Rabbi Israel Taub, the first Rebbi of Modzitz was asked why he dedicated so much of his energy to the composition of nigunim. His answer, given more than 100 years ago, has remained a part of Hassidic and Jewish musical lore. Baruch Ata Hashem Elokenu melech ha'olam habocher batora . The meaning of the Ropshitzer Rebbe was quite clear.
Music has the power to bring one to repentence.
Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach was undoubtedly aware of these three powerful statements throughout his long and productive musical career. They were the foundation upon which he sought to exemplify the habocher b'shire zimra which inevitably brought his intent and attentive listeners to the habocher batora. In all candor he would come up short in all three areas. As a composer Shlomo was certainly not in the company of great folk composers such as Stephen Foster. As a singer he never entered the ranks of the vocally cultured Jan Peerce or Richard Tucker.