frontlines

Making His
Musical Mark

Midnight Mirage lead guitarist Eytan Freedman is on the

right.

Keri Guten Cohen

Story Development Editor

t the end of a recent interview for an upcom-
ing story about Hillel Day School in Farmington
Hills, Steve Freedman, head of school, interrupts
our goodbyes for a text from his son, Eytan. He looks up
and beams a proud smile.
"His music video just went from 4,000 views yesterday to
522,648 today," he says. Freedman and his wife, Joan, have
raised four children in West Bloomfield.
Whoa! Steve Freedman's son is a budding rock star?
No news to those who knew Eytan as a student at Frankel
Jewish Academy in West Bloomfield. A member of the Class
of 2007, Eytan, 23, has been a guitarist for 14 years. While in
high school, he and fellow classmates, David Devries and Josh
Cohen, formed a band called Third Evolution that won West
Bloomfield's Battle of the Bands.
After graduation, he and six others from around the world
won a scholarship to live together and study music for a year at
the Rimon Music School in Israel.
"It was a really positive way to expose myself to new people
and to network," Eytan says from Los Angeles. "I moved to Israel
not knowing anyone. It prepared me to step up to the next level
in life and music:'
Now he's attending the Musicians Institute in Hollywood,
where the well-rounded bachelor's program includes "everything
to make every musician as adaptable and professional as pos-
sible': Eytan says.
In Los Angeles, "I'm a musician for hire': he says.
The school has a hiring service for students and Eytan's been
listed as a top young guitarist. So top agents have gotten him
auditions for bands such as Katy Perry, Breaking Benjamin and
Nick Simmons (son of Kiss' Gene Simmons).
Around eight months ago, he was the first to audition for

a spot in Midnight Mirage, a pop rock band formed around
singer, TS. He was the first musician hired and plays lead guitar.
The band just finished its first tour, which took them all over
California and to Las Vegas, Idaho and Seattle.
But it's their music video, "Bad for You',' that's gotten the buzz
that made dad, Steve Freedman, light up.
The video features dramatic views of the band playing the
song about addictive love interspersed with footage of a beauti-
ful woman getting even with her man by destroying his Range
Rover, finally dropping it 100 feet from a forklift.
Introduced on NBC-TV's Insider show, the video and the
single released beforehand have skyrocketed. The video reached
1 million views in about 10 days. And Midnight Mirage reached
the top 10 on Billboard's Next Big Sound Charts, which ranks the
15 fastest-accelerating artists on the Web.
"The past two weeks have been surreal': Eytan says. "I'm
working very hard to balance everything. I take classes early in
the day, teach music lessons at the University of Rock, and then
I'm in the recording studio."
He still manages to keep up with close friends and family in
Michigan, and to have a girlfriend.
"I am drawn to the endless possibilities of music," says the
mostly self-taught guitarist. "The guitar has so much power; you
can really express your emotions.
"What I bring to the band is my personal experience, and I like
to interact with the fans. I come from a small town and a small
school. That interaction brings more than just a concert."
For such a personable guy, why does he have to look so ,
mean in publicity photos?
"Everyone comments on that," Eytan says.
But his dad knows better. "He's just the sweetest guy,"
Freedman says. ❑

.

See Midnight Mirage's video "Bad for You" on YouTube.

JN CONTENTS

Sept.27-Oct. 3, 2012 I 11-17 Tishrei 5773 I Vol. CXLII, No. 8

Ann Arbor

22, 28

Around Town

24

Arts/Entertainment

61

Calendar

28

Food

66

Health & Wellness

54

Israel

Letters

46, 48

5

Life Cycles

70

Marketplace

74

Metro

Next Generation

8

46

Obituaries
Out & About
Points Of View
Red Thread
Spirituality
Sports
Staff Box/Phone List
Synagogue List
Torah Portion

Columnists
Danny Raskin
Robert Sklar

81
62
48
31
50
69
6
52
51

.68
.48

Shabbat And Holiday Lights

Shabbat: Friday, Sept. 28, 7 p.m.
Shabbat Ends: Saturday, Sept. 29, 7:59 p.m.

Sukkot Day 1: Sunday, Sept. 30, 6:57 p.m.
Sukkot Day 2: Monday, Oct. 1, 7:55 p.m.
Holiday Ends: Tuesday, Oct. 2, 7:54 p.m.

Intermediate Shabbat: Friday, Oct. 5, 6:48 p.m.
Shabbat Ends: Saturday, Oct. 6, 7:47 p.m.

Times are according to the Yeshiva Beth
Yehudah calendar.

Milton M. Ratner made his living in
commercial real estate, in particular
with apartment complexes along
Jefferson Avenue and the Detroit
River. He also was a philanthropist
who believed in higher education,
so when he put part of his wealth in
trust to create a Foundation, the
first of its directives was to give
money to educational ventures.
"The Milton M. Ratner Foundation
establishes college and university
scholarships, and helps people
continue their education," said
Foundation Trustee and Treasurer
Terri Thorn. "Establishing the
Milton M. Ratner Education Fund
at Hebrew Free Loan goes very
well with that purpose." The fund
will assist current students who are
looking for the money to finish school,
and those who want to return to
school for advanced degrees, or to
take classes or training required for
their jobs, which Terri says fits with
what's happening in the ever-
changing economic landscape.
"Mr. Ratner was very generous
throughout his lifetime, but quietly
and privately so," Terri said. "When
he died in 1968, he left the
Foundation to continue to help
others after he was gone."

Click. Call. Give Now.
www.hfidetroit.org
248.723.8184

Health. A fresh start.
A good education.
The next great business idea.

Hebrew Free Loan gives interest-
free loans to members of our
community for a variety of
personal and small business
needs. HFL loans are funded
entirely through community
donations which continually
recycle to others, generating
many times the original value
to help maintain the lives of
local Jews.

HEBREW

On The Cover:

LOAN

Page design, Michelle Sheridan

Our JN Mission

The Jewish News aspires to communicate news and opinion that's useful, engaging, enjoyable and unique. It strives to
reflect the full range of diverse viewpoints while also advocating positions that strengthen Jewish unity and continu-
ity. We desire to create and maintain a challenging, caring, enjoyable work environment that encourages creativity
and innovation. We acknowledge our role as a responsible, responsive member of the community. Being competi-
tive, we must always strive to be the most respected, outstanding Jewish community publication in the nation. Our
rewards are informed, educated readers, very satisfied advertisers, contented employees and profitable growth.

The Detroit Jewish News CUSPS 275-520) is
published every Thursday al 29200 Northwestern
Highway, #110, Southfield, Michigan. Periodical
postage paid at Southfield, Michigan, and
additional mailing offices. Postmaster: send changes
to: Detroit Jewish News, 29200 Northwestern
Highway, #110, Southfield, MI 48034.

hfidetioit.org

We Provide Loans. We Promise Digility.

6735 Telegraph Road, Suite 300 • Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301

la

Hebrew Free Loon Dstroit

raRDsh--3:: .

Jewci 425T

September 27 * 2012

3

