Our Cantorial Soloists

Scott Leader has worked in world class recording studios across the country focusing on independent music with notable producers and engineers. Through these experiences he has created a fluid style of production that meets the needs of each individual artist and can provide a custom Œfeel¹ for each project.

Scott has both BS and BA degrees from the University of Arizona and a M.Ed from the Arizona State University.  He has experience as an elementary school science teacher, summer camp director, assistant principal, Cantor and Jewish Music Song leader, and touring musician.  Scott is also one of the few certified Pro Tools operators in Arizona.

Scott began producing and recording music in high school while growing up in New Jersey.  It was during this time he cultivated his love for music and the studio process at the dawn of digital recording.  During college, he started performing live concerts and producing albums for artists in multiple cities.  He began professional work at studios in Austin, Texas and Los Angeles, California honing his skills as a producer for many genres of music including folk, rock, religious, and classical.

As a professional artist and musician, Scott released his first full length album of Original Jewish music, ³Lift My Eyes,² in 2003. As a result, he became one of the top performers of original Jewish rock music in the country, traveling across the USA performing concerts and leading workshops.

He followed up with two more albums featuring a more driving roots rock sound, ³Gates,² in 2005.  Together with his award winning band, ³Sababa², he released, ³Pray For The Peace,² which gained the attention of many artists looking for a producer to get them the same feel and quality in their recordings.  In 2008  ³Sababa,² (www.sababamusic.com) released ³It¹s All Good,² which includes several awarding tracks.  Scott is excited about the release of his newest album, ³Shalosh,² which was released in 2015 and has already had two tracks featured on national compilations CDs, Sirius/XM radio, and won several song writing awards.  Scott’s Jewish music has been published in compilation CDs for The PJ Library, The Union for Reform Judaism, and the American Conference of Cantors.

Scott is now producing albums for all genres of music and artists full time at Brick Road Studio in Scottsdale, AZ and teaching music production at Paradise Valley High School.​

Erica Erman has been singing at Congregation Kehillah since its inception and loves lending her voice to our community’s Shabbat and holy day services, YEP! program, and life cycle events, including britot milah (bris’), britot bat (covenantal ceremonies for naming baby girls), b’nei mitzvah, aufrufs, weddings, and end of life observances including funerals, shiva minyans, and Yizkor services. Erica also co-leads Tot Shabbat and Sippy Cup Shabbat for our younger families, and various educational and musical events for families with older children, for Rosh Chodesh programs, and for the congregation as a whole. 

In addition to singing, Erica plays piano and guitar and has composed several pieces of Jewish liturgical music, including a Havdalah melody and Refa’einu on her original CD, “For a Moment”, which was recorded in 2009 at Scott Leader’s studio. She is a regular participant in the wider Phoenix Jewish community’s musical events, including community-wide Chanukah programs and a recent Tu B’Av concert via YouTube. 

Outside of Congregation Kehillah, Erica is a practicing health care attorney and serves as Co-Chair of the Arizona Jewish Lawyers Association. She loves baking challah every Friday for Shabbat.