A Different Beat
A West Bloomfield teen puts her music on paper.
LISA BRONSTEIN
Special to the Jewish News
33
igh school sophomore Beth
Kerwin recently attended a
performance of the
Bloomfield Hills Andover
High School chamber ensemble at
Oakland University.
Although she is an accomplished
pianist, Kerwin did not perform with
the ensemble. She listened, perhaps with
a more critical ear than other members
audience, she performs in approximately
eight recitals a year.
But it was because of a personal
tragedy that Kerwin turned to music as
a creative and emotional outlet.
Kerwin's cousin, Dani Brenner, was
eight years older and a gifted performer.
The two girls spent a lot of time togeth-
er, and Kerwin admired her cousin's
amazing voice and energetic spirit."
Brenner spent two summers at the
Interlochen camp for the performing
arts in northern Michigan, and was
attending the Children's Professional
School in New York when she died in a
car accident.
Kerwin wanted to follow in her
cousin's musical footsteps, so she also
attended Interlochen. Kerwin sees her
time at the camp as a turning point in
her life.
"
"It was seeing all of
the amazing talent at
Interlochen where I
really learned to
appreciate the arts.
Beth Kerwin
Professional Help
of the audience, because the 15-year-old
Kerwin composed the music being
played.
Surprisingly, The Sabbath was written
for a string quartet and clarinet, even
though Kerwin only plays the piano.
It was a long and sometimes painful
road that brought Kerwin to that
remarkable performance. Kerwin has
always been involved in the arts. Since
the age of 3, the West Bloomfield resi-
dent has been taking both dance and
singing lessons. A natural in front of an
"I learned a lot about being comfortable
in public and finding a stage presence
from [Miss Barbara's] dance classes, but
it was seeing all of the amazing talent at
Interlochen where I really learned to
appreciate the arts," she says.
Deciding that dancing and singing
just weren't enough, Kerwin turned to
the piano. She enjoyed composing piano
music and lyrics, and even wrote a song
about cousin Dani, but had difficulty
with her formal lessons because she did
not find an instructor whose teaching
methods fit her personality. She did not
give up, and began studying with Erwin
Krinsky.
With Krinsky, Kerwin is re-learning
the basics — essential piano techniques
and how to read chord symbols and lead
sheets. Under Krinsky's direction,
Kerwin is "getting better, faster."
But the music that Kerwin was writ-
ing on her own was getting more corn-
plex than she was even able to read.
Kerwin's mother, Susan, began searching
for another instructor. They found a
match in Dr. Karl Boelter, a professor at
Oakland University.
For the past three years, Kerwin has
also been studying with Dr. Boelter,
learning theory and composition. In
order to write for instruments other than
piano, she has had to learn about differ-
ent instruments, how they are played
and their musical ranges.
As her composition skills improved,
Kerwin entered competitions. Last year,
she learned from Cantor Stephen Dubov
that her temple, Beth El, was conduct-
ing a competition. Kerwin decided to
write and enter a piece. "It was really a
spur of the moment kind of thing," she
says.
After speaking with her grandparents
on the phone one afternoon, the theme
of the composition was born. Her work
is a contemplation of Shabbat, and the
meaning of the holiest day of the week.
Part energetic, part slow and deliberate,
Kerwin says The Sabbath was "the largest
piece I have ever written."
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Lakers Score As
Goldman Champs
The Lakers of the Kenny Goldman
Jr. NBA/WNBA 2nd-3rd grade bas-
ketball league at the West
Bloomfield Jewish Community
Center won the winter session bas-
ketball championship March 17.
The Lakers defeated the Bulls 8-3
on a full court.
The team also won the fall cham-
Learning Experience
pionship, defeating the Pistons 12-
At times, it was frustrating for Kerwin to 10 in double overtime.
Team members included: Jordan
write an arrangement for instruments
Black,
Phillip Brown, Andrew Cahn,
she did not play. But she found it was
"really a lot of fun to write." Kerwin also Chad Chaiken, Evan Cohn, Max
Herczeg, David Oleinick, David
submitted The Sabbath to the Junior
Weinfeld, Ashwin Vaishnav and
Composers Competition sponsored by
Akanksha Vaishvay. The team was
the Michigan Federation of Music. Her
composition won, and will be entered in coached by Mark Cahn of West
Bloomfield.
a higher competition.
While still studying with both teach-
ers, Kerwin prefers to write her own
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music and wants to concentrate more on
composition than performance. But she
is taking voice lessons and will audition
for Andover High School's choir.
Yet, Kerwin prefers watching a per-
formance of her making, rather than
actually being a part of it. She believes
she is too critical of herself as a per-
former, but refuses to give up any of her
extra-curricular activities, which include
the high school pom-pon and forensic
teams.
She still manages to practice piano up
to two hours a day, and is preparing for
a dance recital. But she sees her future in
music composition.
Kerwin dreams of attending the
Juilliard School in New York City, per-
haps as a graduate student, and some
day having a composition published.
"I make time for my family and
friends," she says, "but I also want to
spend my free time doing things that
make me happy." ❑
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4/12
2002
88
n high school seniors who are Jewish only
ri 19 to submit their information for the Jewish
ews C ap & Gown supplement. Cap & Gown will be published
in the May 10 Jewish News.
We will honor all Michigan Jewish seniors who have a 4-year
cumulative grade point average of 3.60 or higher on a 4.0 scale (or
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and higher
To be inclu
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submission guidelines.
Remember: Deadline for applications is April 19.
--- Alan Hilsky,
associate editor