very rewarding because you develop such a camaraderie with other members of the group.”
While he was a collegiate performer, Eckers met David Ross, an Ardsley native and a member of Kaskeset, Binghamton’s Jewish a capella group.
A capella is popular among many Jewish musicians, Eckers explained, because performances don’t need instruments, some of which they would not be able to use on holidays when they refrain from using electricity. Ross added that troupes like the Maccabeats, which was originally formed in 2007 as Yeshiva University’s student vocal group, have popularized the genre.
