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The

s a composer and conductor, Ben
Cohen is used to pulling a lot of
disparate pieces together into a
ohesive, aesthetically pleasing

whole.
So it's not surprising that the 34-year-
old newlywed is managing to direct two
choirs, write music, teach musical theater
at Ann Arbor's Emerson School and serve
as musical director for JETs (Jewish En-
semble Theatre) upcoming Falsettos.
It's enough to make most people dizzy,
but Cohen seems to thrive on the chaotic
demands of his work. Although he de-
scribes his career as "piecemeal — lots of
pieces and not many meals," he says he
likes the diversity of work, particularly the
balancing of conducting, which he sees as
very regimented, with composing, which
is more creative.
As a college student majoring in music
at Brandeis University, Cohen did a
lot of acting, and most of his musical
compositions revolve around the the-
ater. Because he doesn't like coming
up with plots, he frequently uses ex-
isting poems and stories — such as
"Casey At The Bat," Alice Through
the Looking Glass and the Greek
myth of Hercules — as his inspira-
tion.
"I like to use stories that are tried
and true and open themselves up to
some kind of interpretation," Cohen
said.
He describes Falsettos — written
by William Finn and James Lapine
— as reminiscent of Stephen Sond-
heim's work in its "frenetic and
jagged rhythms" and its "outpouring
of ideas in a nonmetaphorical way."
About dysfunctional relationships,
the jam-packed musical addresses
gay relationships, marriage and even
bar mitzvahs.
Working with JET is only one of
many projects in which Cohen's Jew-
ish identity has become intertwined
with his musical identity. Cohen also
conducts Temple Israel's choir, and
is founding conductor of the Zamir
Chorale, a 32-member ensemble,
which he sees as his main Jewish
outlet right now.
"My Zamir work has gotten me
more into this Jewish mode," said
Cohen, who enjoys the learning that
has accompanied his quest to iden-
tify authentically Jewish music.

"I'm getting back to an understanding
of this stuff which I never understood in
Hebrew school," he said.
Because most of Jewish history has been
in the Diaspora, it is often difficult to find
works that are distinctively Jewish and do
not merely sound derivative of other cul-
tures, says Cohen, who is careful to dis-
tinguish between Jewish music and music
written by Jews.
"I'm shying away from doing music by
Jewish composers just because they're Jew-
ish composers," he explained, adding that
his involvement with Zamir "feels like a
perfect marriage of everything that I think
about."
Ironically, Cohen's "marriage" to Jew-
ish music coincides with his literal mar-
riage to a Christian woman. He feels the
two are actually connected.
"I never practiced, never went to shul

usic
an

much, but I do find that I've started pro-
tecting my Jewish self much more ardently .
since I've been with [my wife] Julie," he ex-
plained.
Rabbi Robert Levy of Arm Arbor's Tem-
ple Beth Emeth officiated at their wedding,
and Cohen says it is important to him that
his future children feel part of the Jewish
community. Since his wife — an artist who
teaches with Cohen at the Emerson School
— is not particularly attached to Chris-
tianity, the two plan to send their children
to Hebrew school.
A native of Boston, Cohen came to Uni-
versity of Michigan several years ago to
pursue a master's degree in conducting,
and he continues to live in Ann Arbor.
In addition to his work in Detroit, Co-
hen has been involved with a number of
musical theater groups in Ann Arbor, in-
cluding the Ann Arbor Civic Theater, the

Cantata Singers and the Gilbert and Sul-
livan Society.
Lawrence Katkowsky, one of the co-
founders of the Zamir Chorale, speaks
highly of Cohen. "If it were not for him, we
could not have formed Zamir," he said,
praising Cohen's musical abilities, teach-
ing skills and vision. "He's not content to
stay with the established rules, and he has
great talent as a composer," added
Katkowsky.
Evelyn Orbach, JE'rs artistic director,
raves about Cohen's combination of peo-
ple skills and musical talent, adding that
she recruited him for Falsettos because he
came so highly recommended.
"I love the way he deals with people. He's
very warm, has a great sense of humor and
is very supportive," she said. "He has
tremendous promise and is very much re-
spected by his colleagues."

❑

Musical talent and
people skills go hand in
hand in the work of
composer/conductor .
Ben Cohen.