With a Democrat in the state house and a Democrat in the White House, once again nationwide self-pity parties, in the form of victimology gatherings among the hoi polloi (see Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan), are more fashionable than any other form of stultifying political correctness.
Contrast these pathetic people with the most inspirational, most courageous woman I know in Los Angeles.
God himself offered her a chance, in the flower of motherhood, to be a genuine victim.
No, thank you, she said unhesitatingly, kicking temptation in the teeth, even though this lady is comprised of but two elements, 50 percent gentleness, 50 percent kindness.
Tragedy exploded in her face and all other moving parts one horrific Friday night 19 years ago. Externally she has ostensibly rehabilitated herself. Internally, only a fool would want to change seats with her.
Fighting through permanent tears and a chronically aching, humanly unrepairable broken heart, she has converted her shattered life into a one-woman campaign to sprinkle gold dust among children every year.
If our obligation from birth is to improve the world, they could write melodic daily headlines about Rosemary Cohen for the rest of her life without fully spanning the joy she has spread among children and their parents in her adopted hometown.
Bravely, she has soared from the depths of intolerable sorrow to humane heights attained by few in any century.
Last night, Diane and I attended the 15th year of the Liana Cohen Music Festival at the Skirball Cultural Center in the Sepulveda Pass, a showcase for the most gifted young musicians in Los Angeles.
Twenty-two modest stars — some the same age, some the same height, as my neckties — turned a cold, rainy night into a cuddly blaze in a friendly fireplace, tantalizing our minds’ quest for classical cultural consumption.
Here are their names, in the order in which they performed, so you may recognize them when they become world-class musicians:
Sydney Wang, Mandy Shao, Brandon Davidov, Kasper Yoder, Rachel Brown, Dominik Yoder, Allyra Liquigen, Amelia Wu, Erika Wu, Alex Massachi, Jessica Wang, Lucas Yoder, Natalie Kroh, Stephanie Afari, Yasha Yakhnis, Evan Lih, Rebecca Stischer, Dimitri Olevsky, Mary Au, Rachel Chen, Rachel Johnson, Gabrielle Sipen.
Equally, their teachers: Roza Yoder, Diana Volman, Regina Veteym, Lynn Nakamura, Sheila Hekmat, Edward Francis.
Reprinted from our edition two years ago, here is the story of a modern heroine. Her life should be studied by serious students:
An Enormous Footprint
Dr. Rosemary Cohen is a mother, wife, sociologist, textile and silk designer, painter, author, journalist, motivational speaker and, finally, the founder and director of the Liana Cohen Foundation, a non-profit organization for the betterment of music, arts and dance.
The foundation is named after Dr. Cohen’s daughter, who was killed by a drunk driver in 1992, at the age of 18, the night before leaving for college.
Drawing from her inner strength and fortitude, the grief-stricken mother vowed to keep Liana’s memory alive through the one medium that had meant the most to her daughter: music.
Liana was a gifted pianist who had been playing the piano since the age of six. She had studied at L'école nationale de musique d'Orsay near Paris, and later at the Coburn School in Los Angeles, performing solo, duo, trio, and quartets with her siblings.
And thus began the journey of celebrating Liana’s musical legacy.
Every year, on Liana’s birthday, March 25, the foundation hosts a free concert, featuring the winners of the Liana Cohen Music Festival as well as guest musicians and performers.
Now in its 13th year, the festival is one of the most prestigious music competitions for young musicians in Southern California.
How the Competition Works
Young musicians, in the 4th to the12th grades, who play the piano, a string instrument (violin, viola, cello, classical guitar, harp), or a wind instrument (oboe, clarinet, flute, French horn), enroll for the competition through an application process.
During the competition, which takes place 10 days before the concert, 12 volunteer judges, who are professional musicians, teachers, conductors, soloists, department chairs, doctoral students and heads of renowned performing arts centers, donate their time and evaluate the young musicians’ performances.
Each student musician is allotted a total of 10 minutes to play two pieces, one classical and one contemporary, of his or her own choosing. A three-judge panel then evaluates the performer’s intonation, tone, rhythm, technique and interpretation. At the end, the judges fill out an assessment form, a copy of which is later provided to the performer.
The Concert
The top three competition finalists and those who may have received an honorary mention from each age group and category, advance to the concert where they perform one of their chosen pieces, as recommended by the panel judges. They also receive certificates and prizes.
At the end of the concert, all musicians who participated in the competition, but did not perform at the concert, are invited on stage and receive certificates for their participation.
“The drunk driver who killed my daughter Liana said he had gone drinking, because he was bored,” says Dr. Cohen.
“My daughter was never bored. She played the piano, painted, read and studied, learned languages.
“She helped everyone. Liana always brought joy to those around her.”
Through the concert at the Skirball, the foundation brings together talented musicians who are not bored.
Their music brings back a breath of fresh life, bearing witness to the power of human creativity.
Finally
Tomorrow morning, on Shabbos, the day after what would have been Liana’s 37th birthday, her mother will take one more crucial step toward the fullness of a re-lived life when she becomes bat mitzvah at Temple Beth Am in mid-town Los Angeles.
